Belgium in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
About the Quarry and the Limestone
Photographed By Devon Polzar, 2018
1. About the Quarry and the Limestone Marker
Inscription.
About the Quarry and the Limestone. . The depth of the old quarry is about 45 feet, and its area is 23 acres, so you can see that a great quantity of stone was removed from it. Mules pulled rock-filled carts along tracks from various places in the quarry to one central location, a ramp, where the mule was unhitched from the cart. A cable then proceeded to pull the carts up the ramp to the crusher which broke and sorted the rock into three different sizes.
The rock is actually dolomitic limestone, which is a limestone containing magnesium. The inclusion of magnesium makes dolomite (calcium magnesium carbonate) harder than "pure" limestone (calcium carbonate).
This particular dolomitic limestone was deposited on the floor of the ancient Devonian Sea whose waters covered this area between 400 million and 350 million years ago! At present, Wisconsin exhibits only a narrow belt of this rock in eastern Sheboygan, Ozaukee and Milwaukee Counties. Devonian rock layers are often rich in fossils.
The depth of the old quarry is about 45 feet, and its area is 23 acres, so you can see that a great quantity of stone was removed from it. Mules pulled rock-filled carts along tracks from various places in the quarry to one central location, a ramp, where the mule was unhitched from the cart. A cable then proceeded to pull the carts up the ramp to the crusher which broke and sorted the rock into three different sizes.
The rock is actually dolomitic limestone, which is a limestone containing magnesium. The inclusion of magnesium makes dolomite (calcium magnesium carbonate) harder than "pure" limestone (calcium carbonate).
This particular dolomitic limestone was deposited on the floor of the ancient Devonian Sea whose waters covered this area between 400 million and 350 million years ago! At present, Wisconsin exhibits only a narrow belt of this rock in eastern Sheboygan, Ozaukee and Milwaukee Counties. Devonian rock layers are often rich in fossils.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce.
Location. 43° 29.616′ N, 87° 47.618′ W. Marker is in Belgium, Wisconsin, in Ozaukee County. The marker is located within Harrington Beach State Park along the Stonehaven Historical Trail which starts just south of
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the Ansay Welcome Center. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 531 County Rd D, Belgium WI 53004, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 13, 2020. It was originally submitted on June 14, 2018, by Devon Polzar of Port Washington, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 373 times since then and 54 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 14, 2018, by Devon Polzar of Port Washington, Wisconsin. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
