Pipestone in Pipestone County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Spotted Pipestone Quarry

Photographed By Ruth VanSteenwyk, October 9, 2020

1. Spotted Pipestone Quarry Marker

Inscription. American Indians still quarry pipestone here as they have for generations. From quarry pits like the one below, American Indians from many tribes remove the raw stone basic to their culture. The quartzite rubble piled behind this quarry reflects the centuries of their hand-tooled labor.

In this area north of the creek, American Indians first discovered pipestone. The 12-14" layer of pipestone that runs north-south for more than a mile occasionally has spots caused by the partial leaching of the mineral hematite. Much of the stone from this site contains these speckles, giving it the name "spotted" pipestone quarry.

Photo Captions
Quarrying still takes place with hand tools (above), usually in the fall.
Some descendants of thee Dakota Sioux, photographed at Pipestone in 1893 (right), continue to work the quarries.

Erected by Pipestone National Monument Minnesota and National Park Service.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Native Americans. A significant historical year for this entry is 1893.

Location. 44° 0.885′ N, 96° 19.497′ W. Marker is in Pipestone, Minnesota, in Pipestone County. Marker is on West Reservation Avenue, 0.7 miles west of North Hiawatha Avenue. Touch for map.

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Marker is at or near this postal address: 36 W Reservation Ave, Pipestone MN 56164, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Pipestone Creek (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Connection to the Earth Mother (about 500 feet away); Sustaining the Sacred (about 500 feet away); Pipestone Pilgrimage (about 500 feet away); Quarry Layers (about 600 feet away); Prairie: Past and Present (about 800 feet away); The J.N. Nicollet Expedition Of 1838 (approx. 0.2 miles away); Nicollet's Inscription (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pipestone.

Also see . . . Pipestone National Monument Information. (Submitted on April 1, 2021, by Ruth VanSteenwyk of Aberdeen, South Dakota.)

Photographed By Ruth VanSteenwyk, October 9, 2020

2. Spotted Pipestone Quarry Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on April 1, 2021. It was originally submitted on April 1, 2021, by Ruth VanSteenwyk of Aberdeen, South Dakota. This page has been viewed 142 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 1, 2021, by Ruth VanSteenwyk of Aberdeen, South Dakota. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.