Over 300 million years ago, the Panama Rocks were Sea Islands
of sand and gravel, along the shore of a vast inland sea that extended
west toward what is now Utah. These islands were part of the delta of
a great river, larger than the Mississippi. What remains of that delta
extends from the Allegheny River toward Lake Erie, and from eastern
Ohio into southwestern New York.
The Panama Rocks were sea islands in the Devonian period of the Paleozoic
era [AKA: the Age of Fishes]. Animal life was just emerging from the seas.
The first forests were spreading over the earth's landmasses. Primary life
forms were corals and marine mollusks. Radiolarian, crinoid, and syringopora
are some of the fossils that were found in this formation in the 1800's.
The Panama Rocks are a sedimentary type of rock, composed of particles
deposited by that ancient river. Layer after layer was deposited, until
thousands of feet of sediments covered the original Sea Islands.
The weight of all of these deposits caused "pressure compaction".
The water was driven out, and due to the composition of the materials,
a natural form of concrete was created. This type of rock is known as
"quartz-conglomerate", and it is sometimes referred to as "pudding stone".
Some books refer to this as the "Panama Conglomerate". Stones embedded
in this rock are oval and rather flat, due to the water action [wave action]
they experienced when they were on those ancient Paleozoic beaches. The
embedded stones are quartz (white), spar (pinkish amber) and flint (tan).
Approximately 165 million years ago, there was major geological activity
[earthquakes] on what are now the east and west coasts of North America.
Block-faulting and uplifting occurred. It is believed that the layer of rock which
became the Panama Rocks was raised to its present altitude [1650'] at that time.
After this rock layer had been fractured, the seepage of water through overlaying
sediments carried minerals [iron, lead, etc.] in solution, and it deposited them
in the fractures in the rock below. [ It is recorded that Indians obtained lead
from a site in the rock formation and sold it to settlers. In 1985, pieces of
naturally formed lead were found in the park.]
The present day Panama Rocks formation was most dramatically affected by a
glacier in the last Ice Age, about 10,000 years ago. The weight and pressure of
the glacier accelerated widening of fractures in the rock, creating thousands of
crevices and alley passageways. When the glacier melted, this unique rock
outcrop was first revealed. Eventually a forest grew over the site. The Panama
Rocks are reputed to be one of the most extensive formations of glacier-cut,
ocean-quartz conglomerate in the world. The ridge is about 1/2 mile long.
A "mixed" forest of deciduous trees and conifers grows over the formation.
Dominant species are beech, maple, cherry, ash, birch and hemlock. Other
varieties include: oak, poplar, locust, apple, pine, yew, hawthorn, cucumber
[magnolia family], walnut, elm, etc. It is said that the forest has never been
harvested for timber, and some trees are very old. The soil is thin and poor.
In search of vital nutrients, the trees send their roots snaking over rocks,
down cliffs and deep into the crevices. Some roots are longer than the tree
trunks are tall! Ferns, mosses and wildflowers abound.
Spring is the best time to enjoy flowers, fragrances and birds. Some of the
varieties of birds that have been observed at or flying over Panama Rocks
include: finches, grosbeaks, orioles, tanagers, cardinals, buntings, wrens,
warblers, jays, hummingbirds, nut hatches, wax wings, swallows, robins,
juncos, owls, hawks, woodpeckers, sapsuckers, flickers, shrikes, buzzards,
ducks, geese, herons, etc.
Mound Builder arrowheads that date to the period of 3000-5000 years ago,
have been found at the park. Stone Age peoples probably used the rock
formation for shelter, to protect fires from the elements, and to hide from
enemies. Wild game was abundant, and meat could be preserved into the
summer in the ice and snow that lasted well into July in some of the deepest
crevices.
The Eriez [aka: the "Cat People"] lived throughout this region when French
explorers arrived in the 1600's. During the Iroquois War era [1641-1701],
the Iroquois [Seneca, Mohawk, Cayuga, Oneida, Onondaga] conquered and
destroyed the Eriez, who ceased to exist as a tribe. To control the very
lucrative trade in beaver pelts, and armed with British guns, the Iroquois
attacked west to the Mississippi River, and north to Lake Superior. They
made war on about 30 tribes, including: Eriez, Wenro, Shawnee, Miami,
Potawatomi, Winnebago, Menominee, Kickapoo, Illinois, Abenaki, Algonquin,
Huron, Ojibwa, Ottawa, Missisauga, et al. Some of these tribes allied
themselves with the French, who provided them with guns. These tribes
then counter-attacked the Iroquois. In 1687, they took the war back into
Iroquois territory. Forced to defend their own villages, the Iroquois finally
sued for peace, and councils took place in 1701.
American Indian Tribal Histories
National Museum of the American Indian
Early French explorers learned of a portage from Lake Erie to Lake Chautauqua.
This portage connected the Great Lakes with the Allegheny-Ohio-Mississippi River
System. This was an important route connecting the eastern and central parts of
the continent. A land trail roughly paralleled the water route, and it extended from
Barcelona on Lake Erie to Irvine on the Allegheny River. This trail passed below
the rock formation. It became an important wagon and stagecoach route.
The first European buildings at this location consisted of a log cabin hamlet
on the hill above the rock formation. Permanent European settlers arrived
later [1810-20]. The U.S. Post Office at Panama was established in 1826.
This was the first, officially recorded, use of the name "Panama".
Around 1800, when Jamestown had only one house at the rapids, Panama
was a busy community. The Little Brokenstraw Creek was easily dammed-up
and water-powered mills were built to grind grain, cut wood, etc. During its
heyday, Panama had 6 mills, 4 blacksmith shops, 2 carriage factories, the
largest tannery in NY, an ashery 7 stories high, a fairgrounds and racetrack,
a daily newspaper, stores, churches, hotels and taverns.
The traditional story of how Panama got its name is about Panama Joe,
a man who had been across the Isthmus of Panama, and said these rocks
reminded him of Panama's rocks. Eventually, the rocks became known as
Panama Rocks. It is possible that the person known as Panama Joe was
really Mr. Moses Cushman Marsh, who operated a trading company in
Panama, and was Panama's first postmaster. He had previously had a
business in Cuba, and he may have been across the Isthmus of Panama.
When the village was to be named, there was an argument.
Finally, it was suggested that they name it after the famous rocks, as they
were here before, and they would be here long after any family. So, they
officially named the village "Panama".
In the early 1800's, outlaws used the rocks to hide their loot. Once, a courier
carrying a gold shipment to the Clymer bank was waylaid. The gold was
supposedly dropped into a hole in the rocks at night. When the robbers
returned, they couldn't find the gold because there were so many holes.
An organized search was begun, but it was suddenly abandoned before
being completed. The man who was in charge of the search was
suspected of being one of the robbers.
During the mid-1800's, a gang of counterfeiters used the rock area to mint
and conceal their spurious coin. An inn near the rocks was the rendezvous for
the gang. When the inn burned, thousands of dollars worth of counterfeit coins
were found in the debris. And, there was a secret passageway leading from
the inn to a den, deep within the rocks, where dies and coins were found.
When the railroad bypassed Panama [1850-1860], business suffered
and population dwindled. However, the rock formation continued to
attract many visitors.
The land that includes the rock formation was part of a farm called
the "Rock Farm". Mr. George Hubbard purchased the property and
established the park in 1885. Using oxen to haul a building from across
the road, he added to the farmhouse, making it into a summer hotel.
He operated a stage coach in order to transport sightseers from the
railroad station in Ashville, located seven miles to the east.
By the turn-of-the-century, the Panama Rocks had a reputation as a
lovers retreat, as there were so many concealed niches in the rocks where
lovers could avoid the prying eyes of the public. It became a popular
destination for honeymooners, as can be well attested to by many of the
photographs taken by Mr. Fred L. Yeager.
Around 1910, D. L. Davis purchased the property. He started the
Panama Rocks Co., and began to develop the scenic area by constructing
a small access road [ what remains of that road is now the lower part of the
hiking trail ] and he added stairways down into some deep, cavernous dens.
He built a large dining hall. People drove from as far away as Buffalo
to enjoy the Sunday chicken dinners and to see the rocks.
The park was closed to the public during WWII, and it was about this time that
the park was sold to Glen Eddy of Westfield, NY. Over the years, the buildings
fell into disrepair, and brush grew up all around them.
Two different groups of local families owned Panama Rocks from 1968-1978:
the Vanderkooi, McChesney and Nagel families, and the Wood, Wevers, and
Reardon families. They repaired buildings, cleared brush, and created a lovely
picnic area and a campground. With the Harmony Historical Society, they
initiated the annual Colonial-Victorian festival on the 4th of July in 1973.
In 1979, the park was sold to Craig and Sandra Weston. They have
further repaired and renovated the buildings and cared for the grounds.
The Westons continued the early American festival, which they renamed
the 'Panama Rocks Folk Fair'. They expanded the festival to three days,
and it became a major event here. The Folk Fair became recognized and
was listed in the national publication, 'Best Festivals Mid-Atlantic States'.
There's a link to the write-up for the final Folk Fair on this page below.
From 1983-85, most of the foundation of the old hotel building was rebuilt.
The stone foundation was dug deeper and the stones were reset. Many of the
beams on top of the stone [ the sills ] were replaced. The existing front porch
had deteriorated, and also, needed to be removed in order to work on the part
of the foundation along the front of the building. The new porch was installed
with pressure treated deck, and a roof with a better pitch. The old porch was
not the original, and had only run halfway along the front of the building. The
new porch that was constructed was extended to the full length of the building.
This work was done by John Hostetler and Enos Miller. Thank you John & Enos.
In 1987, the Weston's renovated and winterized the rear section of the
old hotel building, where they have lived ever since. The building had never
been winterized, and no one had lived there year around since it was a farm,
in the years before 1885. This major renovation was done by a group of
Amish gentlemen from nearby, including John Hostetler, Chris Hostetler,
Andy Lee and others. We thank these men for the great work the did.
In 1997, the restroom building was renovated. This was a major job, and well
worth it. This was a great improvement from the old restroom building. This
work was done by Reuben Hostetler, son of John Hostetler. Thanks Reuben.
In January of 2006, a metal roof was put on the old hotel building. We were
surprised that the job was done then. There was some snow on the roof and it
was about 5-10 degrees F outside. Daniel Miller was in charge of the work.
We really like the roof, and highly recommend metal roofs. Thanks Dan.
In September of 2009, one side of the maintenance barn was resided. At
that time, the foundation sills were found to be decaying, and were replaced.
The man originally contracted to do the work was very irresponsible, and much
of his work had to be redone. John Yoder, of Panama, NY took over the job.
He made good all of the things that needed to be redone. Thank you John!
In May of 2010, the recreation hall foundation was rebuilt, removing all of the
decayed beams underneath, and replacing them with pressure treated beams.
A good drainage system was also installed around the perimeter of the building.
New siding was installed on two sides of the building, where it was most needed.
New windows were installed, and a new entry built. A 'rubberized' roof was also
installed on the back of the building, over the kitchen and the storage rooms.
All of this work was done by John Yoder. Again, thank you John & family.
While this construction was under way, an old hitching post made of stone,
and most likely dating to the late 1800's, was found underneath the building.
It is now reset near the entrance to the recreation building for all to see.
This Spring, of 2011, John Yoder and his sons are replacing the roof of the
barn lean-to with a metal roof. It was much needed, and will look great.
Back to Home Index Page
THE FOLK FAIR YEARS: 1973 -1999
The first annual Early American craft show was held on July 4th, 1973.
In 1979, the craft show was renamed PANAMA ROCKS FOLK FAIR
.
However, it cost more to stage than it earned in admission fees, and could
not be sustained as it had been run in the past. The event was moved to the
weekend after the holiday weekend, and became a 3 day event. It featured
a large number of exhibits & demonstrations of traditional arts & crafts,
American Indian and frontier exhibits, performances of Living History,
bluegrass & acoustic music, foods, etc. The Folk Fair was staged for
27 years, from 1973 through 1999.
FINAL NOTE
Opening this special nature to the public as a park, while keeping it relatively
unspoiled, involves a variety of responsibilities, including: daily maintenance
of grounds, buildings & equipment; checking-in patrons; compiling &
distributing information (brochures, maps, history, etc.); being webmaster &
managing this website; advertising ( design, copy, purchasing, etc.). Park
Costs Include: labor; insurance; taxes; bookkeeping & accounting;
advertising; utilities; maintenance equipment & supplies; and
the maintenance and renovation of the buildings.
Most scenic attractions are financed by governments or large national
organizations [e.g., Audubon, Nature Conservancy, et al.]. Panama Rocks Park
is entirely self-sustaining, and depends on park fees and loans from the Westons
to pay for all of the park expenses. When compared to similarly financed scenic
attractions listed by AAA, the admission fees for Panama Rocks are modest.
SITE NAVAGATION LINKS PLUS