The Rock House
The trail to the
Rock House is a bit more challenging than most of the other trails in
William Reynolds
was a herdsman. The land on his farm was rocky and hilly, and was unsuited for
tilling. His farm included the Rock House, which he used as a barn, sheltering
his livestock and storing their feed.
On March 8, 1863,
Reynolds was going down the trail to the barn to do his evening chores. On the
trail, he met up with a bear, which launched an attack. Although he was
severely mauled, Reynolds somehow managed to get back to his house. His wounds
became infected, and he died one week later of what was referred to back then
as "blood poisoning." He was laid to rest in the cemetery in
Gibisonville, just a short distance down the road from the Rock House. To this
day, that remains the only recorded death by bear attack in
His widow could
not support herself and the children on this poor, rocky ground. She loaded all
their worldly possessions onto a covered wagon, and headed north. In southern
Inside the Rock
House are two "turpentine stills," left over from the Indian days.
The stills are small recesses, or depressions, hand carved on the top surfaces
of two sandstone shelves, each with a small channel leading over to the lip of
the shelf.
Turpentine was a
vital commodity for the Indians. It was used as medicine, both internally and
externally, for a wide variety of illnesses and injuries. The Indians would
place bits of pitch pine wood in one of the depressions. A layer of flat
sandstone would be placed over the wood, and a fire would be built on top. The
heat would drive the sap out of the wood, which would then flow through
the channel and pour into a waiting vessel.
In the late
1700’s, the Indians were driven out of the area. The pioneers who moved in and
occupied the land had more need for turpentine than did the Indians. They brought
farm animals, as well as people, and used the Indian stills, but with a
slight change in technology. The pioneers would invert their black, iron
kettles over the pine bits, and build the fire on top.
The use of
turpentine as medicine for man and beast continued for many years. Turpentine
was sold, for medicinal purposes, in pharmacies until the mid-1960’s.
Today, it is sold
in hardware stores as a paint thinner, with warning labels cautioning against
contact with human tissue.
It is worth
mentioning that the use of a glue-like derivative of pine sap was used by the
Indians and the pioneers alike instead of sutures to hold lacerations and
incisions together. A modern variation of this practice has gained favor in
hospitals everywhere, much to the relief of children visiting emergency rooms
for the treatment of cuts.
Rock House Fees
Admission to
Rock House Hours
Day-use areas of Hocking Hills State Park open half an hour before sunrise and
close half an hour after sunset. The park is available for recreational use
year-round, making The Rock House one of the premier
Rock House Contact
Information
Hocking
Logan
Park Office: (740) 385-6842
Historical Areas
