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The Mt. Adams Sun, Bingen, WA., January 25, 1962, page 1

ROCKHOUNDS SAVE PRECIOUS STONES TO BUILD ROCK BASE FOR NEW TOWN

"Faith has power to move mountains" could be the motto of the East Klickitat Gem and Mineral Club of Roosevelt.
Faced with the problem of relocating their town on high land above waters impounded by John Day dam, Roosevelt residents have also taken on the Herculean task of saving their prehistoric picture rocks from oblivion.
To date they have moved 23 huge boulders covered with age-old petroglyphs and petrographs from all along the Columbia River to the John Beeks farm yard.
It took almost two years of letter writing to obtain official sanction to save the stone-age rock carvings and paintings of birds, animals, reptiles, hunters and hieroglyphics from being submerged by John Day dam backwaters.
Permission was finally granted by the State Parks Department, Corps of Army Engineers and other government agencies to save the rocks, Roosevelt's chief tourist attraction.
Using a farm fork lift, flatbed truck and tractor, Del Whitmore, Jack Williams, John Beeks, Loren Lester, Don and Glen Williams, and Gus George, chief of the Rock Creek Indians, spent three days hauling the huge rocks from their helter-skelter location to Beeks' yard.

Weather Rocks

With help, they also hope to salvage two other famous landmarks, much too large to move with farm equipment.
One is the Weather Rock, also called Rain Rock and Old Lady Chinook Rock. The other is Coyote Rock.
The Roosevelt Weather Rock is very similar to another large rock at the George Baker place on Underwood Heights. Both are pitted with handmade holes on their east and west face.
By stuffing wadded grass in the holes on the sunrise side of these rocks, Indians believed they could stop the icy east wind which brings zero winter to the Columbia gorge. A warm Chinook was supposed to result when the ritual was reversed.

Petroglyph Park

The East Klickitat Rock rockhounds, 40 in all, have raised money to buy an acre of ground adjacent to the relocated state highway. Sometime this winter, the picture rocks will be moved from John Beeks yard to Petroglyph Park.
Park plans include a wind break of locust and popular trees, drinking water, picnic tables and rest rooms. Eventually the Roosevelt sponsors hope to build a museum for rocks and Indian relics found in the area.
Roosevelt has seen rocky times - sometimes up, sometimes down but never out. By saving its precious, prehistoric stone art for posterity, the New Roosevelt has symbolized its determination to provide a firm foundation for its future.
The Sun acknowledges its reference to the Seattle Times (Nov. 12, 1961): "Club Hopes to Keep Petroglyphs High and Dry" by Charlotte D. Widrig.