Atlanta Stone Mountain & Lithonia

Company History: This line opened in 1909 to serve stone quarries in the Lithonia and Stone Mountain areas of Georgia. At one point, ASM&L operated four separate segments, none more than about 4 miles long and all connected to the Georgia Railroad. Over the years, three of the four were abandoned or sold, leaving the 4 mile line in Lithonia. The quarries mostly produced granite and gneiss. In 1997, The ASM&L was merged into Davidson Mineral Properties and CSX was contracted to handle the rail service on the remaining line.

Successor/Parent History: Categorized under Cut Stone and Stone Products. It was established in 1953 and incorporated in Georgia. A major advancement to the quarrying industry at Arabia Mountain was the discovery that adding granite grit to chicken feed helped with the birds' digestion. The Davidson family, which owned several quarries in the area, became the largest supplier of poultry grit in the world. They claimed that the sparkling particles of mica in the Stonemo grit attracted the eye and helped the chicken's gizzard break down food. The company was so successful in distributing their feed additive, a Time magazine article from 1941 reported the U.S. government allowed them to continue to operate during WWII in the name of national defense. In 1949, the Lithonia district produced nearly 1.5 million tons of granite valued at the time at $3 million.

It appears that the quarry was turned over to the National Park System in 2006.

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