NORTH BRANFORD - On Wednesday, June 19, hop aboard a bus to explore the town's cornerstone quarrying industry.

Known today as the Tilcon Quarry, the vast basalt ridge at the junction of Route 22 and Route 80 was first incorporated as New Haven Trap Rock Company in 1914. In 1972, the quarry held the record as the world's largest single-faced trap rock quarry, fronting a mile and quarter.

The Totoket Historical Society (TKS) of Northford/North Branford is sponsoring the June 19 quarry bus tour, departing at 6:30 p.m. from North Branford Town Hall, across the street from the quarry.

In the quarry's early days, Branford Steam Railroad carried quarried trap rock by rail to Juniper Point in Branford, to be loaded onto barges and carried beyond Branford waters. Today, modern engines make the same trek by rail, according a TKS press release.

The quarry operation was known as Tilcon Tomasso from 1979 to 1990, when the company's name was changed to Tilcon Connecticut, in a nod to the company's 23 locations statewide.

Stone from this quarry has played a "vital role in building infrastructure throughout Connecticut," according to TKS. The quarry also supplies crushed stone, hot mix asphalt and ready-mix concrete.

During the June 19 tour, guides from Tilcon will help deliver descriptions of the operation and what is described by TKS as "a hidden quarry treasure that so many people pass each day." Weather permitting, tour members will also leave the bus to explore the quarry floor and otherwise look around.

The 90 minute tour is a popular annual TKS offering. Seats are limited and sell out early, making advance ticket reservations a must. Proceeds are put toward the upkeep of historic North Branford/Northford buildings under TKS care. One such building, the 1786 Reynolds-Beers House (next to Atwater Library on Foxon Road) is open for free visits and tours on Tuesdays (5 to 8 p.m.) and Wednesdays ( 2 to 4 p.m.).

TKS Tilcon Quarry Tour tickets are $15 (adult or child); to order call Cappy at 203-www.totokethistoricalsociety.org. For more information, contact totokethistoricalsociety@gmail.com.

484-2133 (daytime) or Florence at 203-484-5072 (after 6 p.m.). Checks payable to Totoket Historical Society should be mailed to P.O. Box 491, Northford CT 06472. Reservations will only be confirmed upon receipt of payment. Tour participants should arrive at North Branford Town Hall by 6:30 p.m. on June 19 (free parking is available). For more TKS information, visit