The Hole-in-the-Rock Trail a Century Later Allan Kent Powell
Because historic sites and places reverenced by a people tell much about their culture, development, and values, the Hole-in-the-Rock trail is of immense importance as a symbol of the pioneering effort throughout the Intermountain West from 1847 until into the twentieth century. There remains much of the original 180-mile road, opened in 1879 and 1880 through one of the most isolated, desolate, and difficult areas of the United States, to inspire, illuminate, and challenge us. Familiarity with the trail raises questions of why and how this unique relic of the pioneer experience came to be and how it can be best used and preserved for the benefit and enrichment of the people of this county, this country, and the world. For just as shrines like Jamestown, Plymouth, Independence Hall, the Alamo, and Gettysburg speak of freedom and the birth and survival of this nation, the Hole-in-the-Rock trail rings of commitment, dedication, and accomplishment in the settlement of the West. While there were many factors and forces in the pioneer process, no other single trail experience more vividly and forcefully etches the nature of the pioneer experience on one's consciousness. The Hole-in-the-Rock trail is a unique inheritance from our western pioneers. Unlike other treasured heirlooms from these people — such as a Bible, gun, stick of furniture, or piece of jewelry which conjure up memories of our predecessors in the comfort of our modern-day surroundings, the trail takes us back to experience physically the fatigue, heat, isolation, and sometimes danger these pioneers 89
