Hole-In-The-Rock: A Gathering Place for History
(Photos below article)
Hole-in-the-Rock is a wonder of nature with history as a gathering place for Native Americans and pioneers. It was also a recreation destination for past generations. It is located southwest of the Baldwin Junction (intersection of US Highways 56 & 59) on land owned by Marvin and Norma Jardon.
According to Kansas Geological Survey geologist Jim McCauley, this natural landmark is located on the site of an ancient river valley formed about 300 million years ago. The rock is Ireland Sandstone, created when sand was deposited by the running water. Eventually, a deep ravine formed where a tributary to West Tauy Creek cut down through the Earth’s surface. Hole-in-the-Rock was caused by the swirling water eroding the sandstone.
The area around the Hole-in-the-Rock site consists of high rock ledges above a large pool of water. The actual Hole-in-the-Rock is in the creek just south of the waterfall that enters the pool of water. Early settlers reported the hole was 30 to 35 feet deep. The pool was said to be over 150 feet wide in 1870 and of unknown depth.
The area around Hole-in-the-Rock was shared by Native Americans and homesteaders. The Ottawa Indians had a garden located about one mile northwest of the Hole-in-the-Rock. The garden area was a round patch of about 2 ½ acres of very fertile ground surrounded by timber. The Ottawa tribe grew vegetables and corn there as late as 1860. Their camping ground was nearby.
Immigrants traveling by covered wagon stopped to camp around Hole-in-the-Rock as it provided both water and shelter. Local legend states that during Territorial times, an immigrant woman traveling west became ill, and her family stopped to camp in the area. She died and was buried in an unmarked grave by the side of the road. This grave is in what is now called the Sutton Cemetery. (Just west of the Hole-in-the-Rock, on the south side of highway 56).
In the mid-1860s, settlers met at the Hole-in-the-Rock and enjoyed racing horses with the Ottawa Indians. Local lore reports that these races were unusual. Riders raced their ponies from the south across the prairie toward Hole-in-the-Rock. At the very brink of the highest bluff above the pool, they dove in – both horses and men. The drop was 20 feet to the water below!
Warm Sunday afternoons brought visitors from near and far. Foot races, jumping contests, wrestling, horse racing, swimming, and diving were enjoyed. Picnickers sat on the bare rocks to the east of the pool. The rock ledges from the south of the pool were used for diving and fishing. Visitors carved their initials into the rock ledges.
Beginning in the early 1870’s the men of the community held a turkey and egg roast at Hole-in-the-Rock on the night before Easter. Soon this became a chicken and egg roast; a tradition that continued for many years. By the 1900s, Baldwin High and Baker students, as well as local residents went to Hole-in-the-Rock for picnics, fishing, hayrack rides, and fall and spring holidays. The spot was a favorite place for Epworth League picnics. The West Baldwin Ives Chapel Church (now Ives Chapel United Methodist Church) and Worden Evangelical Church (now Worden Cornerstone Church) held Easter Sunrise Services there.
In 1870, locals began to quarry sand from Hole-in-the-Rock. It was used for plastering their homes. This practice, along with the accumulation of silt runoff from farms upstream, caused a slow filling-in of the hole. By 1930, the pool had filled in so much that it was no longer safe for diving. Visitors continued to picnic at Hole-in-the-Rock until the early 1950s, when the pasture was plowed up and became cropland.
The actual Hole-in-the-Rock has greatly diminished in size over the years. The gleeful voices of the past echoing off the rocks are quiet now. Memories of its past activities are fading. And time has erased the many initials past generations carved in the rocks. But Marvin and Norma are proud to continue to be the caretakers of this treasured, historic site. While Hole-in-the-Rock is on private property and not open to the public, one can contact the Jardons about visiting the site. They’ll be happy to fill you in on its history and discuss a visit.
M. Jardon, Jan. 2024, Updated Jan. 2025
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- First printed in The Maple Weekly, (Baldwin’s weekly newspaper).
- Reprinted with permission.
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Photos:
To make any part of a slide bigger, just hold down “Ctrl” button and spin the roller ball on your mouse.
- Hole In the Rock Scene– circa 1903 – looking south.
- The actual hole is in the rock ledge just above the waterfall.
- This shows water falling from creek over the rock ledge into the swimming pool area.
- The actual Hole in the Rock (small pool of water on right) – 2015. From above.
- The waterfall area is in the center. The swimming pool area is to the left of the picture.
