I have been in contact (via my Bethel Web Page) with a Beth Py-Liberman who works for the Smithsonian Magazine. She is working on a mystery involving the Bethel Vermont Quarry for an article for the May issue. The Natural History Museum was clad in "Bethel White" when built in early 1900s. I have italized all the clues I have been tracking. I am hoping that someone on this list can help solve this mystery. The mystery was reported in several newspaper articles dated 11/6/1903, 11/23/1903, 12/7/04, and 12/31/05, and later to 1910. Beth sent me her research packet and I have read through it to try to construct a timeline. It is as follows: A eccentric, wealthy Vermonter, or New England man, saw a granite column in his farm field and showed it to his son, who decided to develop the quarry expecting tremendous wealth. Machinery was ordered and men hired. The quarry was used for millstones in the late 1700s with Joel MARSH extracting one in 1781 for his grist mill. Unfortunately, the son was soon killed when he fell from a cliff in the quarry. Another story reports the son was killed at a railroad crossing in Bethel. The farmer was so heartbroken and distraught that he closed operations and determined that the only product the quarry could then produce were tombstones. For three years following the death of the son, only tombstones were made from the granite. Recently the old man died - 1903 article and the quarry was not yet developed. For three years following the fathers death, nothing was done by the heirs. The heirs then started working the quarry again about 1905. Beth is looking for information about this! father and son - especially names. I may have birth, marriage, death, and bio information if I know the name. Commercial use of the granite started around 1900 when the E. B. ELLIS Granite and WOODBURY Granite companies started work on the site. Other information from the Vermont Web Page, states that The WOODBURY Granite Company purchased the quarry in Bethel in 1903. In 1907, a several month (turned into years) delay on the building of the museum was noted because of the lack of granite from the quarry in Bethel. There was a lawsuit involving the contractor - Frank F. GRAHAM and THOMSPON-STARRETT Co 1907-1915 - they were contracted to cut the granite and were with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Current Research into the Mystery 1) Some of my great grandfather's land (Henry W. DAVIS) was taken by the Granite Quarry Railroad that was built to the quarry to increase production. This was done despite his protest and he was paid a sum of $20 in 1904. That railroad spur no longer exists but as kids in the 60s and the 70s, we could find the line where it ran. We called it the "Bee Line" which comes directly from the Joel MARSH history of moving the stone for the grist mill. There is other land near the quarry road that my great grandfather sold in 1915 (for sum of $25) a section of "L" shaped land to add to school site in District # 2. At that time the land was under mortgage held by John "MCCORMICK" who supervised the quarry. John was deeded the land, known as the MOODY Farm, in 16 July 1855. John MOODY, the second John, who died in 1869 was the last MOODY owner of the land. 2) Internet searches for Bethel Vermont Quarry and "Bethel White", as the granite became called, resulted in little new information on the mystery. 3) http://www.churchbusiness.com/articles/111feat6.html has an article that mentions the National Museum. Important in this article was the E. B. Ellis Granite Company of Bethel, Vermont. That led me to search for the company and led me to the bios for Ellis father and son. Edwin and son Irving were both in granite business. They are from Maine via NH to Northfield, Vermont. Irving died in 1968 in Portland Maine per Social Security Death Index. I do not believe ELLIS is the family with the father and son who died. 4) I found a mention of Woodbury and Hardwick quarries in relation to "White Granite" . This is probably from the quarries in the towns mentioned. 5) I have looked in Hemenway and Windsor County gazetteers without success for additional information about the mystery. These were compiled in the late 1800s possibly before the death of the son or father. 6) I checked the Rock of Ages http://rockofages.com/ (who now owns the quarry and most in Vermont) and found no history of it there. Beth talked with them as well. 7) I have talked with my Aunt who grew up on Christian Hill where the quarry was located and to the Sanders family who own a farm (once owned by AINSWORTH family) close to the quarry. They do not have anymore information except to contribute names of owners of land on the hill - WALLACE, PRATT, EDDY, and WOOD. 8) I extrapolated back from 11/6/1903 and get 1900 as a possible death date for the father. This puts the son's death at about 1897. I looked for a father/son connection in the Bethel 1920 burial information with about a three year span between them. On ELLIS, MCCORMACK, HARDWICK, WOOD, EDDY, PRATT, SANDERS, AINSWORTH, WOODBURY (the latest male death was 1879),and MOODY names, I found nothing near the timeframe. For MARSH, I found an Albert who died at 85 in 1895, Augustus who died at 31 in 1901, Charles who died at 71 in 1893, and Joel (2nd) who died at 48 in 1885. This is a possible family except the MARSH family mostly settled lands in the flats near the river BUT Joel Marsh the first did take a stone from the quarry. For WALLACE, I found a G.J. who died at 63 in 1901, a Truman who died at 89 in 1900, and a Albert who died at 38 in 1885. This family comes closest to possibly being the family as owners of the quarry lands. 9)I have ordered the land records for Bethel through to 1897 form Family History Library to see if I can discover the original owner. 10) I have emailed the Bethel Historical Society but no response as yet. I would really like a search through the Bethel Courier that was published during that time if copies can be found. Please email me below if you have further information. If you respond to this post, PLEASE delete most of my post to save archives some space. I will notify the list when I solve the mystery!! Thank you for any help. Charlotte M. Davis Fairbanks, Alaska EMAIL: chargene@eagle.ptialaska.net URL: http://www.rootsweb.com/~vtcbethe/ List Administrator: BERNO-admin@rootsweb.com Charlotte M. Davis Fairbanks, Alaska EMAIL: chargene@eagle.ptialaska.net URL: http://www.rootsweb.com/~vtcbethe/ List Administrator: BERNO-admin@rootsweb.com