Miniature totem poles in argillite were introduced in the 1860s and became increasingly popular in the 1870s and 1880s. Reverend William H. Collison, a missionary, provides a rare note about the argillite carving that had by the 1870s become a major source of income to the people of Skidegate:

The Haida of Skidegate possess a deposit of black stone [argillite] in the vicinity of their village, from which they obtain material to keep them engaged, during their spare moments, in designing and carving a variety of articles for sale. Miniature totem poles for mantelpiece ornaments, of various sizes, large and small dishes, sometimes inlaid with abalone and ornamented with rows of the teeth of marine animals and fishes and many other designs, are carved, and then smoothed by rubbing them with the dried skin of the shark. During the winter this tribe continues to prepare a stock of ornamental articles from this black stone, which takes a fine polish, and brings them a good sum of money when sold at various centres. The possession of this stone is quite a treasure to them, as it tends to preserve and improve the art of carving and designing amongst them, besides bringing in a revenue.

By the turn of the century, the wide dispersal of tens of thousands of argillite carvings had led to the recognition by discerning collectors of the works of particular artists like Charles Edenshaw and John Cross. John Cross was trained first in tattooing in the 1870s and later turned his talents to argillite carving. No argillite carvings were signed, although a few have artists' names written on them by collectors themselves.

Thomas Deasey, the Indian agent at Masset, assembled hundreds of examples of the works of many Masset artists early this century. His collection was donated to the Florida State Museum in Gainesville.

Argillite carving went into decline after the First World War until the 1950s and was relegated to a minor place in the tourist market. The style of the poles was limited to the repetition of a narrow range of crests and figures compared to the innovative period in the last century. Now, most of the poles for sale in shops in Vancouver and Victoria are cast in simulated argillite and are not even made by Haida artisans.