Historic Flagstaff Area Quarries

 

The old sandstone quarry located on the southeast side of McMillan Mesa, and the long history of Moenkopi sandstone quarried there, are relatively unknown except to longtime residents or history nuts. 

Several fires in the early to mid 1880s destroyed many of the wooden structures in Flagstaff. Because of this, bricks, basalt, limestone, and sandstone became popular building materials. Moenkopi sandstone, also known as Arizona or Flagstaff Red, was quarried locally beginning in the 1880s. There were several periods of inactivity and the last stone was quarried in the late 1970s. The stone was used in several local buildings to include Old Main, North Hall and the Geology (formerly Forestry) building on the Northern Arizona University campus, the Coconino County courthouse, and several downtown structures. Arizona Red was used in buildings in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Omaha, and Chicago.

Pat Stein, a local Flagstaff historian and archaeologist, wrote this very informative paper, Arizona Red, Flagstaff's Sandstone Industry. This blog entry, Arizona Red: Red Rock and Brownstone, is an interesting. There is also a book (Stone Landmarks: Flagstaff's Geology and Historic Building Stones) about Flagstaff area geology and local buildings constructed of native rock that is a must read. This July, 2010 Arizona Daily Sun article (A History in Stone Uncovered) has a thorough discussion of local buildings, as well as out-of-state buildings, that were constructed with Arizona Red.

Pacific Consolidated Stone Company

Credit: U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior/USGS. Photo by Ernest Francis Burchard, no date.

Current Google Earth image showing the quarry site. The large, green-roofed structure is Flagstaff Fire Department Station 2. 

Onyx quarries in Arizona are not particularly uncommon. I've seen historic newspaper articles referring to quarries in the Kingman area, in the Verde Valley, near Cave Creek, and one near Mayer that has operated on and off for well over a century. Here is a nice write-up about Mayer onyx (Mayer Onyx).

The Coconino Sun, June 24, 1927.

I had no idea that any onyx quarries existed anywhere in the Flagstaff area. I only learned of them after seeing several references in early northern Arizona newspapers. The earliest reference I've found is from a 2020 edition of the Arizona Daily Sun. They have a section in their Saturday papers that highlights events that happened 25, 50, 75, 100, and 125 years ago.

 A 1922 article states that in "about 1894" (the above Arizona Daily Sun piece shows this was actually 1892) a "carload" (referring to a train car) of onyx was sent to a manufacturer in Denver where it was used in the construction of tables. The tables were sent to the Columbian Exposition in Chicago where they were sold for $125.00 each. This is roughly $4000 in 2023 dollars. The Columbian Exposition, the Chicago Worlds Fair, was held in 1893. The same article also states that "about 35 years ago" (which would have been 1887) samples were sent to the Smithsonian Institute to be identified.

 

The Coconino Sun February 4, 1902. Marshall Lake, located at the north end of Anderson Mesa, was named for John Marshall.

A 1902 edition of The Coconino Sun tells of an onyx claim in Mormon Canyon. In 2017, using resources available through the Arizona Geological Survey, a topographic map, and aerial photography, I was able to easily locate the quarry. It was an impressive operation at roughly 11.5 acres. There is no remaining mining equipment or any structures or even foundations of structures. A 1988 report available through the Arizona Geological Society states that there was still a 30'x6' exposure of onyx present. There were just a couple very small patches of onyx left when I visited in 2017. I went back a year or so later and there was nothing left. Below are several photos taken during my 2017 visit. 

A word of caution.....I've driven to this site from both the north and from the south. You need a high clearance 4wd vehicle regardless of which you way you come in. The south route would be impassable during periods of wet weather. 

Drill hole for a dynamite charge.

The quarry is visible in the center of the photo. The San Francisco Peaks are in the background.

Early 20th century area newspapers have numerous mentions of onyx claims located south of Flagstaff. Here is a short description of an onyx site located in Sycamore Canyon, southwest of Flagstaff. It is amazing to me that John Marshall came across this deposit as Sycamore Canyon is extremely rugged and, in 1909, access to, and into, the canyon would have been difficult.

The Coconino Sun, August 13, 1909.

A small piece that was found while searching for quarries.