Historic Quarry Near Moline to be Auctioned

[genealogynut]

 (I am not sure which board to post this on, as it is a current event, with historical nature.  Beverly Leffingwell is also a member of the Elk County Forum)

Independence Reporter
December 3, 2006

Auctioneers will sell a rock quarry Dec. 18 that has been in the same family for more than four generations.

Beverly Leffingwelll, one of the family members selling the property one mile east of Moline, said her great-great-grandfather settled the land after coming from Illinois.  Leffingwell, who visited the property with her son, said it later belonged to four generations on his father's side.

"It's amazing to thing about this place, all the great people who worked for the Solvey Co. and Concrete Materials and Martin-Marietta." she said.   "They made this place productive for my family for over 63 years."

Martin-Marietta abandoned the quarry, which an Oklahoma City newspaper once called one of the largest in the nation, and included a housing development for the employees.  The original property was 712 acres, which are being divided into four tracts ranging from 24 to 415 acres.

Tranzon Theurer Auctins of Wellington is handling the sale.

"We understand how big and how hard this is for the Leffingwell family," auctineer Larry Theurer said.  "We look forward to a good turnout on their behalf.:

Bidders will converge on the Cox Building in Howard for the bidding to open at 10 a.m. Monday, Dec. 18.  In addition to the property, Cammy Theurer-McComb said thousands of tons of limestone screening will be sold, along with quarry equipment.

Leffingwell said she had to steel her siblings for their return for the auction.

"I try to prepare my sister for the changes,"  Leffingwell said.  "The Tranzon Theurer Auctions team has gone out of their way to market this property all over the country, as more than just a rock quarry.  We're already getting calls from all over and I'm confident that a bidder will relaize the value of this property, as we have."

Information on the auction is availabe by contacting Theurer-McComb at (620) 326-7315 or by contacting Ryan George at (434) 239-2024.

"It's hard to see it go, but it's just something we had to do," Leffingwell said.  "The property has great potential, potential we hope someone will be able to benefit from."

[ddurbin]

Does anyone know how the auction went?  Who bought the various parcels and are there plans for re-opening the quarry or doing something else with it?  Any word on what it all sold for?

[genealogynut]

Hello, Dan!   I believe the auction is to be this coming weekend. Don and I are curious about how things will be going, also. 

[Janet Harrington]

The auction is Dec. 18th, 2006, at 10:30 a.m. at the Cox Building in Howard, Kansas

[CrumCowgirlMama]

Is there any word on who bought the quarry? I heard Wichita was wanting to buy it and use it as a landfill, which has everyone in my family fired up....

[Janet Harrington]

I know that Rex Hedges bought some of it, but I  can't remember who else was a buyer.

[LisaT]

Josh Hedges bought part of it for less than $500 an acre. He has a guide service for hunting.
Another guy bought the main quarry area. He has another quarry over around Parsons I believe.
Duane Triboulet bought a bunch of the machinery & metal that was down in the quarry.

[genealogynut]

Lisa, there will be a number of people that will be interested in your posting on this thread.  I have tried to follow up (behind the scenes) on this particular subject, and seemed to hit a dead end. Thanks for the info. Do you have any clues as to how the land will be used now?