Welcome to Sandstone, Minnesota!
This is an earthcache, which means there is no container nor logbook to find and sign. However, to claim this type of geocache as a find you must make some observations and send some answers to the following questions. Please send me your evidence of discovering this historic building and the geologic processes used in the building blocks..
From where you are standing, and from the literature below, answer these questions to gain your smiley:
1. Sandstone is made through a process called lithification. What is lithificaction?
2. Why is sandstone a good building material?
3. Being a scientist means making a hypothesis: From question #2, now knowing why sandstone is a good building material, why do you think the sandstone blocks used in this building are different shapes and sizes?
4. Post a picture of you or a geocaching identifier in front of the National Register of Historic Places plaque located on the SW corner of the building.
The town of Sandstone, Minnesota, and Sandstone Township were named for the prominent Kettle River Sandstone quarry that was established in the area. The city was formally named Sandstone in 1920 when the villages of Fortuna and Sandstone merged, and the name reflects the quarry's significance as a major source of income for the community. The Ojibwe name for the city, Asiniikaaning, translates to "at the quarrying place," further highlighting the quarry's importance.
This building, along with the Kettle River Grafix building, the old Sandstone high school, and the former Gaslight lounge, are all made from the sandstone quarried from the Kettle River Quarry in what is now Robinson Park.
Sandstone is a good building material due to its durability, aesthetic appeal, and versatility. It's known for its strength, resistance to weathering, and ability to withstand temperature fluctuations. Sandstone also offers a natural, warm look and can be easily shaped and carved, making it suitable for various architectural styles.
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock formed through a process that involves weathering, erosion, transportation, deposition, and finally, lithification (compaction and cementation)-see image below. Initially, existing rocks are broken down into smaller fragments, including sand-sized particles through physical and chemical weathering. These sand grains are then transported by agents like rivers or wind to depositional environments like river deltas or coastlines. As the transporting agent loses energy, the sand grains settle and accumulate in layers. Over time, these layers are compacted by the weight of overlying sediments, and dissolved minerals precipitate out of groundwater and fill the pore spaces between the sand grains, cementing them together into solid sandstone.
