History

Silverdale is located nine miles east of Arkansas City, just off Highway 166. In the historic bluestem grass country. Used in the 1800's as the principal grazing for Long Horned Cattle enroute from Texas to railheads of Kansas, Siverdale is nationally recognized for it's excelent Limestone as one of the finest in the United States. Known for it's fine texture, durability, color and versatility of use. The Silverdale Limestone quarries are some of the oldest of it's kind in the state of Kansas.
The land in 1874, thru a land grant from the United States to John Algoe, gegan the areas history of limestone. It was first leased for quarrying purposes in 1888. Acompany from Indiana owned the business until 1907. Drilling was done by hand. The hauling and lifting was done by large draft horses. In 1900 the first sawmill was built and utilized to cut the limestone. Steam engines were used until 1922 when they were traded for diesel engines. Today many circular saws, lathes, gang saws, hydraulic splitting machines, plishers, as well as, hand tools for carving, are used to fabricate the tone.
Silverdale Limestone is found just beneath the surface of the lush bluestem grassland. The stone is in ledge's two to four feet in thickness. Earth moving equipment is used to clear the top soil from select areas. It is drilled out and loaded on trucks to the sawmill. The stone is then positioned inthe gangs, utilizing cables, pullies and dog clamps. These saws consist of 10 to 20 multiple multiple smooth steel blades 14 to 16 feet in length. The cutting is accomplished with a slurry of flint sand and water washed over the stone and blades which are moving for and aft. The slapbs are then cut into architectural sizes and shipped throughout the United States.
Natural stone is conomical, used in the buildings of schools, churches, private homes, public buildings such as the Senior Citizen Hall, Arkansas City, KS; Court House of Winfield, KS; Farrell Library, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS.
The Silverdale Cut Stone Co. was purchased by Harold J. Born in 1962 from C. W. Forburger of Lincoln, NE. and is still operated by the Born family, now in it's 3rd generation.
Stone is a heritage freeely used. It is the land itself. Witing for the ingenuity and vision of man to give it beauty and meaning. "Without the toil, sweat and soul of man the stone would remain silent and untouched."