ln southern Harlan and Franklin counties, there occur many acres of green quartzite which must be of commercial consequence when made available. It is a neglected resource upon which important industries are sure to be based. With the development of this bed in view, the Nebraska Geological Survey has examined this area. and through this leaflet wishes to place the results before possible investors

Barbour, Erwin H.

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Conservation and Survey Division Natural Resources, School of
1915
NEBRASKA GREEN QUARTZITE AN
IMPORT ANT FUTURE INDUSTRY
Erwin H. Barbour
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36e 
NEBRASKA 
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 
ERWIN HINCKLEY BARBOUR. State Geologist 
VOLUME 4 
PART 19 
NEBRASKA GREEN QUARTZITE 
AN IMPORT ANT FUTURE INDUSTRY 
BY 
ERWIN H. BARBOUR 
210 B 
NEBRASKA Gl\.EEN QUARTZITE 
AN D1PORTANT FUTURE lNDUSTRY 
BY ERWIN H. DAlnlOCR 
ln ~outhcrn Harlan and Franklin counties, there occur many acres 
of green quartzite which must be of commercial consequence when 
made aYailable. It is a neglected resource upon which important in-
dustries are sure to be based. \Vith the development of this bed· in 
yie\\·, the Nebraska Geological Sun-ey has examined this area. and 
through this leaflet wishes to place the results before possible inYestors. 
The green quartzite of Nebraska is a rock of firm texture, great 
hardness, and enduring quality. Its pleasing green color, probably due 
tu silicate of iron, is intensified by angular bits of reddish feldspar. 
Geologically. it is a late Tertiary rock; probably Pleistocene, since a 
tooth, and certain bones of Mastodon americanus haYe been found in 
these quartzite beds. 
Numerous broad patches of this rock are exposed about four miles 
south of Bloomington, and great talus blocks lie eyerywhere upon the 
surface. The layer seems to Yary in thickness from 10 to 1.3 feet, and 
an almost continuous bed runs in a southwesterly direction across 
southern Franklin and Harlan counties. From Franklin County, the 
heel extends in a northeasterly direction to Knox County, and to the 
Bijuu Hills in South Dakota. Tt has been found at several intermedi-
ate points. but is generally covered by deep overlying soils. It occurs 
along the Verdigris River in northeastern Nebraska. where it has been 
used to some extent for foundations ami underpinning. and in the 
construction of walls and clams. The quartzite here seems to be of a 
darker green than that found at Bloomington. In the vicinity of 
Fullerton it is a light greenish-gray. 
The southern extremity of this quartzite bed. just across the State 
line, in Kansas, is known as the \Vooclruff Quarry. and is situated a 
few miles south of Alma. Nebraska. Large quantities of crushed rock. 
pa \·ing blocks, and rip rap were formerly produced there by the Atwood 
Company of Lincoln, hut the quarry was worked out some years ago. 
Just north of the Atwood Quarry, the formation grows sanely but con-
tains certain irregular patches of quartzite. However this condition 
illlprovcs until there are seyeral beds of good thickness, extent. and 
quality near Bloomington. 
NEBRASKA Gl\.EEN QUARTZITE 
AN D1PORTANT FUTURE lNDUSTRY 
BY ERWIN H. DAlnlOCR 
ln ~outhcrn Harlan and Franklin counties, there occur many acres 
of green quartzite which must be of commercial consequence when 
made aYailable. It is a neglected resource upon which important in-
dustries are sure to be based. \Vith the development of this bed· in 
yie\\·, the Nebraska Geological Sun-ey has examined this area. and 
through this leaflet wishes to place the results before possible inYestors. 
The green quartzite of Nebraska is a rock of firm texture, great 
hardness, and enduring quality. Its pleasing green color, probably due 
tu silicate of iron, is intensified by angular bits of reddish feldspar. 
Geologically. it is a late Tertiary rock; probably Pleistocene, since a 
tooth, and certain bones of Mastodon americanus haYe been found in 
these quartzite beds. 
Numerous broad patches of this rock are exposed about four miles 
south of Bloomington, and great talus blocks lie eyerywhere upon the 
surface. The layer seems to Yary in thickness from 10 to 1.3 feet, and 
an almost continuous bed runs in a southwesterly direction across 
southern Franklin and Harlan counties. From Franklin County, the 
heel extends in a northeasterly direction to Knox County, and to the 
Bijuu Hills in South Dakota. Tt has been found at several intermedi-
ate points. but is generally covered by deep overlying soils. It occurs 
along the Verdigris River in northeastern Nebraska. where it has been 
used to some extent for foundations ami underpinning. and in the 
construction of walls and clams. The quartzite here seems to be of a 
darker green than that found at Bloomington. In the vicinity of 
Fullerton it is a light greenish-gray. 
The southern extremity of this quartzite bed. just across the State 
line, in Kansas, is known as the \Vooclruff Quarry. and is situated a 
few miles south of Alma. Nebraska. Large quantities of crushed rock. 
pa \·ing blocks, and rip rap were formerly produced there by the Atwood 
Company of Lincoln, hut the quarry was worked out some years ago. 
Just north of the Atwood Quarry, the formation grows sanely but con-
tains certain irregular patches of quartzite. However this condition 
illlprovcs until there are seyeral beds of good thickness, extent. and 
quality near Bloomington. 
250 NEBRASKA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 
There are but two kinds of quartzite in Nebraska: the native green 
quartzite under discussion, and the reddish or Sioux quartzite of east-
ern Nebraska brought here by the glacial drift. The reddish quartzite 
occurs in the form of boulders, generally rounded and water-worn, 
and frequently of large size. These boulders have been quite exten-
sively used as underpinning for cribs and barns, for curbs of wells, in 
the construction of porches. cellar walls, lawn vases. chimneys, fire-
places, rockeries, ornamental foundations for residences, and the like. 
Our native green quartzite could be employed to equal advantage and 
in as diverse ways, but it bas been put to little more than local use 
for the foundations of buildings and the construction of a few simple 
stone houses. Fortunately for art's sake, this rock is too hard to be 
dressed. It can be roughly shaped by the hammer, which gives a 
desirable pebbled effect. 
In the :Road Laboratory of the 1!niversity of Kebraska. ~ir. A. C. 
Smith made tests of the quartzite from the Woodruff Quarry, with the 
following results : 
Hardness, average of two tests .......................... 18.76 
Toughness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5. 
Abrasion test, per cent oi wear................ . ... 6.96 
French coefficient of wear ............................... ;).75 
Crushing strength .......................... !iHOO lbs. per sq. in. 
Cementing value, average of three tests ................... 16. 
These figures will apply equally well to the Bloomington quartzite since 
it is practically identical witb that of the Woodruff Quarry. 
Our Bloomington quartzite may he used for crushed rock, ballast, 
riprap, and dimension stone. In cement work, the crushed quartzite 
is counted superior to granite chips. As ballast, it is the equal, if not 
the superior, of the well-known Sherman gravel. As dimension stone, 
there is no rock in Nebraska which will compare with it in strength and 
beauty. lt is admirably suited to use in walls, chimneys, foundations; 
artistic bridges, bungalows, and the like. It is equally useful for alleys 
where enduring paYing blocks are needed. 
In spite of the excellence of our native prairie roads, the time must 
come when large amounts of macadamizing material will be demanded. 
In the case of the main approaches to our cities and towns, there can 
he little doubt that conditions should be bettered. Proper draining, 
grading, and dragging will insure a good average country road, but as 
traffic increases, these improvements must be of a more permanent 
nature. 
rl 
BLOOMINGTON QUARTZITE 251 
During rainy seasc>n:-, and immediately after sudden thaws, the 
unpan:'d streets of some of our Yillages, especially in the more clayey 
reg-ions, as well as the main bighways leading into our larger cities. 
become sloughs, which are practically impassable for a week or two at 
a time. This is an intolerable condition, and sooner or later must be 
remedied. :Muddy roads stand in restraint of trade, and check rural 
and urban intercourse and traffic. They levy upon agriculture an ex-
cessiye tax for transportation. Tt is an economic waste for farmers to 
haul millions of bushels of grain over miles of muddy road. 
Years ago, Omaha shower! commendable public spirit by macadam-
izing. and en:n pa'.·ing. certain important thoroughfares some fifteen to 
1 wenty miles beyond their city limits. This stimulated traffic, and 
helped to make Omaha a metropolis. Such enterprise naturally stimu-
late~ the growth of cities and towns, and lack of it dwarfs and retards 
development. The small town should have its civic pride kindled 
against slough-like bnsiness streets, and should improve its approaches. 
Iu road-bnilding, much importance is attached to the cementing prop-
erties of the rock. By this alone are the coarser particles bonded and 
cemented together to form and protect the road bed. A cementing 
yalue below 10 is counted low; from 10 to 25 fair; 26 to 75 good; 
71i to 100 very good. Our Bloomington quartzite ranks about 16, and 
\Yill constitute a fair road-building material. 
N ehra~ka has ,·ery little rock suited to the above mentioned uses. 
During the padng season, the demand for crushed rock exceeds the 
supply. and many tons of flint arc shipped from ~Iissouri for purposes 
to which our green quartzite is perfectly adapted. The attention of 
the C,overument architect has been directed by the Survey to" this rock 
as a suitable building material for United States post offices in north-
central "0J ebraska. and the samples submitted have received his ap-
prm·al. Engineers of ,·arious railroads have examined samples, and 
ba,·e C):presscd the opinion that for use as ballast the excellent quality 
of our green quartzite would insure a steady demand. "Yf uch of the 
Bloomington quartzite is available for quarrying without stripping. 
Considerable quantities lie on the surface ready for the crusher; enough, 
it is believed, to last for several years. As quarrying progresses, choice 
rock for dimension stone will undoubtedly be exposed. 
An examination has been made of the field, and two engineering 
students have assisted in working out certain quarry problems. They 
have gone m·er the ground ami estimated the amount of rock. and have 
made detailed drawings. blue prints, and specifications for the installa-
252 NEDR.'\SKA GEOLOGh~AL SUF~VE\' 
tion of crusher, elevator, screen, storage bins, and machinery, as well 
as that of a bridge, and spur track. While a detailed report on this 
subject is in preparation, the following brief statements may aiel those 
in terestecl. 
Messrs. Toney and Phares have summarized their estimate for build-
ing and operating a plant at these outcrops, about as follows: 
COST OF PLANT 
Machinery, cartage, and installation ..................................... $13,000 
Buildings and foundations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,000 
Office equipment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165 
$18,165 
They estimate that the cost of two or three hundred acres of quarry 
land would not exceed $9,000, making the total cost of the plant and 
land a trifle more than $27,000. 
COST OF OPERATION PER YEAR 
Labor ................................................................ $18,18U 
ij1~~~~~~~i~~s . .": : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 2,~~~ 
Grand total ................................................... $39,712 
The foregoing estimate does not include the salary of an engineer dur-
ing the installation of the plant, the cost of selling the product, or the 
salary of a superintendent. . 
The means and costs of transportation are important factors in the_ 
problem. The right-of-way must be purchased across the Republican 
Valley, and a bridge must be built over the Republican River. It is 
believed that the proposed quarry fully justifies the building of a 
bridge and the laying of four or five miles of spur line. In fact this 
opportunity for investment would not now exist were there a railroad 
on the south side of the river. 
The minimum width of right-of-way allowed by the Burlington is 
17 feet. A pile bridge across the Republican is wholly ill-advised, and.a 
steel bridge should be figured in the estimates. It has been suggested 
that a narrow gauge road be built, and that light cars be used. In this 
event, advantage might be taken of a bridge now spanning the Repub-
lican, providing it were properly reinforced. 
The Nebraska Geological Survey considers this the opportune mo-
ment for developing the beds of Bloomington quartzite. As already 
stated, we are importing large amounts of structural material· froin 
other states. \Vhy not develop our own resources, and employ our 
own people? The development of such resources are beneficial alike 
to the producer, the laborer, and the consumer, and ought not to be 
neglected. ' 
The University of Nebraska, 
Lincoln, June 20, 1913. 
Distributed February 20, 1915. 


NEBRASKA GREEN QUARTZITE
AN IMPORT ANT FUTURE INDUSTRY

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NEBRASKA GREEN QUARTZITE AN IMPORT ANT FUTURE INDUSTRY

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