The story of this place begins long before the Holzwarth family’s arrival to the Kawuneeche Valley

For centuries, humans have been utilizing the Kawuneeche Valley’s resources in search of both sustenance and economic prosperity. 

Today, we as park visitors are still using this land for adventure, mountain views, wildlife, or solitude within the wilderness. Thankfully, those who have come before us have preserved a portion of the Kawuneeche valley for us to walk back in time to acknowledge their struggles and triumphs. Keep in mind the environment in which you hail from and how it impacts your own livelihood as you make your way across this landscape. 

Joe Fleshuts:

Before you stands Fleshuts Cabin - initially owned by Joe Fleshuts, a miner who built the cabin in 1902 to claim the land under the Homestead Act of 1862.

Records indicate that Fleshuts was unsuccessful at mining and had accrued significant debt leading up his disappearance in 1911, which ultimately resulted in the forfeiture of the property and resale to Henry Lehman- who thereafter sold the property to John Holzwarth Sr on July 22, 1918. As early as 1922, the Fleshuts homestead cabin was used for the accommodation of guests. We can guess that Joe Fleshuts was of Dutch descent due to the design of the home itself. Notice the dovetail corners of the building. 

Alongside the miners and hunting guides who worked out of the mountains, the Kawuneeche Valley saw a trickle of European settlers on the valley floor attempting to not just extract the ecosystems resources, but transform them altogether.