Marble, Colorado

A Brief History of Marble

Marble incorporated in 1899, and the nearby Yule marble deposit shaped the town’s industrial history. Quarrying, stone finishing and rail transport connected this remote Crystal River valley community with building projects across the country. Between 1914 and 1916, the operation supplied stone for the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. In 1930, it was selected to furnish the massive marble block for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Falling demand and changing building materials contributed to the quarry’s closure in 1941. It reopened in 1990, renewing an industry whose earlier workings and mill remnants remain central to Marble’s history.