Swan's Island: Six miles east of ordinary

Text by Kim Colbeth
Images from the Swan's Island Historical Society

Matthew Baird Contracting Co. of New York opened the Baird’s Quarry in Minturn in 1901. It was one of 2 major commercial quarries on the island; the Toothacher Cove Quarry being the other one. Within a few years, Baird’s quarry works were 500 by 250 ft. Blacksmith shops, huge derricks, and boiler houses to run the steam drills sprang up on the hill.

The pinkish buff granite from it was medium to coarse in texture and was used for pavers, random, and dimension stone. The stone was drilled, blasted, and lifted out of the pit.

One man “motions” sprang up wherever there was a small field of stone to be carved by an individual. These were named for their characteristic of “moving” whenever the rock ran out or the operator decided on a better place. Wherever its origin, all the stone was eventually moved on rails down the hill to be cut into pavers.

Finally, the granite was loaded onto barges to be shipped to New York and Boston. Sometimes the barges were towed away from the wharf by a pulley and cable set into a small rocky island, Ringbolt Ledge, till they could safely get their sails up and maneuver out of the harbor.

Many workers came from European countries, and to meet the needs of a rising population, boarding houses and stores opened in every available space around Minturn. To hear more about the boarding houses in Eva Wheaton’s audio story found in the Islanders at Work exhibit, click here.

Although some returned to their home countries or moved on to other jobs, some stayed, married, and are the ancestors of many island residents of today. Martin, Johnson, and Carlson are island families whose roots on Swan’s started with quarry workers over 100 years ago and are still very much a part of our town.

One family story involves Laura Turner, an island girl who married Dana Burns in 1907. When he died 3 years later, she went to work at the Massey House, a Minturn boarding house for quarry workers. She met and fell in love with David Cruickshank Morris, and although they had no children; Dave and Laura lived the rest of their lives in Minturn, their house now being owned by her great-grand nephew.

The quarry continued operation until about 1930, then closed abruptly one day, putting all the workers out of jobs. Older residents told of the steam whistle, the usual signal for the start and end of the workday, blowing nonstop till it ran out of steam and died away. Many of the workers just walked away from the hill, leaving tools and equipment behind.