Friends of the
Redgranite Quarry
A brief history of the Quarry
Discovery of mahogany-red granite in the hamlet known then as Sand Prairie in the 1880's sparked a mining boom that brought skilled stone cutters from Europe. Granite paving blocks where cut by hand with exact precision and then interlocked perfectly and used in streets as far away as Chicago.
William Bannerman, a Scottish immigrant, first found a red granite formation near Berlin, WI and operated two quarries there for a time. In 1898 he purchased a 126 acre farm in Sand Prairie (village of Redgranite today) to harvest the granite. This granite was exceptionally hard and allowed the quarry to be worked even in the winter.
At the end of one day's digging work, a natural spring was struck. The next day the quarry was so full of water that its use as a quarry was over. It became a natural swimming hole and tourist attraction. The quarry was closed in the 1920s. By then, concrete and asphalt came into popular use for paving.
Today, Redgranite Quarry is a 6 acre lake. It has depths reaching over 100 feet. Fish include Panfish and Largemouth Bass. The quarry was designated a village park in 1995. Park hours are from 7:00am-7:00pm.
Click the link below to learn more about the village of Redgranite:
What's under the water?
Take an underwater tour hosted by scuba diver Brett Halderson.
Click the link below:
Meet one of our volunteers
Dan Sanchez
Dan has been more than a volunteer at Redgranite Quarry. He has been a strong leader in the continued development of the park. He truly enjoys keeping this landmark beautiful for everyone to enjoy year round.
"I bring my grandchildren to the park on a regular basis and we have many wonderful and memorable adventures together."
In his spare time, you can find him entertaining as he also enjoys singing karaoke.