You are looking for a small rectangular Lock-n-Lock with room for tiny items and a log only near a sign for the Big Ledge Quarry. BYOP! Permission was obtained to place this cache.
The granite monadnocks known as Arabia and Panola Mountains formed millions of years ago and provide the natural resource that makes the heritage area so significant. The abundance of granite around Lithonia contributed to the city's economic prosperity during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The name "Lithonia" means "place of stone," and many buildings along the city's commercial corridor and residential streets incorporate granite.
Lithonia granite, also called Tidal Grey or Lithonia gneiss, exhibits a distinctive swirl pattern and a high structural density that made it a desirable building material. Tidal Grey, quarried from Arabia Mountain, is more similar to granite reserves found in Russia and Norway than in the United States. The Old Georgia Granite Railroad, Old Venable Railroad, and Arabia-Lithonia Railroad all converged with the Georgia Railroad in Lithonia, which meant that Tidal Grey could be easily transported all around the country for use in construction. By 1913, Lithonia surpassed Stone Mountain in granite production. In 1949, Lithonia produced 1.5 million tons of granite, valued at approximately $3 million at that time.
Many notable public buildings have used Lithonia gneiss in their construction. These include Bancroft Hall (U.S. Naval Academy), Atlanta’s Federal Reserve Building, the Rayburn Office Building in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, and the University of Georgia Library in Athens. Many city streets around the nation, including in Atlanta, are constructed using Lithonia granite. Blocks of Lithonia gneiss were also used to construct the roadway of New York’s Holland and Lincoln Tunnels. Because the stone can withstand the constant pounding of water, it has been used to pave waterfront areas in Cincinnati, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Savannah, St. Louis, and Memphis.
The Venable Brothers and, subsequently, Davidson Mineral Properties owned many of the quarries in the Lithonia area. In the aftermath of the Great Depression, the region's granite resources suffered from a decline in demand as concrete became a more desirable building material. As trucks became the dominant method for hauling stone, the rail lines serving the quarries were abandoned or torn up. The tracks of the Arabia Mountain line were torn up in the 1940s. The Georgia Railroad's quarry rail line into Lithonia was abandoned in the 1970s. The only quarry rail line left in the area today runs to the Big Ledge Quarry and is serviced by CSX. Some of these abandoned railroad lines are being converted for public use today. Most of the PATH trail between Lithonia and Arabia Mountain lies on the old railroad bed.
A view of a Lithonia rock quarry in 1925. Photo courtesy of Vanishing Georgia Archives.
Quarried rock in Lithonia, circa 1949. Photo courtesy of Vanishing Georgia Archives.
Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area (AMNHA): Geo-Path
Use your GPS to explore a national heritage area and earn trackable prizes along the way! Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area has history, culture, and amazing landscapes only twenty minutes outside of Downtown Atlanta. One of 49 National Heritage Areas in the United States, Arabia Mountain NHA has been designated by Congress as a place where everyday life intersects with unique cultural and natural resources.
This cache is a part of the Arabia Mountain NHA Geocaching program, Geo-Path. Arabia's Geo-Path contains over forty geocaches within the heritage area. Each cache is classified in one of four series: Lithonia's Historic Hike, Arabia Mountain Adventures, Panola Mountain Pathways, and South River Stroll. Visit our website at arabiaalliance.org/explore/geocaching-adventures to print out a passport and learn how you can earn trackable prizes for completing Arabia’s Geo-Path.