Quarrying

Quarrying. . Quarrying , Limestone quarrying is a major industry in Ohio. Years ago, there were several quarries on Kelleys Island. The largest producer of limestone was the Kelley Island Lime and Transport Company. One of their abandoned quarries is right next to these grooves. The high-quality limestone found here was used to build buildings, protect piers and shoreline in Lake Erie, and for steel production., KIL&T , Limestone can be crushed into powder and then cooked in ovens (called kilns) to make lime, a key ingredient for making cement and concrete. The lime industry on Kelleys Island peaked in 1918. But by 1941, most quarries had closed because Michigan quarries could supply limestone at a lower cost., Long, vertical marks on the quarry wall were made by drills used in quarrying. Before the use of machine drills and explosives, holes were made with long chisels and filled with pieces of dry wood. Water was poured down the holes and that caused the wood to expand, crack the rock, and break it loose from the quarry wall., Look! , Across the way you can see the rock walls that remain of the quarry. If you look closely, you can even see the long vertical marks from the drilling operations., Lakeside Daisies , Lakeside Daisy (Tetraneuris herbacea) is a state endangered and federally threatened plant. It blooms yellow flowerheads for three weeks each year, from late April to mid-May., It grows readily in quarries, like this one, which host environments called alvars. These unique habitats are noted for a thin layer of topsoil overlying limestone bedrock., In the 1990s, a large project transplanted Lakeside Daisies to this quarry. Today, the population is thriving., Did you know? , Former quarries often provide habitats for plants and animals. Look into the quarry below., Can you spot anything living in the quarry?