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The quarry in Oolitic, Indiana where the limestone was taken to build the Empire State Building.
(lemmy.world)
Oolitic also has a statue to no longer famous comic strip character Joe Palooka. They're very proud of it.
I come from Bloomington, which is just north of Oolitic. It's well-known where the limestone from the Empire State Building came from if you live there, but I never saw the actual quarry before.
I'm not sure I've seen that movie but I do remember one where some kids (or one kid?) rode bikes into an old quarry. I grew up near old quarries in southern Ohio and heard the same things you mentioned, and likewise never did those things. My Aunt worked at IU in the 60s, I am going to ask if she ever heard about this if she can remember. She was a librarian there.
You should ask her if she remembers the library being set on fire in the middle of an anti-Vietnam War demonstration. The students got the blame until it turned out it was a disgruntled ex-employee (I think it was a custodian). My dad was a professor there and told me about it. Apparently one of his colleagues actually started pointing a finger at the students and yelling, "YOU DID THIS!" at them.
What?! That's incredible. I think I can say with confidence it wasn't my Aunt 😬 Incredible story, I'm going to ask.