Warrensburg,  Johnson County,  Missouri

“This quarry is located two miles directly north of Warrensburg in the W. ½ of the S.W. ¼ of sec. 12, T. 46, R. 26 W.  It is owned by Jacob Pickel and operated by his two sons, under the firm name of Pickel Bros.  It has been in continuous operation since it was opened in 1873….

The stone is a fine grained, calcareous sandstone in which the quartz grains are cemented mainly with calcium carbonate.  The stone has a light bluish gray color in the upper part of the quarry, gradually taking on a deeper blue tint, as the depth increases to within eight feet of the bottom, where the color changes to white.  The transition from blue to white is sharp and distinct.  The twenty feet directly above the white is the best blue stone….

When lifted in the quarry the stone has a tendency to break along the stratification planes, which dip slightly to the southwest.  The stone is channeled from east to west and lifted to the south, in order to minimize the waste which results from this tendency to split…

Near the surface the stone is soft and only used for foundation purposes. Deeper in the quarry it becomes gradually harder.  The difference in hardness is nicely shown by the rapidity with which the stone is cut by the gang-saws.  That from the surface is cut at a rate of from eight to ten inches per hour, while that from the lower portion is cut at a rate of from five to six inches per hour. The white stone is thought to be the best in the quarry and is particularly well fitted for buildings, in which it is used for caps, sills, steps, cornices, coursing and foundations. The stone is also used for sidewalks, monument bases, curbing, chimneys, hitching posts, stepping blocks, retaining walls and columns.

The quarry is equipped with modern machinery for quarrying, cutting and dressing the stone.  Wordwellchannelers, gang-saws, steam hoists, and steam derricks are among the equipment.  The company is in position to supply either rough or sawed stone of any dimensions.”

Source:  Quarry Industry of Missouri, Vol. 2, 1904.