Washburn in Bayfield County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Washburn, The Monolith City
Photographed By Paul Fehrenbach, August 22, 2011
1. Washburn, The Monolith City Marker
Inscription.
Washburn, The Monolith City. . This title was given back in 1892 when Frederick Prentice, president of the Prentice Brownstone Co. of Wisconsin, offered to supply a huge brownstone monolith for the Wisconsin Exhibit at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago. He proposed to furnish this impressive one-piece structure at a size of 110 feet high, 10 feet wide at the base and coming to an apex of 2½ feet, which, according to Mr. Prentice, would eclipse the Egyptian Obelisk that measured 105 feet, 7 inches high. The stone was to be quarried from one of the Prentice operations and shipped by barge to Chicago. The Houghton quarry was selected because it had the best brownstone for the purpose, i.e., free from clay pockets, tints and streaks. A gala banquet was held when the stone was broken loose to celebrate Mr. Prentice’s huge undertaking and generous gift. Unfortunately, the cut stone never left the quarry. Mr. Prentice withdrew his offer and the huge stone was cut and reshaped for use in other buildings., The brownstone obelisk before you was created in the likeness of that early monolith, only on a ¼th scale (27½ feet) and from many separate pieces, whereas a monolith is comprised of one single piece. By Art H. MacLeod, Washburn Area Historical Society
This title was given back in 1892 when Frederick Prentice, president of the Prentice Brownstone Co. of Wisconsin, offered to supply a huge brownstone monolith for the Wisconsin Exhibit at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago. He proposed to furnish this impressive one-piece structure at a size of 110 feet high, 10 feet wide at the base and coming to an apex of 2½ feet, which, according to Mr. Prentice, would eclipse the Egyptian Obelisk that measured 105 feet, 7 inches high. The stone was to be quarried from one of the Prentice operations and shipped by barge to Chicago. The Houghton quarry was selected because it had the best brownstone for the purpose, i.e., free from clay pockets, tints and streaks. A gala banquet was held when the stone was broken loose to celebrate Mr. Prentice’s huge undertaking and generous gift. Unfortunately, the cut stone never left the quarry. Mr. Prentice withdrew his offer and the huge stone was cut and reshaped for use in other buildings.
The brownstone obelisk before you was created in the likeness of that early monolith, only on a ¼th scale (27½ feet) and from many separate pieces, whereas a monolith is comprised of one single piece.
By Art H. MacLeod, Washburn Area Historical Society
Erected by Washburn Area Historical Society.
Topics.
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This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Man-Made Features. A significant historical year for this entry is 1892.
Location. 46° 40.4′ N, 90° 53.471′ W. Marker is in Washburn, Wisconsin, in Bayfield County. Marker is at the intersection of East Bayfield Street (State Highway 13) and Central Avenue, on the right when traveling south on East Bayfield Street. Marker is located immediately north of the Bank of Washburn building. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1 East Bayfield Street, Washburn WI 54891, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on October 17, 2011, by Paul Fehrenbach of Germantown, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 1,052 times since then and 42 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on October 17, 2011, by Paul Fehrenbach of Germantown, Wisconsin. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
