The Legend of Tar Hollow

October 25th, 2011

Published by: mooresb

The Legend of Tar Hollow

By Richard H. Evans October 25th, 2011

By Richard H. Evans The legend of Brigadoon is There is an excellent well documented in the minds photograph of Ronald of University School students, McNabb (54) standing on the where the mythical village stone pedestal outside the comes to vibrant life once lodge blowing his bugle horn every hundred years. But as for possibly dinner or reveille students, we werent required call. Within walking distance to travel to Scotland to find of this area was a large dam, our own Brigadoon, and we made of stone with hewn didnt have to wait for a century timbers for railings above. to pass. In the spring of This was a good area to relax every year, going well back and take in the idyllic beauty into the 1930s, upper school that nature served us in all of students would begin to buzz its splendor. with excitement as plans were Besides all of the fun made to spend most of a recreational activities, the week in the beautiful Hocking faculty advisors blocked out Hills and the seclusion of large amounts of time to southern Ohio near Lancaster. discover flora and fauna, and This would be our mystical achieve some education rather retreat, and thus was born the painlessly. There were guides annual trek to The Legend of available that could identify Tar Hollow for hundreds of the many trees and their students. For many, camping leaves, that we later mounted and being away from home for display in our notebooks. was a new and exciting firsttime experience.

Our science teacher, Adrian Stilson, accompanied us and took some great pictures with his twin lens reflex camera strapped around his neck. It was on one of the hiking trails that I had an amazing sighting.

On a very small tree limb, was a beautiful bird whose feathers were the most extraordinary brilliant iridescent blues ever seen, which were highlighted Tar Hollow Main by the bright sunlight.

Lodge, circa 1955

The guide said that it was a male Indigo Bunting and is seldom seen, but must have the sunlight to bring out the brilliant colors. I have never spotted an Indigo Bunting from that time on until last year, some 48 years later. This one, unfortunately, met with his demise after hitting one of the large picture windows at our Big Walnut Creek home. It was so fabulously beautiful; that we wondered if we could keep it and have it mounted. As it turns out, Indigo Buntings are a Federally protected songbird, and cannot be kept by private citizens without exhaustive paperwork and red tape. We tried the Audubon Society and other nature organizations, but none would tackle the situation. After much research, I was able to have a non-profit museum in Arkansas agree to sign for it and have it preserved for display with other wildlife specimens they have.

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October 25th, 2011

Published by: mooresb

Rod Peattie, Albert James, John Davies, at Conkles Hollow, 1935.

Rotunda Foundation Archives At the end of our journey with nature, we came upon a fire observation tower in the woods. It was a long climb to the top, but well worth the effort. From that high perch, one could see for miles the entire Conkles Hollow area and the Hocking Hills beyond.

This was a fitting conclusion to our special visit to the Tar Hollow legend, and it will remain a special memory in the hearts of us all over the enduring years. We had a good time, and left everything as best we could for other classes to follow in our footsteps.

Dick Evans, '54 One such experience occurred in April 1952, as the classes of 1954 and 1955 traveled together as freshmen and sophomores united in one large group. After much frenzied packing, and a bumpy yet pleasant ride through one of the most luxuriant areas of Ohio near Old Mans Cave, the campers drove down the long winding road that leads to the main lodge. No one was disappointed once the large rustic lodge came into view, with the lake nearby.

The students couldnt unpack fast enough, as cabin assignments were issued to the eager explorers. The cabins were located on the hillsides overlooking the hollow where the lodge dominated the scenery. For some reason, the faculty advisors thought it best to have the boys on one hillside and the girls on the opposite hillside. The cabins were equally as rustic as the lodge, and could accommodate a large number of students,

since they were furnished with bunk beds. Of course at the end of the day, those beds looked really good after a fun-packed day of adventure.

Before slumber would take over, however, there were tales of wild stories and secrets, mixed in with an abundance of laughs and giggles before the lights were turned out.

The main lodge was the focal point of all activities.

Meals were prepared and eaten there, with the toasting of marshmallows later in the evening. There was singing and story telling, either by the large inside fireplace, or outside on the patio.

Beyond the patio area was a large lake and high diving board. This was a very popular place and activity for all the campers, whether they were proficient swimmers or just spectators. Canoeing was another recreational option for many. There was a marvelous film documentation made in June 1995 by 1954 classmates Bill McCormick and Bob Butche, that they titled "Perspectives of Yesteryear"A University School Chronicle. This film, through sound and music, compares the adventure taken in 1952 against the same surroundings some 43 years later. It is remarkable how many things looked the same, as the color pictures of today dissolved into the black and white images of yesteryear, as if time had stood still. There is even some film footage from that earlier time of classmates swimming and diving in the lake.

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