Men draining the Quarry Pond
On July 27, 2003, a group of Swan's Islanders got together to drain the Quarry Pond in Minturn, Swan's Island. The project was started to improve the quality of the pond's swimming water.
The Quarry Pond formed in the hollow left by years of work at Baird's Quarry, which closed in the Depression era. While the quarry was in operation, the pond was kept drained so that the workers could access the granite. When the quarrying season was over each year, the rain filled up the pit and iced over in the winter to make a popular skating pond.
When the pond was drained in 2003, many treasures were found: old tools, items lost over the years by swimmers, even eels. Some of the old quarry pumps were in good condition, having been preserved over the decades by water, but deteriorated upon exposure to the air.
