BatesCounty

Shower’s Stone Quarry – Located one-half mile north of the “Hotwater Corner”. Quarry was located on 40 acres owned by J. Showers in 1875.

Stonemason H.B. Francis used stone from this quarry for foundation stones in home construction.

Source:  History of Mulberry p. 11 & 109

Ayre’s Quarry – located southeast of Butler, sec. 25, Mt.PleasantTownship, on land 40 acres owned by Dan Ayre’s. Limestone from this quarry was used on the Bates County Courthouse foundation and for the old jail.

 Source:  Bates County Court records

Underwood Quarry – located west of Ballard just south of Highway 18, sec 12, ShawneeTownship. Limestone from here and a companion quarry directly north across the highway were used for home and outbuilding foundations in the immediate area.  These large quarries were expanded and the stone used in road construction from the 1930’s through the 1960’s and then they were closed.

Source:  Roger Pruden interview

Engelhardt Quarry – located south of Virginia, sec. 32, CharlotteTownship. Opened about 1910, it provided limestone for barns and fences in the township.  It was quite small and hand worked.  It closed in the 1920’s.

Source:  Helen Hill interview

Shawnee WPA Quarries – three quarries located in sec. 9 & 10, ShawneeTownship, west of Ballard off the Highway 18 curve.  Originally small quarries used for foundation stones on their farms, the became road rock quarries during the 1930’s under the WPA programs.  They closed with World War II.

Source:  Kevin Fowler interview

McConnellQuarry - located south of Butler, sec 35, Mt.PleasantTownship on land owned by Dan McConnell in the late 1800’s.  McConnell was a local stone cutter/farmer who used stone quarried on his farm.  The stone was also used by the Harpers to build their fences and outbuildings. 

Source:  Kay Wright interview

Diehl Quarry – located south of Pleasant Gap, sec 13, PleasantGapTownship on land owned by Lloyd Diehl.  This sandstone quarry provided stone for home and outbuilding foundations in the early 1900’s, later some road rock and perhaps the Pleasant Gap church.  Closed for many years, it is one of the few locations in the county that trilobite fossils can be found.

Source:  Paul Diehl interview

Hill Quarry – located southeast of Hudson, sec. 23, HudsonTownship on land owned by John Hill, AppletonCity stone cutter.  His house was across the road and he quarried stone here for use in Hudson and AppletonCity in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.

Source:  Charles Bauer interview