My destination today was one I wanted to experience with my buddy Mark, but I made the journey alone. I have only been to this section of the forest once before, but never in this deep. There have been many people lost, and turned around in this forest, and though I love hiking alone, I also respect the dangers that are out there. The allure for me today is finding a hidden location that I had only heard about but never seen.
Above is a picture of the original structure I went to see. Anne Cabaniss provided the photo to Indiana Department of Natural Resources who provided a copy of this picture to me. Sadly, the only thing left are the original twin chimneys as stated in the title of this post. That was my destination.
I parked my Subaru, unloaded, grabbed my gear, and hit the muddy trail toward my destination. Immediately I felt the ever presence aura of nature all around me. I was excited, like a kid with a map on the hunt for treasure, yet felt a sense of vulnerability in this massive 24,000 acre forest. Being alone also added to the ambience. I let my defenses down, like the trust of a child, and headed into the woods.
I traveled a familiar path looking for an intersection of the Adventure Trail (AT). The thoughts flooded my brain with questions about this place. Who lived here, why was this spot chosen for the original house, why did they leave, and on and on. I found out answers to some of these questions later.
I arrived at the intersection and began my journey downhill. As mentioned, I had previously hiked this portion of the AT before, but only this first 1/8th mile section of it. I passed that distance rather quickly and moved into an unfamiliar territory for me. I was moving deeper down into a valley and saw a dry creek bed ahead of me. On my map, this creek was a landmark that placed me very close to my ultimate destination.
The solitude of the woods, the quiet whisper of the wind through the trees and now my calm mind, made this a peaceful situation for me. No matter how stressed I am, the woods take all the stress away. I continued to hike a few more yards than as if ‘X’ marked the spot on my map as I surveyed the surrounding area. Through the trees I then spotted the two limestone chimneys only a short distance away. I left the trail and headed in that direction.
When William Rothrock’s father Henry Peter died in 1871, he placed the following ad in the Corydon Democrat (my local newspaper) in order to sell his place in Fox Hollow:
“Valuable Farm for Sale” (1882, Corydon Democrat):
The undersigned will sell a valuable farm on Blue River, about 3 1/2 miles from the Ohio River, containing 330 acres. about 2/3 of the farm is bottomland, about 100 acres cleared and balance in good timber – about 150 acres of woodland fenced and good pasture land. Good 2 story frame house, good frame barn and all necessary outbuildings. Four or five acres in an orchard in good bearing condition.
The land was purchased by William Rothrock (great-great-grandfather of Anne, who provided the pictures above) in 1859. Three years later the home, pictured above, was built. A man named Manny Goode “a traveling stone mason” built the basement and large chimneys that are still standing today. Along with the chimneys there is a well on the back of the plot that was once part of a summer kitchen added to the home after original construction was completed.
The downstairs of the home had two sizeable rooms, with a fireplace in each, separated by a central hallway. The two upstairs bedrooms also had fireplaces and were separated by a central hallway. There was a “summer kitchen” located off of the first floor, with a cistern that is still in existence located just outside.
Mr. Rothrock owned the property from 1859 to 1871, where it changed hands a few times and eventually was purchased by the state in 1977 from Robert & Natt Davis. I received this bit of information from Anne Cabaniss; “After William Rothrock sold the farm, a family by the name of Byrd lived there, later the Green family lived there. The Smith Family was the last to live there circa 1920- early 1940s? Woody Smith, who grew up there, told me they were the last family to live in the home. He decided to go join the war effort in Europe one day and just walked out of Fox Hollow, up the hill to, “Happy Shack Hill” and caught a Greyhound Bus to Louisville to the recruiting station from the old Hilltop Restaurant on Highway 62, without ever telling his family until he was over in Europe.”
The home was in disrepair and eventually torn down sometime between 1950 and 1977 when the state purchased it. As mentioned, only the well, part of the foundation, and large chimneys remain.
My journey today was a trip back in time. I saw history in its physical form, not simply in a history book. This location was a small, barely known and in most cases forgotten place in a large expansion of woodlands. The hike there, the research and old photos I was given, and the shots I took myself made this a memorable and fun journey for me.
One man’s dream to buy some land, build a home and 150 years later allow me to connect with his great-great-granddaughter was pure luck for me. Or fate, maybe. Regardless, it was my pure pleasure to hike to this place, speak with Anne and share this story with you.
Until next time,
Tim (Kilmer)
P.S. Thank you Anne for our chat and the valuable information you provided for this post.
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