Montello was founded in 1848 for its location on the Fox River, but it is perhaps best known for the quality of its granite, quarried here from 1880 until the 1960s. It is among the most durable stone in the world, used for the sarcophagi of President and Mrs. U.S. Grant at Riverside Park, New York. Today, Montello sports a definite recreational flavor with canoeing and kayaking on the Fox River, as well as fishing and a community of vacation homes on Buffalo Lake, a ten-mile widening of the river south of town. It is the county seat of Marquette County whose wetlands and prairies harbor 300 bird species of migratory and resident birds. Two popular area attractions are animal related: Bison Ridge Ranch maintains a herd of 300 buffalo with tours and meat sales; and McHugh’s Miniature Horse Ranch where none of the 100 horses are more than 3 feet tall. For more information about Montello, call 888/318-0362 or visit montellonow.com. For Marquette County, call 888/318-0362 or visit marquettenow.com.