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by Dan Wray
Tilghman Palmer Rhea, or “T.P” as he Even before he had met his wife he had started
was better known, was born in surveying an area which he thought could provide
October 1915 in Blue Mountain, an idyllic site for a homestead in which to bring up
Mississippi and moved to Las Vegas a family and for a quarry that would provide the
on his discharge from the Army in October 1947. livelihood to enable him to do so. He was
determined to stake a claim and initially marked
Geology and mining fascinated him and he built up the boundary using Prince Edward tobacco tins.
a comprehensive library on the subject. Red Rock The claim was submitted on March 1, 1955.
Canyon, not then a National Conservation Area,
gave him ample opportunity to indulge his passion. TP’s knowledge of the rocks was reflected in the
He took pleasure in the rocks with their vivid survey documents. Areas which contained white,
colors, with the plants and with the vistas. He hiked yellow, pink and red; zebra, sunburst and spots
and climbed extensively, Mount Wilson was one of and maroon, ivory and red were all carefully
his conquests. pinpointed.
He obtained a post at the Blue Diamond Gypsum TP was under no illusions as to the difficulties
Mine and was soon promoted to foreman. One day, involved in setting up the quarry. He said that,
after a hard day’s work at the mine, TP was “The Quarry cannot be put in sensible and/or
relaxing at the bar in Bonnie Springs when in profitable operation on a shoe string nor with a
walked a beautiful little red-headed former Army few strong hearts and bare hands. Had this been
nurse, Mabel Grace Randell. It was love at first possible, it would have been done years ago” and
sight and they were married one month later. set out his proposals for incorporation of the
enterprise. He stated that the quarry consisted of
seven placer mining claims approximately five
miles north of Blue Diamond.
Stone from the Quarry
Mabel Grace
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