“FRAGILE: MADE OF GRANITE”

Distributor: Mike Grundmann

To purchase a VHS:

Please e-mail me at mikegrundmann@gmail.com to say you’re sending a check. Make check for $30 payable to, and mail to:

Mike Grundmann
P. O. Box 26951
Santa Ana, CA 92799-6951

(949) 722-7720

Rocklin, Calif., was once the largest producer of granite in the West, with 63 quarry operations at its peak. But now that it’s a suburb of Sacramento, its historic sites have fallen prey to aggressive development as irreplaceable artifacts are removed, destroyed, buried or allow to decay beyond restoration. Preservation advocates, growth promoters and descendants of the original quarry owners discuss what’s at stake and the probable future of the city’s unique heritage.

Running time: 30 minutes

FESTIVALS / AWARDS

National Federation of Local Cable Programmers Regional Competition
   First Place, Documentary

Hometown USA Competition
   Finalist

“It’s even in parking lots, for crying out loud.”

“Everything was done completely by hand.”

“Used to get pretty hot in the quarry hole. The chains were so hot you couldn’t touch ’em.”

“It takes him about a minute to drill each hole.”

“Pieces of Rocklin are found in dozens of California landmarks.”

“Railroad tracks were laid to the quarry’s edge. Horses could carry only so much.”

“Business picked up in 1906: The San Francisco earthquake created a sudden demand.”

“Why would anyone want a granite fencepost? They don’t rot after 20 years, and they don’t burn in grass fires.”

“There’s the Delano Quarry -- right under the motel.”

“Here comes a regional mall -- if the city has its way.”

“The most restorable site... is destined to be flattened for housing.”

USES FOR “Fragile: Made of Granite”

California history

Preservation advocacy

PRODUCTION CREDIT

Host/Researcher: John Trumbo