A HISTORY THAT'S SET IN STONE.

It’s hard to imagine this entire operation was all started because of a farm pond! Henry Griesemer was digging a pond in 1946 when he hit a ledge of limestone. Joseph J. Griesemer, a road contractor at the time, quickly recognized the potential for a quarry with the property’s proximity to the Frisco Railroad and today’s I-44. The rest, as they say, is history.

Griesemer Stone Company was started in 1946 as a limestone quarry. In 1954 the decision was made to take the open pit quarry underground using the “room and pillar” method of mining. By 1960 enough area had been mined to build the first 250,000 square feet of underground warehouse and still allow the mining operation to continue.

The underground warehouses were initially operated by a joint venture between Griesemer Stone Company and General Warehouse Corporation. The new underground warehouses were leased to Kraft, Inc. and General Warehouse Corporation. In 1994, Griesemer Stone Company and Security Terminal Corporation merged into General Warehouse Corporation, renamed Springfield Underground, Inc.

Mining and real estate development continue to be at the core of the company’s businesses. In 2000, Springfield Underground purchased the 150,000 square foot office building at 3253 E. Chestnut Expressway and named it the Frisco Building in honor of the original owner. In 2001, Joplin Stone Company became a totally owned subsidiary of Springfield Underground, Inc. Joplin Stone Company provides high quality limestone aggregates for the Joplin, Missouri construction market.

Springfield Underground continues to expand in both mining and real estate as it passes its 50th anniversary of providing high quality aggregates and real estate services.