Bluestone Festival attracts musclemen

By TOM KANE

HANCOCK, NY — It was a test of power, timing and endurance.

After qualifying for the finals of the Bluestone Festival contest on July 28 and 29, contestants showed off their muscle and skill at five contests at the Hancock Firemen’s Park.

The contests included veneer cutting of a bluestone slab, fieldstone stacking on a pallet, rock facing by the employees of Stone Dock Company, cutting and trimming of a bluestone square and a skid steer competition, in which experienced skid operators performed several fork-lift tasks.

Contestants were either current or former workers in the local bluestone quarries that surround Hancock.

Prizes for winning contestants were state-of-the-art diamond bluestone circular saws.

“The diamond saws are very expensive and valued by the bluestone workers,” said Chris Gross, vice president of the Hancock Area Chamber of Commerce, who sponsored the event.

“Contestants assume all risk of injury that may be associated with participation,” said a note at the bottom of the festival program.

Beside the bluestone contests, local firemen from various villages participated in old-time softball games in which no gloves were used.

Hancock is one of the centers of the bluestone industry in New York State. In the early days of the 19th century, bluestone from local quarries was shipped down to New York City and Philadelphia for the construction of sidewalks.