Ledges History Series: Beulah Home
Often at the Ledges, visitors encounter historical remnants of days gone by. These relics all
represent a little bit of history still alive in the park. The Ledges History Series focuses on these
remnants and provides insight into the people, places, and land that help tell the story of this
unique state park.
The Beulah Home was built in what is now the Ledges by Mrs. Emma Main Fowler as a Christian
retreat center and billed as “a refuge for tired mothers and children”. This facility was probably
built in 1904 or 1905 on the basis of information in land transfer records. Mrs. Fowler was a
self-proclaimed “children’s’ evangelist” and is said to have brought boys and girls to the Ledges
for fresh air and spiritual uplifting.
The Fowlers turned the home over to the Boone Biblical College in 1912, and it served for a
time as a recreational spot for students and staff persons at the school. The following year
however, the land was sold into private hands. This remnant of the Beulah Home serves as a
reminder of the varied uses made of the beautiful Ledges canyon.
Lifelong Boone resident Ed Mondt relates an interesting story, tying pieces of Ledges history
together. Ed’s great grandfather was Andrew Baird, who sold over 80 acres to the state in 1921
as part of the original purchase of park land. Andrew met his wife at the Ledges, who at the
time was a resident of the Beulah Home. They married, and the rest is history.
