Mine: Paxton Quarry, Lachine, MI

Paxton Quarry was located on the D&M Hillman Branch, southeast of M-32 and Herron Road in Alpena County. This shale quarry supplied stone for the Alpena Portland Cement Company in Alpena.


Began → Paxton Quarry → Became


Operated for 

From: 

Location: 

Owned by: National Gypsum Company

Produced: Shale

Method: Open pit.

Railroad connection: D&M Hillman Branch

Ship To: HPC company works in Alpena

Until: 

Lifetime Production: 

Source:  


Notes

The Hillman Branch was truncated to Paxton early in the 1900's.  The D&M maintained a passing track just east of King Settlement Road and served several tracks into the quarry where gons were loaded.  A turn from Alpena Junction would bring out an empty set of gons and take back a loaded train which was forwarded to the cement plant.

This quarry was previously owned by the National Gypsum Company and sold to LaFarge in 1987. It was operated until 1994. LaFarge reportedly owns the property. [MINDAT]

Today, the quarry is closed and now flooded.

N 1/2 Section 30, T31N-R7E in Lachine.


Time Line

1987. Quarry is owned by the Cement Division of National Gypsum Co., with offices at the limestone quarry in Alpena. One part of black shale from this quarry is mixed with hour parts of limestone to make cement.[Geological Society of America Centennial Field Guide-North Central Section, 1976.]

1987. Sold to LaFarge. [MINDAT]

1994. Quarry is closed. [MINDAT]

Bibliography

The following sources are utilized in this website. [SOURCE-YEAR-MMDD-PG]:

  • [AAB| = All Aboard!, by Willis Dunbar, Eerdmans Publishing, Grand Rapids ©1969.
  • [AAN] = Alpena Argus newspaper.
  • [AARQJ] = American Association of Railroads Quiz Jr. pamphlet. © 1956
  • [AATHA] = Ann Arbor Railroad Technical and Historical Association newsletter "The Double A"
  • [AB] = Information provided at Michigan History Conference from Andrew Bailey, Port Huron, MI

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