Author: Matthew Trevino | Categories: Relevant | Date: February 19, 2008
The Tags: Big Rock Stone & Material Co.

Pulaski.—The county ranked sixth in total value of mineral output. Increased production of stone, sand and gravel, and clays was sufficient to offset a significant drop in bauxite production; total mineral value was more than $1 million higher than that of 1962. The county ranked first in the State in value of stone and clay output and third in sand and gravel production. Big Rock Stone & Material Co., John D. ott, and Jeffrey Sand Co. produced sand for building, road construction, paving, and other purposes. Markham & Brown Co., Mid-Continent Stone & Construction Co., Mississippi Valley Engineering & Construction Co., and West Lake Quarry & Material Co. supplied crushed and broken syenite to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for Arkansas River bank stabilization projects. Big Rock Stone & Material Co. quarried and crushed syenite for riprap, concrete aggregate, roadstone, railroad ballast, and roofing granules. Crushed sandstone for concrete aggregate, riprap, and road construction was produced by Big Rock Stone & Material Co., Jeffrey Stone Co., Pine Bluff Sand & Gravel Co., and West Lake Quarry & Materials Co. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Arkansas Highway Department were leading users of the sandstone production.

source

The ruins of Big Rock Stone & Material Co. sit unattended, watching over the solemn waters of the Arkansas River, a reminder of what used to be and what was in the city of North Little Rock. For the passers-by on the trail, it simply is yet another set of ruins. A ghost that whispers the name Argenta to some, and silent voices to others. And while it is true that most, if not all, of the answers that surround the broken structures and forgotten pieces have all but faded into the sands of time, the question of what truly went on here will still remain.

It seems that any real answers will only be those of pure conjecture and superstition as to the purpose of what I have been calling The Road to Nowhere, a bridge that starts on a hill, wraps a short distance around, and ends on a hill, having been abandoned as it had appeared to just have been started. What was its purpose? Who were its contractors? Will the overgrown fields, welded bunkers, and skeletons of what used to be a mining installation every be able to talk?

Or will it all simply fade into the history books, another example of when businesses simply just go under. One thing’s for sure. It will always hold a place of mystique and awe for this blogger, and will always be held as a vital part of this city’s history.

share | + Yahoo | + Google | + Furl | + Spurl | + Del.icio.us | + Digg | + Live | + Blogmarks

J-List is a peaceful island of Japanese pop culture for you