Background and History of St. Cloud Stonecutters

During the mass emigration from Europe to America in the late 1800’s sparked a huge wave of people with niche skills and trades that they possessed. One thing that was mandatory at Ellis Island was that every (mostly male) immigrant had to disclose what trade or skill they possessed when they landed in their new home of America. From past records we can learn that granite stonecutters came mostly from Sweden, Norway, Finland, Great Britain, Scotland, Italy, France, Spain, and Germany. 

When President Lincoln signed the Homestead Act in 1862 this helped many European immigrants who did not have very good farm land in their native countries finally have a chance to make a living from the land. This is why many of the granite cutters in the St. Cloud area were of Swedish, Finnish, and Norwegian descent. This act, offered 160 of federal land to anyone who would live on the land and improve the land over the course of five years. Then, they could sign a free and clear release deed on the property. This was huge for these immigrants of these nationalities because Minnesota had such good farmland compared to their former home. Many people from these European nations would now come to Minnesota and start their farming, stonecutting, and most importantly, fresh new lives.

These stonecutters were not farmers. Many of their old friends from back home (In their native country) were farmers and kept in touch during their trip to the new land. These farmer friends of the granite cutters were homesteaders. The granite workers had a buffet of quarries to choose from when leaving Ellis Island. They could choose from Vermont, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, and of course yours truly, Minnesota. Many of the stonecutters moved directly to St. Cloud, MN! A widely accepted reason for this is because of the large and deep connections with newly European homesteaders and their relationship with the stonecutters from back home.

History Of The Granite City

The “Signature Rock” of the Earth is? You guessed it. Its granite! This is because Mercury, Venus, and Mars all have large amounts of Basalt. This rock is also what covers the Earth’s ocean floor. The reason for the name “Granite” is because of the Latin word “Granum”. Granite contains many large mineral grains to compose the rock of granite. Granite has many colors to choose from including black, pink, blue, grey, red, and white. Mostly, granite contains feldspar and quartz. Granite is considered an igneous rock, which means it was very hot, molten and slowly cooled and cooled over millions of years. Seismic activity over the course time has forced large amounts of granite to be pushed to the surface.

In 1868, the birth of the first St. Cloud Quarry was here. The Breen & Young in East St. Cloud started it and it was in Stearns County right near the county line. The Breen and Young Quarry lasted for about 20 years and experienced very good business. In around 1889, Minnesota Legislation approved the purchase of the 250-acre plot on the east side of St. Cloud for the construction of the St. Cloud Reformatory. The biggest part of this purchase was the St. Cloud Quarry. It was located mostly on the north end of the 250-acre lot. Since the quarry was very valuable for many reasons, the state kept the quarry to keep the prisoners busy and they would in turn mine for granite. They would then use the prisoners to eventually build the prison just outside of St. Cloud.

Photo Courtesy: Stearns County Museum Archives, MN Department Of Corrections

Do’s And Don’ts – Granite Countertop Care

Sealing

When it comes to sealing natural stone granite, it should be known that you should always use impregnating sealer, which goes deep into the stone and seals it within.

Granite Care 

The best way for your countertops to beat the test of time is just to avoid obvious habits that can really put wear and tear on your countertops or anything for that matter. Many different counters are made of different materials and should be maintained accordingly. Below are some simple do’s and don’ts for your household granite countertops.

Do’s

Be sure to use coasters under all drinks – It wont ruin the countertops over time if you never use coasters but this is more of a precaution because using coasters is just generally a safe practice when keeping countertops clean and in good shape.

Clean all granite surfaces with sponge or dry cloth – You can buy special surface cleaners designed specifically for granite that work beautifully to clean the tops. It keeps them much cleaner for longer and helps the sealer as well. Also adding with hot water helps the process as well. Using dish soap is something that is not recommended. Doing this will cause build up even if you rinse it off every time and over time you will see discoloration and build up of dish soap.

Don’ts 

Do not use bleach, glass cleaners, or de-greasers – They contain a ton of bad acids and chemicals that will decay the sealer on your countertops over time and your granite will be much more susceptible to stains and other damages. You’ll spend much more money in the long run repair or even replacing your countertops and you try to save in the short-term by purchasing these products.

Do not put toiletry products on counter tops – If you get in the habit of putting toiletries on your granite they usually have the tendency to spill, and most likely will. Even if your products are sealed if you leave bottle and other things of that nature on your countertops for a long period of time they will probably stain regardless and you should always put them in your bathroom, or keep them in a toiletry bag!

In conclusion, with the proper maintenance granite countertops can be easy to take care of and you will be keeping your countertops for many years to come!