Leland Blue

The Leland Lake Superior Iron Company played a pivotal, if perhaps unintended, role in the creation of the unique material now known as Leland Blue. Established in the late 19th century in Leland, Michigan, this company was a key player in the burgeoning iron industry of the Great Lakes region. Their primary objective was the production of pig iron, a crude form of iron that would then be transported for further processing. This involved the smelting of iron ore, a process that required intense heat and the use of fluxing agents to remove impurities.

It was this very process of smelting that led to the formation of slag, the molten byproduct of separating the desired metal from the unwanted elements in the ore. As the furnaces roared and the iron was tapped, the less dense slag would rise to the top, where it could be removed. The Leland Lake Superior Iron Company, like other similar operations of the time, would dispose of this slag, often by dumping it into nearby bodies of water. In the case of Leland, this meant the waters of Lake Michigan.

Over decades, as the iron company operated and subsequently closed, the discarded slag accumulated along the shoreline. Subjected to the constant tumbling action of Lake Michigan's waves and the weathering effects of the elements, these once-molten byproducts began to solidify and break down into smaller, smoother pieces. The unique chemical composition of the slag produced by the Leland Lake Superior Iron Company, influenced by the specific ores and fluxes used, resulted in the characteristic vibrant blues, greens, and sometimes purples that distinguish Leland Blue from other types of slag. Thus, the industrial activity of this company, while focused on iron production, inadvertently left behind a beautiful and now sought-after legacy in the form of this unique Michigan "stone."

These unique stones are not only cherished for their beauty but also for the historical connections they evoke. They serve as reminders of Michigan's industrial past and the laborers who toiled in the iron smelting factories.