I was researching the history of SEMO Stone, which was once Federal Materials and was originally the Edward Hely Limestone Quarry. It might even be older than the cement plant quarry, but I’m still checking.
Anyway, I’ve been following the Fruitland quarry controversy with half an eye without developing any strong opinions one way or the other. One of the players also owns Strack Excavating and Hauling, which owns the quarry I featured Jan. 7, 2011,
I recalled reading some back-and-forth in The Missourian about which came first, the quarry or the houses in the Dalhousie golf community. I took the lazy way out and activated the timeline feature in Google Earth. Here’s what I found.
May 22, 1996, both properties undeveloped
The first photo available shows both the quarry area and the golf development undeveloped and being used for agricultural purposes. The street overlay makes it look like there are streets, but they don’t exist. Hwy 74 and Bloomfield Rd (CR 205) are about the only real roads. (Click on the images to make them larger.)
Jan. 1, 2003, no Dalhousie homes
In this USDA Farm Service photo from Jan. 1, 2003, we can see that both the golf course and the quarry are taking shape. The housing area, though, is still forest.
May 11, 2005, Dalhousie starts clearing
In this photo from May 11, 2005, the quarry is beginning to show some depth. Clearing has begun in the Dalhousie housing area. Some of the streets are paved, some are still under construction. Google also had a USDA photo from June 15, 2005, but it was similar to this one and of poorer quality, so I omitted it.
June 16, 2009, Dalhousie homes appear
By the time 2009 rolled around, the quarry had gotten substantially deeper and the homes on the bluff overlooking it had been built. Most of the roads are paved.
Nov. 6, 2010, aerial photo
My Nov. 6, 2010, aerial photo shows a slightly different angle from Google’s, but the situation is pretty much the same. The quarry is much deeper. I don’t think any additional homes have been built.
Chicken or Egg conclusion
I’m going to have to say that these photos show that the Dalhousie Golf Course and the Strack Quarry were both developed at roughly the same time. There is no doubt, however, that the quarry was well established before the first home in the development was built.
From a selfish point of view, I’m tempted to say – Thank God that Strack isn’t right next to me, but I’m altruistic enough to feel that any eyesore on the planet is a detraction from all our qualities of life.
I recently had occasion to go through the tiny village of Pascola, Mo. in Pemiscot County. The object lesson for this sad little town is that terrible things can happen to your community when it goes into decline. An unscrupulous auto parts man has turned the town into his own private auto salvage yard, bringing in wrecked cars and piling them two-high, right next to homes. We researched this situation for a possible story, and the State says that he is in compliance and not violating any State ordinances. Poor Ladybird Johnson – all that effort to get fences up around junk yards was for nought! She would turn over in her grave if she saw Pascola!
Just shows what can happen if people are not vigilant! The Fruitland group has the right idea – fight, fight, fight!
Great Pictures Ken. Do you have any of Fruitland? I don’t have a dog in this fight, but if that Strack Quarry is not a problem for the folks that live in those $500,000+ homes at Dalhousie then why the big fears in Fruitland? Perhaps the access roads and the trucks would be a problem, but the location of the quarry would be much better to adjoining homes and schools in Fruitland than at Dalhousie.
Brad,
I didn’t shoot Fruitland because I was running out of time and I wasn’t exactly sure where the sites were.
Follow this link to the Department of Natural Resources site and you can see exactly where the proposed quarry sites are located.
Based on comments in The Missourian, I wouldn’t say the Dalhousie folks are happy with their neighbor, but it would appear from the Google Earth photos that a quarry shouldn’t have been a surprise to them.
It really is rare to find well-informed persons on that issue, you sound like you know what you are posting about! Appreciate it
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN THE FRUITLAND QUARRY THAT IS BEING OVERLOOKED AND IGNORED IS THE SAXONY LUTHERAN HIGH SCHOOL THAT IS LOCATED RIGHT NEXT TO THE QUARRY PROPERTY. THAT SCHOOL HAS BEEN THERE FOR ABOUT THE LAST 10 YEARS AND WAS BUILT IN THE MIDDLE OF FARMLAND. ALSO NEXT TO THE QUARRY ARE A COUPLE OF GAS STATIONS, RESTAURANTS, A TRAILER PARK AND MANY NICE HOMES THAT HAVE BEEN THERE FOR YEARS. GRANTED, THE PLANNING AND ZONING FOR THIS AREA WAS VOTED DOWN SEVERAL YEARS AGO, BECAUSE PEOPLE WHO LIVE OUT IN THE COUNTY DO NOT WANT TO HAVE TO ABIDE BY CITY GUIDELINES AND HIGHER TAXES. PEOPLE IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STILL LIVE THEIR LIVES IN A RESPECTFUL MANNER AND CARE ABOUT THEIR NEIGHBORS WELL-BEING. ANY SELF-RESPECTING, CARING INDIVIDUAL KNOWS IT’S JUST WRONG TO BUILD A ROCK QUARRY RIGHT NEXT TO A SCHOOL, GAS STATIONS, OTHER RESIDENCES AND THE INTERSTATE ESPECIALLY WHEN THOSE PEOPLE HAVE VOICED THEIR OPINIONS IN OPPOSITION TO IT.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI IS KNOWN FOR THE MANY ALLERGIES FROM WHICH PEOPLE LIVING IN THE AREA SUFFER. WHEN THE DUST IS STIRRED UP, IT’S REALLY GOING TO MAKE THINGS WORSE. NOT TO MENTION THE NOISE AND THE DESTRUCTION TO THE NEARBY HOMES AND BUILDINGS THAT THE BLASTING WILL BRING ABOUT. AND THE ROAD THAT THE QUARRY TRUCKS WILL BE USING WILL CONSTANTLY BE STIRRING UP THAT DUST AND MAKING MORE NOISE. THE ADDED TRAFFIC WILL COME OUT ABOUT A BLOCK AWAY FROM THE FRUITLAND NORTH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. THERE IS ALWAYS A BIG TRAFFIC JAM AROUND SCHOOLS WHETHER THEY ARE IN OR OUT OF TOWN AND WHAT PARENT WOULD WANT TO HAVE TO PUT UP WITH DOUBLE THE AMOUNT WHEN ALL THOSE BIG QUARRY DUMP TRUCKS ARE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF IT! IT WILL JUST CAUSE AN UNNECESSARY DANGEROUS SITUATION IN WHICH SCHOOL CHILDREN ARE INVOLVED.
PEOPLE WHO MOVE OUT OF CITY LIMITS DO SO BECAUSE OF THE PEACEFUL ENVIRONMENT AND TO KEEP THEIR COST OF LIVING DOWN WHEN THEY DON’T HAVE TO PAY CITY TAXES FOR THEIR HOME, SEWER TAXES, PAVEMENT TAXES, ETC. COUNTY LANDOWNERS STILL PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE OF SCHOOL, LIBRARY, AND FIRE PROTECTION TAXES. AND THEY PAY CITY SALES TAX, SO THEY CONTRIBUTE ABOUT AS MUCH TO CITY CONVENIENCES AS DO THE CITY DWELLERS. ALL WE ASK IS TO BE LEFT IN PEACE TO RAISE OUR FAMILIES IN SAFE SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES AWAY FROM ALL THE CITY TRAFFIC AND NOISE. WE DON’T WANT OR NEED A QUARRY TO COME IN AND RUIN OUR PEACEFUL WAY OF LIVING. THE QUARRY LANDOWNERS WOULDN’T WANT TO HAVE SOMEONE BUILD A QUARRY NEXT TO THEIR KIDS SCHOOLS OR IN THEIR BACKYARD – SO PLEASE—-LIVE AND LET LIVE—IN PEACE! THERE ARE A LOT OF WIDE OPEN SPACES FAR AWAY FROM SCHOOLS, BUSINESSES AND RESIDENCES TO THE NORTH AND WEST OF CAPE GIRARDEAU COUNTY. THAT IS WHERE QUARRIES SHOULD BE BUILT! I JUST CAN’T IMAGINE ANYONE GOING NEXT DOOR TO PEACEFUL, LAW-ABIDING PEOPLE AND BUILDING SOMETHING RIGHT NEXT TO THEM TO CAUSE SO MUCH TROUBLE AND KNOW THAT THEY ARE NOT WANTED IN THE AREA!