I snapped this before tonights ride, and before I had drivetrain carnage!
This area I ride in was a very active bluestone quarry till about 1900, give or take. The holes in the rock (bluestone) were all drilled by hand and are approximately 6 feet deep or so. The workers would drill the holes, then break off large chunks of rock and shape it into smaller ones. From what I've seen in this pit, the rock here is probably most suitable for sidewalks, curbing, and architectural purposes. The bluestone industry slowed down with the discovery of Rosendale Cement, which ironically, happened less than 15 miles from here. From Havana Cuba to San Francisco, bluestone from this area of Ulster County was sought after and used for the purposes listed above.
It still sits here, waiting for the next group of quarrymen. Time has stopped in this small corner of the woods.
