In 1834, a French man arrived at Sierra Ceballos, in Isla de la Juventud, with the hope to find gold. Chaeuax – that was his last name – did not find what he was looking for, but he discovered a quarry of grey marble.
Exploitation of the quarry began on the bank of the Brazo Fuerte Creek, and it would continue to expand to other areas, and into the present.
The view of marble structures became a habitual presence on the island: in tumbstones, milestones, park benches, and sculptures.
