This rock mysteriously appeared on 2nd avenue in the early 1990's
Here is the curious rock where it sits now, as seen from the north, looking south.
Here is the rock, as seen from the south, looking north. Mailboxes give you a good size comparison!
This “Rock” originally sat on the south corner of the house at 9408 SW 2nd Ave. It was brought there by the owners at that time, mid 1990’s, approximately 1996. The owner was Pascal Schuback. He lived there with a relative. I do remember he brought the rock in on a dump truck to this original location.
Pascal then purchased 9316 SW 2nd Avenue in 2001. When he moved from 9408 to 9316 SW 2nd Avenue, he borrowed a tractor (and trailer) and moved The Rock with him to there. He LOVED that Rock. That same day, with the tractor, he helped us remove some huge rhododendrons from our yard at 9315 which is where we lived at the time.
He sold the 9316 house in 2005 and moved out of town. He was an EMT at that time and owned an antique Fire Truck. He used to bring it to his house occasionally and would let neighborhood kids sit on it.
Submitted by Cindy Cummings, Collins View resident since 1957
(2015-2020) That rock has been a lovely piece to my children’s elementary years. They gained independence by getting the mail... and then to climb the rock and sit on top. What fun. Now 13 years old, they no longer find the offer to climb on the rock for a chore well done, to be appealing!
Submitted by Jessica K., Collins View resident since 2015.
(Note the mailboxes next to the rock — Ed.)
I was coming home from work from Macadam and heading up Taylor’s ferry. Just past River View Cemetery in the curve heading up, the city was putting in the fire hydrants on the south side of the road. It was a couple week long project and I tend to pay attention to details. That morning, there was no rock, but that afternoon the rock was sitting on the cemetery access road halfway up the strait. I drove up and turned left on Boones Ferry (this was before the island). I went around to the back side of the cemetery and down to the contractors. I approached them about the rock and they said (kind of laughing) that if I could get a trailer here in under an hour, they would help get it on the trailer.
Well… I had the car trailer at home and was back at the rock in under 15 minutes. They loaded it and it was back in my driveway in under 45 minutes. It was a slow drive through the cemetery and up 2nd street, but I had the gear and used it. Funny thing, we still have the car trailer and see the bent end that was done because of that rock. My dad and brother joke about it every so often.
At the time the rock was put in front of 9408 house. I bought that house first. My mom lived in the 9405 house during my HS days. A couple of years later I bought 9408. Then the owner of 9408 wanted it back and bought it back. I then bought 9316 as the owner had to move for a new job and let me buy it. I had to do all the fixing up on it, including interior remodeling, the garage door, driveway, block wall and deck in the back. It was a great house to live in but I wanted to my rock. I had originally told the 9316 owner I will move it. So, I did. At the time our family was working on a project in Newberg and I had regular contact with the heavy equipment rental yard. I told him about the rock and he said he could drive by with a backhoe for me to use and move it real quick. Then a couple of days later the truck showed up. We unloaded the backhoe and I went straight to the rock. I pinched it with the backhoe and it barely lifted the rock. I was worried about the rock slipping out and going down the hill so I backed the backhoe up the hill with the rock in front. Once we created the hill, I reversed the position and had my roommate drive between the rock and backhoe just in case.
Not sure if the big drag scrapes in the asphalt are still there but the long scrap lines between the two houses… might have been from me moving the rock. Hehe. Once the rock was in place and the way I wanted it, the backhoe left and the rock has been in that position ever since. There have been times in the past years where I wanted to reach out and see if I could come get the rock. Knowing what I needed equipment wise, I could have easily made it happen if they didn’t want it anymore.
Some great times were spent on that rock. I remember sitting on the rock many of times just watching the night sky or enjoying the heat. I even had my old Land Rover front tire drive up and park on it. I was never worried about someone taking a baseball bat to the mailboxes! I also built the mailbox stand for everyone.
BTW… our car trailer has a 7000 pound rating and I was pushing it when I put it on the trailer. With the backhoe limits, we estimated the rock to being just shy of 10000 pounds. Just a small rock I said to my dad after I first saw it.
I love that rock. I hope it’s been a steady part of the neighborhood.
PSU Geology Prof Burns may take a look at the rock at the end of June. Stay tuned for that!
Pascal has pledged to unearth a photo or two for us! 5/29/2022)
We infer from the location of the rock that it is likely basalt, like the rock in the River View branch of Stephens Creek
We invite people to comment on Nextdoor: What about this great rock seems to inspire the affection of so many passersby?
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