Chert quarry opens the past to public for first time
Published 4:28 pm Monday, June 30, 2025
Tom Trow welcomes people to the Grand Meadow Chert Quarry Preserve and Wanhi Yukan Trail Saturday morning, the first group to visit the now open historical site in Mower County. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Those touring the Grand Meadow Chert Quarry Preserve and Wanhi Yukan Trail Saturday morning, north of Grand Meadow, sit and listen to Tom Trow describe what this site can be used for when groups come and visit. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
People touring the Grand Meadow Chert Quarry Preserve and Wanhi Yukan Trail Saturday, wander through the oak savannah on the way to their next tour stop. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Matt Ziebell (orange) leads people through the Grand Meadow Chert Quarry Preserve and Wanhi Yukan Trail Saturday morning. It was the first time the site was officially open to the public.
People touring the Grand Meadow Chert Quarry Preserve and Wanhi Yukan Trail Saturday, wander through the oak savannah on the way to their next tour stop. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Two groups make their way through the Grand Meadow Chert Quarry Preserve and Wanhi Yukan Trail Saturday morning. At center the bare portion of earth represents one of the around 100 pits at the quarry once used by Native Americans to gather chert. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Tom Trow, center, guides a tour Saturday at the Grand Meadow Chert Quarry Preserve and Wanhi Yukan Trail. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
It has been a long time coming, but on Saturday those behind the development of the Grand Meadow Chert Quarry Preserve and Wanhi Yukan Trail can celebrate the finish line.
Saturday was the first day the historic site opened up to the public with tours in three sessions introducing those from Grand Meadow and the area to Mower County’s unique window to the past.
Starting at 9:30 a.m., guided tours took guests through the eight acres of development that showcases the chert quarry utilized by Native Americans coming to the region thousands of years ago.
“This is sort of an opening day and you are the first on the first day when everything is done,” Tom Trow told the first tour to the site.
Trow is the lead archaeologist for the site and has worked with both local groups and people as well as the Native American community through the Prairie Island Community to bring the project to life.
And to finally get to this point is something that Trow is still coming to terms with.
“It’s still sinking in that we’re actually done with all of the construction,” he said. “As of (Friday) afternoon, we’ve completely finished the construction phase at the site and we’re finally moving into maintenance.”
The development of the site has been a story ranging across decades starting with the discovery of the chert quarry by Maynard Green in the 1950s. A quick poll of those taking Saturday’s first tour revealed several who had known Green.
As time progressed and more people spent time at the site the idea of what it could be began taking form as well as the impact of the site, as studies have indicated that chert was mined from this quarry dating back as far as 8,000 years.
However, over time invasive buckthorn infested the location, making it difficult to determine what was there if you didn’t know what you were looking for.
In total, around 100 pits have been identified beneath the oak savanna of the grove, which is impressive for an eight-acre site, but even more so when it’s revealed that it has been determined that the entirety of the quarry was closer to 200 acres and could have contained as many as 2,000 pits.
It makes getting to this point even more of an event to celebrate.
“I guess I’m just really excited that we’re finally letting the public see all of our hard work for the last several years,” said Mower County Historic Center Executive Director Randy Forster. “I think the site looks amazing. The signs exceeded my expectations. They look so professional. They are crisp and clean. They are easy to read. The kiosk looks amazing.”
Along with the wooded portion of the site, there is also five acres of prairie land that is being returned to its native form running along the south edge of the quarry.
It further tells the story of the chert gathered at the site, which before the quarry was created Native Americans were using exposed veins of the rock discovered along the creek running through the prairie.
Along with the public’s access to the quarry, the site will also be used by the Native American community to further educate youth about their past. A prairie area on the east side of the quarry will be used for that aspect.
It’s a full-circle moment Trow said.
“It’s just sinking in to me how many people are appreciating it,” he said. “I went to a play (Friday night) in town and a lot of people were talking to me about how important they think this is as a project in addition to how important it is to our Native American partners we have, and that has been my first goal. To make sure they felt a sense of ownership.”
Forster said he hopes people will take the opportunity to appreciate the significance of the site.
“The one thing I would like to see is people to be aware that it exists and take advantage of knowing that we have this site in the middle of Mower County and that for many, many years people didn’t know this exists. People should come and visit and walk through it and experience it. It’s awe inspiring.”
It was a similar sentiment for Trow, who related that to those he gave a tour to.
“I hope you all will come back,” he said. “We hope you will treat this as a park.”
