Celebrating 60 Years of the Petoskey Stone
Over the years, Grandpa Shorter’s Gifts has brought you several blogs pertaining to Petoskey stones. We have told you what they are; we have told you where to locate them; and we have given you tips on how best to find them. Yes, today’s blog is indeed on the Petoskey stone, and why shouldn’t it be? It is pretty darn cool that a stone that shares our town’s namesake is the state stone of Michigan. Today’s blog is extra-special because this Saturday, June 28 is the 60th anniversary of the day that the Petoskey stone was named the official state stone of Michigan.
On June 28, 1965, Michigan’s governor, George Romney signed House Bill 2297 that made the Petoskey Stone the official state stone of Michigan. There was a special ceremony that day to coincide with the signing of the bill. Present that day was Miss Ella Jane Petoskey, the only living grandchild of Chief Petosegay. Representative Eugene Cater was also at the ceremony. Cater was one of the two representatives who introduced the bill to designate the Petoskey
stone as the state stone. Cater gifted Governor Romney with a cuff link set and a tie clasp that were made out of Petoskey stones to commemorate the significance of this day.
So how does one celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Petoskey stone becoming the state stone of Michigan? Well, at Grandpa Shorter’s Gifts, they do it with a party of course. On Saturday, June 28, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., you can head to the store for a day of fun and celebration. They will have special Petoskey stone inspired crafts, snacks, special discounts on all things Petoskey stone, and other great fun activities for all ages, all day long. There will be free birthday/anniversary cake at 2:00 p.m. You can also enter to win a Petoskey stone gift basket. Whether you are a rock hound or a history buff or if you just like free cake, everyone is welcome to help the staff at Grandpa Shorter’s Gifts celebrate this momentous occasion. Click here for more details about the event.
As I like to end most of my blogs, I will leave you with some interesting facts about the Petoskey stone:
- Petoskey stones are not stones at all. They are fossilized coral from the Devonian Period approximately 350 million years ago. It was not realized until 1969 that our state stone was not actually a stone.
- President Obama was gifted a Petoskey stone for his 50th birthday, and it sat on his desk in the Oval Office during his second term.
- The largest Petoskey stone on record was found in the Wholesome Cement Plant quarry in Alpena and is being housed at the Besser Museum.
- Though quite rare, some Petoskey stones are pink or have pink hues to them.
Petoskey Stones
"Petoskey Stones" are the official stone of Michigan. It's a fossil coral of the genus hexagonaria. This coral lived approximately 350 million years ago in the sea which used to cover Michigan. It is a compound coral in that many animals lived together in a colony. In each small hexagon chamber is the prehistoric remains of a saltwater marine life. It is called "Petoskey Stone" because it is found mostly around Petoskey in the area of Little Traverse Bay.
