Real photo postcard, circa 1930. Lovers Leap Meramec Caverns © L.L. Coon, Milwaukee, Wis.
In researching Lover’s Leaps we sometimes find images that are identified as a Lover’s Leap, but we have been unable to find their stories. This is the case with excellent real photo postcard inscribed, “Lovers Leap Meramec Caverns.“ Despite much searching (internet and newspaper archives), we’ve only located one reference. An article in the St. Louis Post Dispatch of July 18, 1976, “Fanfare of a Caveman—Lester Dill” is the sole text we found:
“In the course of the conversation, Dill took his visitor for a stroll in the cave and around the grounds down by the river and even took a short boat ride at a concession there. As the boat when up the river, Dill pointed out places of interest. ‘That’s Fife ford, where the James gang used to cross,’ or ‘Daniel Boone hunted in this country when he was an old man,’ or ‘that bluff up there is where Flying Eagle jumped to his death because he couldn’t marry his sweetheart.’ A listener said, ‘you’ve even got a lover’s leap here, too’ and Dill said, ‘sure. Right there.’”
Dill was the owner and developer of Meramec Caverns. This is an unusual variation on the standard story. Most solo dives off bluffs are by unhappy maidens. Most often, it’s the maiden alone or, occasionally, the couple together.
Lens & Pen books are available on this website, on amazon.com and at Barnes & Noble.