Where the world bought its grindstones

A few miles east of Port Austin is a little place called Grindstone City, and the name is the whole story. The sandstone here turned out to be perfect for making grindstones — the big spinning wheels people once used to sharpen tools and grind grain — and starting in the 1830s, companies quarried it and shipped grinding wheels all over the world. The stones ranged from small kitchen sharpeners to giants weighing several tons, and the area was known for a time as the “Grindstone Capital of the World.”

The industry faded in the early 1900s, when manufactured abrasives replaced natural stone, and the boomtown quieted down. But the history is still right there: huge leftover grindstones line the shore and the old shipping pier, the historic white church is now an art gallery, and the little harbor is a favorite launch point for kayakers heading out to Turnip Rock. The whole area is a recognized historic district.