Grindstone are scattered through out the small town of Grindstone City at the tip of the Thumb. These stones stand on the breakwater jutting out into Lake Huron,
The history of Grindstone City, Michigan, begins in 1834 when Captain Aaron Peer, forced to take refuge from a storm near Pointe Aux Barques, discovered a unique, highly abrasive gritstone along the shoreline. Recognizing its superior quality, Peer began quarrying and shaping the stone, establishing an industry that would quickly make the settlement the “Grindstone Capital of the World.” This fine-grained Marshall Sandstone was ideal for sharpening and grinding tools, leading to the production of grindstones of all sizes, from small whetstones to massive stones weighing several tons. By the late 19th century, large companies like the Cleveland Stone Company took over operations, and the thriving company town, which once boasted a population of about 1500, exported its famous product internationally via extensive docks extending into Lake Huron and later by rail.
The boom era of Grindstone City was relatively short-lived, as the industry began a sharp decline after World War I. The development of artificial abrasives, particularly carborundum, offered a more economical alternative to natural stone. This new technology, combined with the economic pressures of the Great Depression, ultimately led to the cessation of all quarrying and milling operations by the early 1930s. Today, Grindstone City is a small, unincorporated community and a historic district, with remnants of its industrial past—such as abandoned quarries, stone jetties, and scattered grindstones used as landscape features and monuments—remaining as a testament to its significant role in American commerce and industry.
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