COLD SPRING — A memorial to Martin Luther King Jr. on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., has a connection to central Minnesota.

Granite for the memorial was quarried just north of the Minnesota border in Ontario, Canada, and then brought to Stearns County where the benches, walls and paving were created at Cold Spring Granite Co.

About 50,000 square feet of natural stone was used in the memorial. The walls, which surround the memorial, include quotes from King, JFK and other civil rights leaders. Once the stone was fabricated, the materials were delivered to Washington and installed.

Hurricane Irene forced the postponement of a dedication ceremony planned for Sunday.