Starting in 1888 the American Granite Company, later known as the Amberg Granite Company owned by William Amberg of Chicago, ran three Quarries. The Argyle and Martindale quarries furnished a gray granite of a fine grain, while the Aberdeen quarry had a coarse grained red granite later known as the "Amberg Red." The company also constructed a large finishing shed, 410 feet long by 100 feet wide equipped with two overhead steam travelers (hoists) and all necessary equipment to cut and polish the rough stone. The company employed about 300 workers. The company closed around 1905. In 1896 the Pike River Granite Company formed with the main office and finishing plant in Marinette, WI. They operated the Pike River Quarry in Amberg for nearly fifty years as well as a plant for making tombstones that employed about fifteen workers. The product was referred to as the "Pike River Gray" or the "Amberg Gray." The Amberg plant closed about 1929. There are numerous other quarries that operated in Amberg including the August Paveglio or Peninsula Quarry that produced tombstones sold in Iron Mountain, MI., the State Quarry operated by the Wisconsin State Reformatory, the Murphy Quarry with an office and finishing plant in Green Bay, WI, the Daniels quarry, the Mundt quarry which shipped its granite to a finishing plant in Menominee, MI, and others. This exhibit features pictures, letters, and objects representing this significant industry in the history of Amberg. Please come and visit the museum for more information about quarrying and see the outdoor exhibit of the derrick from the August Paveglio Quarry. Each year the museum conducts a tour of some of the Amberg quarries. Watch the museum web site for more details.

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