From Historical Rutland: an illustrated history of Rutland, Vermont, from the granting of the charter in 1761 to 1911 by Rev. F. E. Davison, Rutland, Vt.: P.H. Brehmer, 1911, page 49:
Marble Industry
The beginning of the marble industry in this town dates back as early as 1820, when various indiividuals dug out marble for grave stones near the village of West Rutland and in Whipple Hollow. Such slabs are to be seen in the cemeteries of Rutland and West Rutland, bright and sound today. One of them bears date of 1789. The quarries and mills in West Rutland were opened in a commercial way in the vicinity of 1844, the marble being hauled to Whitehall by teams. The original mill at first ran only about nine months in the year, and during the day time only. From such small beginnings the marble business has progressed to vast proportions until Rutland has become noted the world over as the Marble City, the development of the industry having reached unprecedented dimensions. Contracts were filled by Sheldon & Slason of West Rutland, after the Civil War, for 245,000 lettered headstones for soldiers' graves in national cemeteries, the contract amounting to $864,000. The famous "Gold Room" in the Treasury building at Washington is paneled with blue marble furnished by the Sheldons. Taking Rutland for a center. within a circumference of 25 miles there is a tract of country producing more and better marble [50] than any other spot on the planet, or all other marble industries combined. Within a radius of six miles of the Marble City four thousand men are employed taking the finest quality of marble in the world out of the everlasting mountains, and with modern appliances and skillful fingers transforming the huge blocks into the finished material, the wonder and admiration of all men. At Praetor, formerly a part of the town of Rutland, is located the largest marble producing plant in the world, the Vermont Marble Company.