 The geology of southwestern Cheshire includes ridges of outcrops with deposits of limestone and marble, which were mined on a small scale, primarily for local use by farmers, beginning in the early 19th century.The arrival of railroad infrastructure in the area in the mid-19th century prompted a more organized expansion of mining efforts.The Dean family were one of the first to establish a small mining operation (c. 1840), located roughly at the western end of Quarry Road.