Isaac Bearinger was born in Ontario, and as a young man came to Michigan to work in the lumber industry. He began as a cook's helper, rose through the ranks, and finally engaged in a partnership to log timberlands. His logging interests eventually spread over multiple states and into Canada, and Bearinger amassed a considerable fortune. With his wealth, he organized several businesses in Saginaw, including the American Commercial and Savings Bank, the Saginaw Brick Paving Company, and the Union Park Racetrack. In 1893, he constructed the first fireproof building on the east side of Saginaw, the Bearinger Fireproof Building, designed by Saginaw architects W. T. Cooper and Frederick Beckbissinger. The building held stores on the first floor and offices above.
Bearinger Building 1917
Isaac Bearinger continued to own the building until his death in 1904, after which his son, James I. Bearinger, inherited the building. James Bearinger died in 1957, and the building was transferred to his family, who sold it to Detroit lawyers James O. Thompson and Irving A. August in 1972. The building was sold again in 1979, and again in 2002. The building was vacated in 2008, and resold multiple times afterward until it was foreclosed on in 2013. In 2015, it was purchased by the Saginaw Economic Development Corporation. In the summer of 2022 the building was purchased from the SEDC by the city of Saginaw.
The Lesson:
Limestone is a sedimentary rock that's mainly made of calcium carbonate (calcite) or calcium-magnesium carbonate (dolomite). It's often gray or white, but can also be yellow or brown. Limestone can contain tiny fossils, shell fragments, and other fossilized debris.
Oolitic limestone
A popular natural stone that is durable and hard, and can resist erosion and environmental challenges. Oolitic limestone comes in many colors and hues.
Cottonwood limestone
A regionally famous construction material that is durable, even-textured, and can be cut into dimensional stone for masonry. Cottonwood limestone can be yellowish, buff, or nearly white in color.
Chalk
A porous sedimentary rock that is made of calcite. Chalk was quarried for building materials in ancient times.
Tufa
A limestone rock that is found near bodies of water and is high in dissolved minerals, especially calcium carbonate. Tufa is lightweight and porous, making it a good choice for rock gardens and water features.
Coquina
A sedimentary rock that is formed by the accumulation of sediments on the floor of oceans or other bodies of water.
The bottom of this building had been done in limestone. Here's where the questions become.
To Log This Cache:
1) What type of limestone is the bottom half made of? Why do you think this?
2) Could another type of limestone be used to create this? Why?
3) Take a picture near GZ of yourself or an original pic somewhere.