Historic Bell Marble Quarry in Columbia

Each old photo can be clicked on for a larger image

Bell Hill with the Bell Columbia Marble Quarry. In the foreground is the barn of the Bell Farm, with the farm house to the left.

Air drill used to make holes for wedges and feathers, used to split the marble.

A "Channeler" at work. It follows the short section of trackage, cutting a narrow channel (or slot) slightly out from the previous face (because of the diameter of the trip hammer). You can see the previous cuts at higher levels. It was powered by compressed air.

Another block, about to be lifted out. Note channeler working in the background, with a 2nd channeler not working at the moment.

The man in the black coat is Robert Connell, who cut the Marble in San Francisco, and traveled all along the West Coast, selling it to potential customers. Note the block of marble about to be lifted out by the chain and cables from the dead-arm. At the rear, two men are waiting to operate the air drill to make holes for wedges and feathers, for splitting the marble.

Stacks of blocks of marble, waiting to be shipped. Note steel tower in background, with dead-arm (boom) used to lift the blocks.

Fagel truck owned by Jack Grant, prepares to haul blocks of marble to Sonora, to be shipped by rail to San Francisco.

Note the hard rubber tires on this truck and trailer. Just inside the rear duals of the truck is the large chain and sprocket drive. Ed Hill, one of the partners at the quarry, has his foot on the running board, talking to Jack Grant the driver.

Blocks or marble loaded on a railroad car in Sonora, for shipment to San Francisco.

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