Hole-in-the-Rock: An Epic in the Colonization of the Great American West

by David E. Miller

First published in 1962, David E. Miller’s award-winning work on the Hole-in-the-Rock episode was arguably his greatest achievement as a historian. One of the great set-pieces of Mormon history, the San Juan Mission had become clouded by myth and hagiography when Miller first became attracted to its study in the 1950s, and few reliable sources were at that time available.

Not content with exhausting archival material, Miller contacted all locatable descendants of the members of the original party, and thereby brought to light a great number of previously unexploited sources. The Hole-in-the-Rock study achieved additional depth from his intimate knowledge of the actual trail acquired on repeated traverses by Jeep and on foot.

A member of the LDS Church, Miller wrote of the Mormons with sympathy and understanding, but with a commitment as well to the critical standards of the historical profession.

A must-read for anyone interested in American History.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

254 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1959

Reviews

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book begins: Brigham Young was probably the greatest colonizer America has produced. The pioneers of this colonizing movement truly made the "desert blossom as the rose."

Well that pissed me off some, as it reflects the manifest destiny of the Mormon pioneers yet ignores the impact of the current inhabitants: the Paiutes and Navajo. Yet, this fact does not suppress my interest in the exploration of southeastern Utah.

This book is a retelling of the San Juan mission pioneers (taken from journals) who were charged with finding a route from Escalante to Bluff, crossing the Colorado above the confluence with the San Juan. The focus is the construction of a wagon road down the only access to the Colorado river at "Hole in the Rock", a 45 degree descent too narrow and rubble strewn to convey wagons. Remarkably, they blasted out a road, proceeded down the crack, and met just as harrowing transit and road building on the south side of the river.

When traveling I like to find history or geography books related to the areas I'm visiting. This book was purchased at the besotted Escalante Grand Staircase visitor's center.

After reading about human tenacity in exploring the Antarctic; this group of humans possess just such same tenacity, and I am humbled.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as a follow-up to "Undaunted". This is a much more appealing style to me. Loved the detailed journal entries and straight forward "reporting". A remarkable story!

[Mike Lund · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible Pioneer Story

Incredible story. Well written. Awe inspiring. Easy to read with maps. Based largely on personal journals and family rememberences.

Although specifically written about the 1st Mormon expedition from Escalante to Bluff Utah using the “Hole in the Wall“ route to colonize south eastern Utah for the Mormon Church, the story will appeal to anyone having a general interest in pioneer history. They expected the trip to last 6 weeks. It took 6 months through the dead of winter. Short on food, giving birth, and building a road through an incredibly hostile environment for others to follow. Still, some brought musical instruments and they took the opportunity to dance when the opportunity availed itself. The interesting thing is, the book presents the small personal stories such as: Samuel Cox, Charles E, Walton, and Peter A. Mortensen played the fiddle. Samuel Cox played trumpet and Charles Walton played cornet.

[Jeff Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very interesting book about the journey made by pioneers to settle southeast Utah. It appears the author has done extensive research in pulling together all the original sources and compiling them into a good narrative. The appendices include reproductions of several accounts written or dictated by some who made the journey. It was not the kind of book that keeps me up at night eagerly awaiting the next chapter, and thus the reason for the three stars. However, it was very interesting from the standpoint of learning about a group of people who did the near impossible due to their faith and perseverance.

[Marieta Grissom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my goodness! Very interesting to read about the extraordinary efforts of the Mormon pioneers to build a wagon road and cross impassible country to reach and found the San Juan Mission near Bluff, Utah during the winter, no less. Their ingenuity and fortitude were ultimate.

[litost · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well researched, even-handed, easy-to-read account of the wagon-road construction and trek from Escalante to Bluff by the pioneer Mormons who were called to settle in the Four Corners area.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting background on one of my favorite areas. I’m happy to have learned how this road came to be. The history of the Mormon pioneers and their trek was fascinating.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great use of journals to tell this amazing story.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an an amazing feat!

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published in 1959, this book uses journal entries and first-hand accounts of the Mormon expedition of 1879 which created a trail through an area which had been rightly deemed impassible.

[Cynthia K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read after visiting Bluff Fort in south east Utah, I read it on my Kindle so the maps were hard to see. Incredible pioneer story.

[Kasey Lawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

“It’s the roughest country you or anybody else has ever seen; it’s nothing in the world but rocks and holes, hills and hollows. The mountains are just one solid rock as smooth as an apple.”

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such an incredible story!!!

1. Did these pioneers know what they were getting into? Would they have gone if they did?
2. They traveled through the heat of the sun, the wild weather, and snow on the ground, having babies along the way.
3. They had to send scouts on ahead to find a clear path to travel. Then they had to build their own roads.
4. And the part I liked best: It was a woman who performed an incredible feat of strength through a precarious passage.
5. Jens Nielsen, and his wife Elsie, are the same two who survived in the Willie Company. Jens was just about to sit on the ground and give up, but Elsie refused to let him go. She hauled his six foot frame onto their little handcart and she pulled it all the way up Rocky Ridge by herself. It looks like they did it all over again on this second trek to Bluff. Jens became the bishop there and served for another 25 years.

Miller did extensive research on this trek, but I think he was a little long winded in some parts. But I am absolutely grateful for him documenting the complete story. This is the go-to book if you want to know about this miracle story.

[Janet Wilcox · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Emily, Will, and Ruth--you need to read this, as you're related to Platte DeAlton Lyman and his journal entries are included in Miller's book.

Miller's book has withstood over 50 years of scrunity and research, and still remains the backbone of Hole in the Rock history. His use of letters, diaries, journals, etc. make it authentic and believeable, but very sparse and to the point. Recent discoveries of scattered stories from other pioneers on the trek, pretty much confirm what he stated in 1959.

This is the back-bone Bible of all Hole-in-the-Rock research, and a must read for anyone related to the trek. My efforts lately have been to find stories of what happened to those who came with the Hole in the Rock pioneers but didn't stay in San Juan County. Slowly those stories are trickling in. I've used this book so much the past month in putting together the pioneer profiles on these sites:
http://trekholeintherock.blogspot.com/
http://childrenoftherock.blogspot.com/
http://hardrockpoetry.blogspot.com

[Bryce · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the few published historical accounts written of the Mormon pioneers called by their President and Prophet to colonize the four corners area of Utah. The book chronicles their amazing trek down a narrow notch located at the rim of the Colorado River Gorge. Through the narrow slot they could see the Colorado River 3/4 mile away and 1,500 feet below. Over the period of 6 weeks in the dead of Winter the men of the expedition used hand tools and a small amount of blasting powder to claw out a hole in the canyon leading to want is now a portion of Lake Powell. The remnants of the pioneers efforts are still visible in the sandstone today for visitors to the area. Visitors can make the 15 mile drive from Esccalate across a dirt road to the top of the Hole in the Rock site and walk/climb down the notch to Lake Powell. This book is a must read for anyone traveling to the Hole in the Rock site.

[Alan Marchant · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always been curious about the Hole in the Rock because of my dad's enthusiastic if confused stories of visiting this pioneer history site in the four-corners sector of Utah.

David Miller's book provides a thorough if understated history of the San Juan expedition and their adventures down the "Hole" and across the badlands of Escalante & Lake Powell. By modern standards, the story deserves a lot more enthusiasm than Mr. Miller provides. But he remains true to the standards of professional historians from a bygone age (1959).

If you read this book, stick with it through the many appendices that quote the full range of diaries and anecdotes from the participants. Collectively they put the roadbuilding events, expedition dynamics, and the driving force of pioneer faith in perspective.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read the modern book "Undaunted" I noticed that this book was frequently cited as a source, so I decided to read it and am glad I did. It was fascinating. Written by a PhD who both thoroughly researched the history and hiked the entire trail, it has maps, pictures, first person accounts, and is very well written. One of the things that makes it so good is that, written in 1951, the Hole in the Rock expedition wasn't so long ago when the book was written. While much of the area is now underwater (Lake Powell), the book was written before Lake Powell so it gives a first person description of the terrain. It has filled me with a desire to visit the trails/canyons/areas. This is the must read book for anyone interested in the Hole in the Rock party.

[Shauna · Rating 4 out of 5]

In December of 1878, President Erastus Snow of the Church of Jesus Christ called a group of men and their families to travel to South East Utah, the four corners area, to settle the region and begin farming. Preparations began in the spring of 1879 with some families going along what is now known as Moab and Monticello area. Some travelled south through Kanab, into Arizona and Moenkopi area. A shortcut was said to have been discovered. This short cut was the Hole in the Rock expedition. This is a riveting account of about 250 families who carved a trail down the cliffs of the Colorado River and North of the San Juan River to arrive at Bluff and Montezuma

[Lana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to read the story of these pioneers from actual journals and letters. The author has sorted through all the written records, many written years later, and where discrepancies occur quotes both records and describes why one is more likely to be correct. He traversed the trail on his own (in 1950's when the book was published). It is well-researched; I did find myself skimming through a lot of details (dates, miles covered, etc.) that didn't interest me as much.

[Dad · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book about the pioneers called to settle Blanding, Utah. What stalwarts to travel impassable territory! Their efforts alone is a solemn testimony of the truthfulness of the Church. My wife Kristy and I were in Escalante when I bought this book and did some of the reading of it.

[Jenette · Rating 5 out of 5]

About my Great, Great and Great Grandparents, So of course it's a 5 star!

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vivid and heartbreaking, this glimpse into tenacity might ask the whys and hows. Only forget not the well-researched and documented social history unfolded in this work including contributions from a history written by a close relative.