Methodology
Separating History from Legend
How this project weighs evidence, and where the research stands.
Approach
How We Evaluate Evidence
A claim is presented as verified only when supported by a reliable record — a contemporary document, official record, or scholarly source. Accounts passed down through families and communities are presented as oral tradition. Gaps are marked Research Pending or Source Needed.
We never fabricate citations, quotations or archival material.
Primary Historical Records
Montgomery County Recorder — to be consulted
Local Historical Society Collections
Institution to be identified
Newspaper Archives
State Historical Society of Missouri
Missouri State Archives
Office of the Secretary of State
Geological References
Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Oral Histories & Community Accounts
Collected through the submission form below
A Note on Legend
Why Legends Matter
Local legends are historically significant even when individual claims cannot be independently verified. They reveal how a community remembers its past — including the painful history of slavery — and they often point researchers toward records not yet found.
Contribute
Submit Historical Material
Have a photograph, family story or document about the rock? Every submission is reviewed before anything is published.