Great Lake's Grindstone Commerce
![Picture](/uploads/1/0/6/2/106221155/published/grindstone-city-image_3.jpg)
Another major commerce product of the Great Lakes shipping was grindstones. While there were several sites that produced grindstones in Lakes Huron, Michigan, and Superior one particular site was very prominent.
Grindstone City in Huron County was a village that failed in the
same way as the lumber towns. Grindstone City's prosperity was due to its grindstone business, and when it failed, the town returned to its beginnings as a fishing village. Grindstones were used to grind and sharpen tools.
Sandstone was needed to make grindstones and was in abundance in the area. Besides grindstones, the business produced whetstones, axe bits and scythe stones. Grindstones from Grindstone City were shipped all over the world due to the industrial boom at this time.
The URA team has dove on several shipwrecks with grindstones as cargo. One spectacular find was the schooner Venus (built 1872 with a 221 ton capacity). On October 4, 1887 the Venus, with a cargo of grindstones, foundered in Lake Huron. The ship and its cargo were written off as a total loss (hull $7000 and cargo $4000). You can see some of the cargo hold images full of grindstones and more about the Venus under the shipwreck pages or this link.
Read more about the history of grindstone Great Lake's commerce and the birth and death of Grindstone City in Mike Hardy's historic article copied below from: https://hubpages.com/business/The-Once-Famous-GrindStone-City
How Technology Wiped Out Michigan's Grindstone City
The accidental find of the Marshal Sandstone formation in Michigan's Upper Thumb in 1834 gave rise to one of the areas first industries. Grindstone City became famous for its production of huge grinding wheels until a disruptive technology change slid the industry and the town into obsolescence.
Grindstone City in Huron County was a village that failed in the
same way as the lumber towns. Grindstone City's prosperity was due to its grindstone business, and when it failed, the town returned to its beginnings as a fishing village. Grindstones were used to grind and sharpen tools.
Sandstone was needed to make grindstones and was in abundance in the area. Besides grindstones, the business produced whetstones, axe bits and scythe stones. Grindstones from Grindstone City were shipped all over the world due to the industrial boom at this time.
The URA team has dove on several shipwrecks with grindstones as cargo. One spectacular find was the schooner Venus (built 1872 with a 221 ton capacity). On October 4, 1887 the Venus, with a cargo of grindstones, foundered in Lake Huron. The ship and its cargo were written off as a total loss (hull $7000 and cargo $4000). You can see some of the cargo hold images full of grindstones and more about the Venus under the shipwreck pages or this link.
Read more about the history of grindstone Great Lake's commerce and the birth and death of Grindstone City in Mike Hardy's historic article copied below from: https://hubpages.com/business/The-Once-Famous-GrindStone-City
How Technology Wiped Out Michigan's Grindstone City
The accidental find of the Marshal Sandstone formation in Michigan's Upper Thumb in 1834 gave rise to one of the areas first industries. Grindstone City became famous for its production of huge grinding wheels until a disruptive technology change slid the industry and the town into obsolescence.
![Picture](/uploads/1/0/6/2/106221155/grindstone-01jpg_2.jpg)
Great Lakes Storm Starts a New Industry
Seeking shelter from a Great Lakes storm, the schooner the Rip Van Winkle captained by Aaron Peer, came into a natural harbor west of the Pointe Aux Barques lighthouse in 1834. After anchoring and securing his ship, the crew explored the dense virgin forest and rocky beach for shelter and firewood. This was a wilderness of ceder, pine, beech, ash, and maple. The tall cedar canopy was so thick that snow remained in places although it was midsummer. The men came across huge flat rocks lying about the shore and forests.
Captain Peer took some of the pieces of the stone south to Detroit. They found the samples to be impeccably suited for paving streets, replacing Ohio flagstone as the preferred surface. It's said that this stone was used to pave a few blocks on Detroit's Jefferson and Woodward Avenues. It was later used as foundation material on several buildings in Port Huron Michigan.
Within a couple years, Captain Peer and his crew took advantage of the stone to sharpen their tools, and began shaping them into grindstones. Shortly thereafter a small port grew from the natural harbor as his men worked inland bringing the sandy abrasive stone out of the forest.
Seeking shelter from a Great Lakes storm, the schooner the Rip Van Winkle captained by Aaron Peer, came into a natural harbor west of the Pointe Aux Barques lighthouse in 1834. After anchoring and securing his ship, the crew explored the dense virgin forest and rocky beach for shelter and firewood. This was a wilderness of ceder, pine, beech, ash, and maple. The tall cedar canopy was so thick that snow remained in places although it was midsummer. The men came across huge flat rocks lying about the shore and forests.
Captain Peer took some of the pieces of the stone south to Detroit. They found the samples to be impeccably suited for paving streets, replacing Ohio flagstone as the preferred surface. It's said that this stone was used to pave a few blocks on Detroit's Jefferson and Woodward Avenues. It was later used as foundation material on several buildings in Port Huron Michigan.
Within a couple years, Captain Peer and his crew took advantage of the stone to sharpen their tools, and began shaping them into grindstones. Shortly thereafter a small port grew from the natural harbor as his men worked inland bringing the sandy abrasive stone out of the forest.
![Picture](/uploads/1/0/6/2/106221155/published/grindstone-02jpg_2.jpg)
The Boomtown of Grindstone City
In 1836, Captain Peer purchased 400 acres of land to establish a grindstone quarrying and manufacturing operation. The area that Peer discovered this abrasive stone it's fine grit was unique to the tip of Michigan’s Thumb and part of the of Marshall Sandstone formation. The stone is easy to work with and ideal for shaping. Peer and his team built a horse powered grist mill to make grinding wheels and whetstones. The company produced grindstones that varied from small kitchen grinding wheels to large grinding stones weighing 3 ½ tons or more. The largest stone ever turned out weighed over six tons.
Demand for the large sharpening stone soon earned the Upper Thumb the nickname of Grindstone Capital of the World. The Company town, started with a stone-cutter grist mill, and grew with a wharf out into Lake Huron, two quarries, company store and offices. A salt block was built to extract salty brine and evaporate it. The operation produced 125 barrels of salt each day. By the 1870s the first railroad built was built into Grindstone City to offer less reliance on ships.
Grindstone City became a fast growing industry that produced the largest and finest grindstones, scythestones, and honestones in the world.
In 1836, Captain Peer purchased 400 acres of land to establish a grindstone quarrying and manufacturing operation. The area that Peer discovered this abrasive stone it's fine grit was unique to the tip of Michigan’s Thumb and part of the of Marshall Sandstone formation. The stone is easy to work with and ideal for shaping. Peer and his team built a horse powered grist mill to make grinding wheels and whetstones. The company produced grindstones that varied from small kitchen grinding wheels to large grinding stones weighing 3 ½ tons or more. The largest stone ever turned out weighed over six tons.
Demand for the large sharpening stone soon earned the Upper Thumb the nickname of Grindstone Capital of the World. The Company town, started with a stone-cutter grist mill, and grew with a wharf out into Lake Huron, two quarries, company store and offices. A salt block was built to extract salty brine and evaporate it. The operation produced 125 barrels of salt each day. By the 1870s the first railroad built was built into Grindstone City to offer less reliance on ships.
Grindstone City became a fast growing industry that produced the largest and finest grindstones, scythestones, and honestones in the world.
![Picture](/uploads/1/0/6/2/106221155/published/grindstone-03jpg_2.jpg)
New Technology Dooms the Town
The boomtown days were numbered as new technology was developed. Carborundum was discovered in 1893 by E.G. Acheson. This silicon powder has a crystal structure like that of diamond and is ideal for cutting, grinding, and polishing. Economical to produce, Carborundum started taking the place of grinding stones, and the quarries could no longer be operated at a profit. Grindstone City slid into decline from 1900 and ceased operations in 1930.
The boomtown days were numbered as new technology was developed. Carborundum was discovered in 1893 by E.G. Acheson. This silicon powder has a crystal structure like that of diamond and is ideal for cutting, grinding, and polishing. Economical to produce, Carborundum started taking the place of grinding stones, and the quarries could no longer be operated at a profit. Grindstone City slid into decline from 1900 and ceased operations in 1930.
![Picture](/uploads/1/0/6/2/106221155/published/grindstone-04jpg_2.jpg)
Grindstone City Today.
Today Grindstone City is a vacation destination and retirement community. Remnants of the town are still visible. The General Store is still operating as a ice cream and gift shop. The church is now an art gallery. The former headquarters and offices of the quarry operations is now a charming and restored ice cream parlor.
Grindstone City is also known for sports fishing in Lake Huron. Charter boat captains take angelers out in the big lake for salmon, lake trout and brown trout, steelhead, walleye, and yellow perch.
Massive grindstones can still be seen along the shoreline of the long vacant pier that juts out into the lake. The natural harbor still looks as it did in the 1830's when the first grindstone rock was discovered.
Today Grindstone City is a vacation destination and retirement community. Remnants of the town are still visible. The General Store is still operating as a ice cream and gift shop. The church is now an art gallery. The former headquarters and offices of the quarry operations is now a charming and restored ice cream parlor.
Grindstone City is also known for sports fishing in Lake Huron. Charter boat captains take angelers out in the big lake for salmon, lake trout and brown trout, steelhead, walleye, and yellow perch.
Massive grindstones can still be seen along the shoreline of the long vacant pier that juts out into the lake. The natural harbor still looks as it did in the 1830's when the first grindstone rock was discovered.
![Picture](/uploads/1/0/6/2/106221155/published/grindstone-city-image_4.jpg)
Finding Grindstones Today
Grindstones can still be seen on the shore north of the city. Abandoned stones littered the beach for years. People started to pick them up and use them as lawn decorations for their cottages in the Upper Thumb. Today only the largest of the old grindstones remain.
Grindstones can still be seen on the shore north of the city. Abandoned stones littered the beach for years. People started to pick them up and use them as lawn decorations for their cottages in the Upper Thumb. Today only the largest of the old grindstones remain.