“Gold, Granite and Grit:
A Quarry, a Town and the Building of California”
Professor, Daniel DeFoe
Director/Writer
Archival photographs, film footage, and the latest
computer-enhanced technology, recreate the story of Rocklin’s
Big Gun Quarry- an important part of Northern California’s
once thriving quarry industry.
The historical narrative of this hour-long documentary is
complemented by compelling oral histories and on-site
interviews from those who remember the stonecutters,
quarrymen and others who shared the experience of living in
a quarry town like Rocklin.
One of the state's last working quarries, Big Gun Mining,
Co., is slated
to be dismantled later this year, and the passing will mark the end of what
was once a robust and thriving industry that helped to build
the first transcontinental railroad as well as many of
California’s well-known monuments and buildings.
The documentary project is not only of historical importance
to the local communities of the region, but it will add
significantly to the available scholarship on the social,
cultural and industrial development of California.
(press play
to watch trailer) Broadband recommended
Project Updates 08/15/2005 Professor, Dan DeFoe (Director and Writer)
interviews Peter Hill, Mayor of the City of Rocklin
on August 18, 2005 as part of the Gold, Granite and
Grit production. A longtime City Councilman, Peter
Hill shared his perspective on the historical
changes that have shaped Rocklin’s growth, making it
the town that it is today.
7/22/2005 Glass House Media set out again to document the
impact of the Rocklin quarries upon the building of
California.
This
time, Glass House Media focused on the beautiful
city of San Francisco. Footage was secured of City
Hall, the Civic Center Plaza, the US Mint (Old Lady)
and the Hibernia Bank – all significant landmarks in
the history of California. The depth of these
findings will enhance the appreciation of the skill
and craftsmanship that the quarry workers delivered,
not to mention their grit.
