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We added some Nixon campaign ephemera from our Special Collections- Check out the display and don't miss the archived bubble gum cigars! 🇺🇸 (at Wardman Library)

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The Mystery of The Rock’s Origins Captured on Film?

The Story

One afternoon in June 1912 four men planned to leave a reminder of their Senior class in perpetuity at Whittier College. Senior Frank Crites and alumnus Austin Marshburn ‘10 drove a horse and cart to the base of the Sierra Madre mountains, soon met by Seniors Nofle Renneker and Milton White who arrived on bikes. These four set about the arduous task of moving a 1-2 ton granite boulder 18 miles to Whittier College. They pushed the boulder down the hill and onto the cart brought by Marshburn. Once it was in place on the cart, Renneker and White left to head back to campus, perhaps because they were married men, and Marshburn and Crites began the long trip down the mountain. Their journey was mostly in the cold weather and they had brought no dinner, thinking the task would be over much more quickly. The two even had to stop and milk local cows along the way to get their dinner. In spite of this, they continued on their journey and finally, at 2 am reached campus where the four regrouped and unloaded The Rock onto the grass near the path from Painter Avenue to Founders Hall. The Rock was in place, and their journey was over...or so they thought. 

Later that morning, members of the Junior class, not to be outdone, dug a large hole next to The Rock and buried the monolith underneath, leaving only about 10 inches to be seen. The following picture of the Senior Class and the buried Rock comes from Senior Gertrude Cox’s 1911 scrapbook. The caption reads, “Senior Rock?? Buried Hopes!!”. From left to right are Frank Crites, Hazel Cooper, Gertrude Cox, Milton White, Maude Starbuck, and Nofle Renneker, his shoe touching the top of The Rock.

The Junior class’ prank did not last long, that evening the three Senior men uncovered The Rock using a hand crane. To ensure that The Rock would stay in place they reinforced it with concrete and wires. The ladies of the class of 1912, rewarded their job well done with a  breakfast to remember.

The Origin Captured on Film? 

As Frank Crites mentions in his “The Saga of the Rock”, many college students hiked the trail beginning at Sierra Madre and ending at Mt. Wilson. The canyon at the base of the trail being the site of many camping trips enjoyed by the students of Whittier College. He further explains that it was here, at Carter’s Camp, that The Rock was taken, “Some of the members of our class had been on several of these visits and had seen the rocks, both large and not so large, which were in proximity of the trail and the canyon. Knowing the permanence of these granite bits of nature our big decision was to try and get one of them. After consideration and explanation of our purpose to the owner of the canyon, permission was granted to take a boulder of our selection.”

In fact one of these trips he mentions was the annual Junior-Senior trip held this year at Carter’s Camp. The following photographs, clearly from this trip, are from the same scrapbook created by Gertrude Cox ‘12. They include images of “The Rock”, Renneker, Crites, and members of the class of 1911.

The above image includes Nofle Renneker (holding his knees seated on a large rock) and Frank Crites (in the foreground of the photo sitting on his own). Also from that day, the image below shows “The Bunch” including  Renneker (leaning on suitcases in the middle), and Frank Crites (with the upturned hat standing fourth from the right). Additionally, many members of the class of ‘11 can be seen in this photograph, including Albert Marshburn, younger brother of co-conspirator Austin Marshburn, to the left between two ladies. 

This trip to Carter’s Camp in the Sierra Madres from Whittier began on the Pacific Electric railway and ended in the Sierra Madre car which ended at the mountain trail. A detail of the Pacific Electric map shows their journey from Whittier in the bottom right to Sierra Madre in the top right. 

During the trip students played games, sang songs, had campfire roasts and a bit of mischief (staying out much past their bedtime), and explored the area around the campsite. The final photograph from this scrapbook, seen at the beginning of the post, has a tantalizing caption, “The Rock”. Although, upon inspection it does not seem to be “The Rock” that we know. The mystery is unsolved. 

Perhaps it was on this Junior-Senior trip that Crites, White, and Renneker decided to pull off their legendary prank; perhaps it was later on. Regardless, The Rock has a sacred place in the history of Whittier College as the lasting marker that Crites and his friends hoped it would be. He writes, “How well we exercised our choice of the selection is exemplified by the many ways in which this gift is interwoven into the various activities which take place on the Campus”. Fifty-three years after writing this, and 103 years after The Rock was placed on campus, it is still a symbol permanence and of the history of Whittier College.

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Today we got a sneak peak of the construction on our new Science and Learning Center, previously the Stauffer Science Center. The original building was constructed between 1967 and 1968, a typical design of 60s futurism. Before the 1960s the site of the Science Center was Hadley Field, the football field! These photos are from Hadley Field, the original construction, and our tour of the new construction today! 

Looking forward to future tours of the building’s progress. We will keep you updated! 

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A New Focus

Hello all! Starting today our tumblr account will be focused solely on Whittier College’s Archives and Special Collections. Can’t wait to show you all the fun things we have in our collections! Stay tuned for more...

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Matt Voegtle STAFF WRITER Students at Whittier College, at least the ones looking for a book or a quiet place to focus on work, attending poetry readings and more, are familiar with the Bonnie Bell...

Have a look at this article about the Wardman Library in the QC!

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Special Collections Librarian Becky Ruud put together an exhibit of Abolitionist materials from our archives. The display features pamphlets and works from John Whittier, William Lloyd Garrison, Fredrick Douglass, the New England Anti-Slavery Society, the American Anti-Slavery Society, Charles Sumner, Thomas H. Jones, and the Concord Anti-Slavery Society.

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Make sure you stop by our Dia de los Muertos display in the lobby before it goes. Included in our altars are many items from our Special Collections. Thanks again to Mary Perez for setting this up! 

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Happy November! 

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Above -- WWII Navy veteran alumnus Richard Nixon

Thank you to all our veteran alumni for their service to our country.

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Friday Adams hopes you had a great Halloween and happy Friday!

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Friday Krueger says, "Try not to fall asleep and Happy Halloween!"

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Mr. Squirrel says, "Don't look behind you. Tomorrow is Halloween."

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Friday Lugosi says, "Have a bloody good Halloween week!"

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Friday says, "I wish Halloween lasted forever...and ever...and ever".

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Photo of Edison in Whittier. Did you know Thomas Edison stopped in Whittier while on tour to San Diego with Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone? The more you know! 

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Poet cheerleaders from 1976. You stay classy, Whittier College. Wardman Library is celebrating Homecoming this week with images from our archives. More photos are up in our exhibit, showcased on the first floor of the library.