Herb and Jan Conn added to South Dakota Hall of Fame
Rapid City Journal, Sept 11, 2011
http://southdakotanews.info/south-dakota-top-stories/fourteen-south-dakotans-added-to-state-hall-of-fame.html
Fourteen South Dakotans added to state hall of fame
Herb and Jan Conn
Herb and Jan Conn transplanted to South Dakota in 1947 from the
East Coast, because in the Needles of Custer State Park they felt
they had found a climbing paradise. They lived simply and sustained
themselves with odd jobs so they could spend their summers on the
rocks. In 1959 Dwight Deal invited them to explore Jewel Cave. For
the next 22 years, they explored and mapped over 60 miles of
unexplored passages. Because of their discoveries, the National
Park Service has opened a new scenic tour of the cave. They have
mapped both the Needles and Jewel caves.
“The Conns have been legendary pioneers, working in partnership
in the worlds above and below ground. They are recognized worldwide
for their contributions to the sports of climbing and caving. Their
athletic accomplishments have paved the way for thousands of others
in the sports of climbing and caving and helped build significant
elements of the tourism industry in the Hills of South Dakota,”
said Sue Brown, a neighbor of the Conns in Custer.
“Herb and Jan Conn are the original Needles climbers. They first
visited The Needles while passing through on a road trip in 1947.
Jan had seen a picture of the Cathedral Spires in a schoolbook and
was curious. They climbed the Fan and the Exclamation Point that
day. The hook was set,” said Lindsay Stephens, author of “Adventure
Climbs.”
