Scripture Rocks Heritage Park

Scripture Rocks Heritage site is a beautiful wooded area with trails that wind through dozens of boulders engraved with scripture and words of hope. The engravings were created by a man named Douglas Stahlman in the early 1900s who frequented the area for personal prayer.

They detail his devotion to God. They also tell the tale of a deeply troubled man, a man who struggled to deal with the pain he felt after losing his family. 

After Stahlman’s wife fell ill with blood poisoning, he made a decision that would change his life forever (as well as end hers). He sent the doctor that had been tending to her away, opting instead to rely upon his faith and prayers. This catastrophic decision earned him a stint in jail and lost him custody of his kids.

After losing his family, he began retreating to the rocky outcrops surrounding the town to pray. He then started dedicating the rocks with certain uplifting themes from the scripture like health, hope, and consecration.

After the community found out about his wife’s death and the removal of his children, he moved into the woods and became a hermit. While there, he built a cabin among the trees and continued carving the rocks.

Sadly, Stahlman was again arrested a few years later. He was sent to a state mental institution, where he remained until his death. His carved rocks still stand as testaments to both his fervent beliefs and troubled existence.