Karen Darcy
Granite Falls
Today's image is titled Granite Falls and was photographed by Karen Darcy.
This photo shows mostly frozen waterfalls at Daggett Memorial Park in Montello. Situated in the heart of the town not too far north of Portage, the falls run over the former site of a quarry opened by the Montello Granite Company in the 1880s. A marker at the site describes the origins and history of the park:
This quarry was once Montello's leading industry, with approximately 200 employees. It was recognized for its paving blocks covering streets in several cities, its crushed granite for various usages, and most of all, for its beautiful hard monuments. The choosing of Grant's Tomb from this quarry was made after 280 other samples from all over the world found Montello granite to be the strongest and finest.
The larger quarry hole is approximately 150 feet in depth. The University of Wisconsin drilled a small test hole over 900 feet deep and still found the same granite.
There once was a Catholic Church located upon the protruding granite, which was removed when the mining began.
The Troost family were part-owners and operators of the quarry for four generations. When it was considered no longer efficient to operate, it was shut down and sold to Irv Daggett in 1977. He, in turn, sold of parcels where the WaterTower, the Post Office, and Kwik Trip now stand and gave the City the parcel in front of the two falls. In 1992, he supervised and paid for the construction of the four falls which flow year-round, with the City paying for the electricity to pump the water.
Ten acres which encompass the five waterfalls, the nativity scene, and the small Church that plays religious music is presently being deeded, a percentage annually, to a Charitable trust in the hopes that it will remain the same.
Darcy also took available from the Montello Public Library.
There is a larger version of the photo in the gallery at right.
This is the latest entry of Madison Snaps: photos of Madison-area events and locations. The Isthmus group photo pool is the primary source for Madison Snaps, which are published here with the permission of individual contributors. If you are interested in having your photo eligible for Madison Snaps, please respond to the posting on the Flickr group page, or send a message. There is no compensation for Madison Snaps photos, which are © to the respective photographers.
