Crystal River Saga: Lore of the Colorado RockiesFrancis, Theresa V.
History
Crystal River Saga: Lore of the Colorado Rockies
Francis, Theresa V.
Crystal River (Colo.); Gunnison County (Colo.) -- History; Marble industry and trade -- Colorado -- Gunnison County
[Illustration: PILLARS AND BLOCKS—support pillars for crane tracks
and blocks of marble left in the yard when Colorado Yule Marble Co.,
branch of Vermont Marble Co. ceased operations in 1942.
—_Photo courtesy_ John B. Schutte, Glenwood Spgs., Colo.]
[Illustration: BLOCK OF MARBLE—for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
loaded on a flat car to be shipped east. This is the largest single
block of marble ever quarried in the world.
—_Photo by_ Henry L. Johnson, Marble, Colo.]
The contract for the Lincoln Memorial was obtained March 10, 1914, and
was to be completed in two years. It was finished late in 1915, several
months ahead of time. During this time several other large buildings
were also completed. (See listing of buildings made of Colorado marble.
pp. 46 & 47.)
The following information was obtained from “A Statement to the
Stockholders of the Colorado Yule Marble Company by J. F. Manning”:
World conditions in 1916 coupled with the huge indebtedness accumulated
when opening the quarry, building the mill, buying the necessary
machinery, building and equipping the power house, extending the
railroad from Placita to Marble, and the vast amount of accrued
interest, put the company in very bad financial straits. Then World War
I coming on, contracts could not be obtained, so the Colorado Yule
Marble Co. went into the hands of a receiver July 16, 1916, and remained
closed until April, 1922.
The property was then divided into four parts: the mill, the quarry, the
power house, and the railroad. Eventually it was put up for sale and was
bought by different parties all interested in one thing, forming one
company and putting it on a paying basis. Through the efforts of
Commodore A. J. Mitchell the Carrara Yule Marble Company was formed and
work was resumed in 1922. On July 24, 1924 the Colorado Consolidated
Yule Marble Co. (CCYMC) was formed and was again put up for sale.
On November 18, 1924, Mr. J. B. Jones of the Gray-Knox Marble Co. of
Knoxville, Tenn., purchased the stock of the CCYMC and leased the
Crystal River & San Juan Railroad with option to buy. Then the name was
changed again; this time to Tennessee-Colorado Marble Co., and as such
was operated until July 2, 1926, at which time arrangements were made to
return the plant and properties to the CCYMC.
This reversion was brought about in a large measure due to the fact that
the fabricating plant was partially destroyed by fire April 6, 1926. The
loss in machinery and equipment in shops Nos. 3 and 4, and mill B,
together with the building was appraised at sound value by disinterested
engineers at approximately $531,000.00.
About half of the part destroyed was immediately rebuilt and operations
to complete their contracts were resumed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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