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| Limestone Quarry - McCormick's Creek State Park |
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Markers & Museums
South Central Edition
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Indiana's limestone deposits formed during the Ordovician period, about 1.5 million years ago when the land that is now Indiana lay near the tropics, covered with a warm, shallow sea. This sea was rich with marine organisms, such as brachiopods, bryozoans, trilobites, and corals. These organisms died and settled on the bottom of this sea. Through Continental drift, this land migrated north and around 40 million years ago, this sea dried up. Geologic forces lifted the land mass out of the sea. The limestone deposits became covered with sediment over the ages. Glaciers scoured the countryside during the Ice Age, exposing some of this rock.
Oolitic Limestone
Oolitic Limestone is made up of particles called ooliths. These small, carbonate particles are composed of concentric rings of calcium carbonate. Sand or shell fragments rolled around on the floor of this warm, shallow sea collecting a layer of limestone. The rocks consistent structure allows it to be easily sculpted or carved. The stone is almost perfect building material.
The Quarries of Indiana
Indiana's quarries produce rock known by many names, Indiana Limestone, Indiana Oolitic Limestone, Bedford Oolitic Limestone, and Bedford Rock. The limestone belt that produces this high quality stone encompasses most of Monroe and Lawrence Counties. Limestone of lesser quality underlies much of the rest of central and east central Indiana. Hoosiers began quarrying limestone during the middle of the Eighteenth Century. Indiana has been at the forefront of limestone production. Limestone from Indiana has been the preferred building material for many buildings from New York to Washington DC and other places. The Empire State Building has Indiana limestone as a major component of its structure.
Excerpted From the Author's Book:
Exploring Indiana's Historic Sites, Markers & Museums - South Central Edition
Limestone Month
The best time to tour the Limestone trail is Limestone Month, during the month of June. Tourists that take the trail during June can take part in a number of scheduled events at the various quarries that demonstrate the craft of limestone carving and other skills. Some of these events include:
History of Limestone Markers - Green Hill Cemetery
Indiana Limestone Symposium: 20th Anniversary Sculpture Exhibit
Limestone Carving
Elliott Stone Mill Tours
State House Quarry tour
Building a Nation: Indiana Limestone Photograph Exhibit
This is only a partial listing of the many events and sympsiums that occur during Limestone Month.
Trail Destinations include:
1. McCormick’s Creek State Park
250 McCormick’s Creek Rd., Spencer (912) 829-2235 mccormickscreekstatepark.com
2. Bloomington & Monroe County Visitors Center
2855 N. Walnut Street, Bloomington (800) 800-0037 visitbloomington.com/limestone
3. Stinesville
4. Oliver Winery
8024 N. Highway 37, Bloomington (812) 876-5800 • www.oliverwinery.com
5. Limestone Symposium
6293 N. Mathews Dr., Bloomington limestonesymposium.com
6. Junction of State Roads 37 & 46
7. Bloomington Brewing Company (BBC)
1795 E. 10th Street, Bloomington (812) 323-2112 • bbc.bloomington.com
8. Indiana University Campus
igs.indiana.edu • visitbloomington.com/limestone
9. Herman B Wells Library
1320 E. 10th St., Bloomington
10. Indiana Geological Survey
611 N. Walnut Grove Ave., Bloomington (812) 855-7636 • igs.indiana.edu
11. Indiana Memorial Union Biddle Hotel & Conference Center
900 E. 7th Street on the IU campus (800) 209-8145 • imu.indiana.edu/hotel
12. The Old Crescent
Near Indiana & Kirkwood Avenues, Bloomington
13. Monroe County History Center
202 E. 6th Street, Bloomington (812) 332-2517 • monroehistory.org
14. Uptown Café
102 E. Kirkwood Ave., Bloomington (812) 339-0900 • the-uptown.com
15. Monroe County Courthouse
301 N. College Ave., Bloomington (812) 349-2550 bloomington.in.gov/historic-monroe-county-courthouse
16. Bloomington B-Line Trail & Rail Trails
(812) 349-3700 • bloomington.in.gov/b-line
17. WonderLab Museum of Science, Health, and Technology
308 W. 4th Street, Bloomington (812) 337-1337 • wonderlab.org
18. Rose Hill Cemetery
1100 W. 4th Street, Bloomington (812) 349-3700
19. Homewood Suites by Hilton
1399 Liberty Drive, Bloomington (812) 323-0500 • bloomington.homewoodsuites.com
20. Woolery Mill
2200 W. Tapp Rd., Bloomington
For more information and a listing of events, which can change each year, contact:
Those interested will find a valuable informational brochure at this link, and at the Lawrence County and Bloomington Visitor Centers.
Brochure
Lawrence County Tourism.
533 West Main St
Mitchell IN
800-798-0769
Visit Bloomington
2855 N. Walnut Street
Bloomington, IN 47404
800.800.0037
cvb@visitbloomington.com
©
Paul Wonning 2016
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