Not much is known about the Little Falls Granite and Marble Works, other than it was in operation in 1907/08, was located on Broadway, west of the Golden Rule Store, and was owned by Russell W. Carlson. (Little Falls City Directory, 1907/08) This business is not listed in any earlier directories.

Carlson could not have been in business long because an article in the November 3, 1909, issue of the Little Falls Daily Transcript opens with the statement, “It is far from unlikely that Little Falls will soon have granite monumental works again in operation.” The article continues with a description of a visit to Little Falls by “two practical stone men,” who were examining the granite quarries in the area and talking to Commercial Club members about the possibility of starting a granite works. Nothing seems to have come of this considering a 1911 news article.

In March 1911, G.W. Karlson visited Little Falls from Minneapolis, intending to open a “monument works.” His monument works was called the Little Falls Granite Works. The news items announcing Karlson’s visit says that “Little Falls has been without an industry of this nature for over a year,” which proves that this business was a separate concern from the others, regardless of the resemblance of names among them. (LFDT, March 8, 1911)

The original location of the Little Falls Granite Works was on Wood Street in a building built by Karlson that eventually became Trettel Produce. By 1916, the Little Falls Granite Works had moved to a building at 24 East Broadway. (Little Falls City Directory, 1916/17)

A September 22, 1924, article in the Little Falls Daily Transcript mentions that the Little Falls Granite Works had “completed the work of moving to its new home on Broadway,” and “the company, which was formerly located on Wood Street SE recently completed a new building next door to the Nelson studio on Broadway.” (Little Falls City Directory, 1928, and LFDT, November 9, 1972) In 1972, the Little Falls Granite Works moved to its current location, 10802 Hwy. 10, Little Falls. (LFDT, December 7, 1972)

Along with experiencing several changes in location over its existence, the Little Falls Granite Works has seen many different owners. While G.W. Karlson formed the business in 1911, he did not remain the sole proprietor for long. A certificate dated June 27, 1914, filed with the District Court, shows that Karlson was operating the business with Fred Olson. By 1919 Aaron A. Nelson had bought into the business. (LFDT, November 9, 1972)

Aaron Nelson was also representing the Little Falls Black Granite Company at the time. (Pierz journal ad, March 18, 1920, & letter from John Vertin to Peter Maurin, October 13, 1920) What is odd about this is that Karlson had an open rivalry early on with the Little Falls Black Granite Company. John Sparry, the company owner, had presumable promised Karlson he would only sell granite from his quarries on a wholesale basis, leaving retail sales to Karlson. Still, Karlson felt Sparry was reneging on his agreement by sending out a salesman to make retail sales. (LFDT, Sept.6, 1917 & LFDT, Sept. 25, 1917) In 1921 or 1922, Aaron Nelson took over ownership of the Little Falls Granite Works. (LFDT, November 9, 1972, & Harriet Karlson essay on front page) In March 1927, he and his son Spencer filed a Certificate of Business Name with the District Court, saying that the Little Falls Granite Works was “owned and managed” by both of them. Spencer took over as sole owner on July 15, 1949.

Ray Calhoun, Ron Nagel, and Howard Garry purchased the Little Falls Granite Works from Spencer Nelson in 1963. Howard Garry sold out his share of the company before 1977. Ray Calhoun returned in 1986, and Ron Nagel became the sole owner that year.

Ron was joined by his sons Scott and Todd and Ray Calhoun’s son Don as owners of the Little Falls Granite Works in 2005 or 2006. Today the company is owned by Scott Nagel, Todd Nagel, and Don Calhoun. The company has grown enormously over the years in expertise, technology, and resources and now serves the upper Midwest.

In 1986, Tim Murphy decided it was time to retire and look into selling his business. Tim approached Ron Nagel, a long-time successful Midwest monument builder looking to expand his production capacity. Tim sold the company to Ron but agreed to stay on as a managing advisor initially. Together, the new management team brought further improvement and success to Murphy Granite. By hiring the right people, upgrading the equipment, and establishing the industry’s highest quality, service, and value standards, the company continued to flourish into the 1990s.

As Tim Murphy was making plans to retire, Ron decided the time was right to bring his old business partner’s son, Don Calhoun, aboard. Don brought a well-established sales and management career in the monument building business with North America experience. Don would take the lead role at the leading memorial companies in the Upper Midwest. Ron’s son Todd joined Don a few years later. Todd added a new discipline and experience in computer-aided drafting and design. Don has recently joined with Ron Nagel’s two sons Todd and Scott, who together own and operate two successful monument manufacturing plants across Minnesota, servicing the greater Midwest states.

Today, Murphy Granite has assembled a diverse team of talented creative designers and master stonemasons. We are dedicated to leading the industry in granite carving technology and product innovation. We strive to be the best storytellers of your most treasured memories and love. Whether you choose a permanent memorial for the cemetery or a granite keepsake for the home or garden, we believe that compassion, empathy, and personal care are the cornerstones to creating your legacy memorial. We aspire to make the process simple, meaningful, and professional.

As the business grew, he expanded his reach beyond Duluth and Superior to the Iron Range and the North Shore. To this day, Leo finds the greatest gift he can receive is helping families with closure. He finds that he too can play an influential role in assisting others in telling the story of their loved ones.

Nicole Seybert has recently joined Duluth Monument with 17 years of experience in the cemetery, memorial, and funeral industry. Her lifelong dream was to move from the flat cornfields of Iowa to the majestic beauty of Duluth and the North Shore. That dream finally became a reality when she and her family, including her husband, son, and daughter, decided to move to Duluth. Nicole loves anything to do with granite and helping others.

Duluth Monument is a part of a family of Minnesota memorial companies that is a leader in North America in resources and manufacturing capability. When you choose Duluth Monument, we promise that you will be dealing with folks that love what they do and can truly make a difference in the journey of others’ lives. Everyone at Duluth Monument has a passion for helping others tell their creative stories and craft them in stone.

Quickly he added partners and investors in the quarry. Rex Granite company became a fifty percent investor in the project. Under the Work Projects Administration (WPA) of President F.D. Roosevelt, the quarry quickly became popular, and activity sprang to life. However, by WWII, the heavy machinery was diverted to the war effort, and the operations eventually slowed down to a crawl. Iron Ore was king in the area, and the attention on granite slowly whittled away. Today you can see Mesabi Pink granite monument still standing today throughout cemeteries in the region.

David Soderstrom also started Hibbing Monument, and in 1940 he hired a gal name Ruth Kapilovich just out of high school. Ruth was employed there for 64 years. She was a strong-willed and independent woman who ran the place as if she owned it. She disliked change and did things her way. The company had several owners over the years. David Soderstrom sold the business to Gustav Ostrom and Gus Swenson, then years later, they sold it to Little Falls Granite Works. In 1974, Hibbing Monument Company was forced to move to its current location in Graysher Plaza after a fire gutted their West Howard Street Location.

The company is super proud of its history and service to all the people throughout the Iron Range area. Hibbing Monument has served countless folks over the years, from Bob Dylan’s family to the families that made Hibbing what it is today.

Today, Cay Hanley and Mary Doherty, a mother-daughter team, oversee the company. The times and technology have changed tremendously over the years in the industry. The one thing that stays the same is the passion for being caring, compassionate, and empathic to the families we serve. The foundation is built on that every human being has a story that is worth telling. Expressing someone’s love, gifts, treasures, and lessons learned is a feeling that is very important to the people they serve. Everyone’s life mattered, and their story deserves to be told.