At Home with William Allen White: Red Rocks State Historic Site
- Andrea LaRayne Etzel
- Apr 23
- 3 min read
A tour of Red Rocks State Historic Site connects visitors with one of the most influential families of the early 20th century.
Filled with photographs, books, heirlooms, and memories, walking through Red Rocks State Historic Site, it's as if time has stopped. Turn a corner and you'd almost expect to witness William Allen White writing in his study. Or hear the murmuring of voices and laughter from one of the Allens' gatherings.
Who was William Allen White
An Emporia native, William Allen White was a nationally influential newspaper editor, political thinker, and author. Born in 1868, he rose to prominence in the early 1900s as the editor and owner of the Emporia Gazette. His sharp editorials and essays mixed wit, warmth, and Midwestern common sense. They gained national attention and shaped public opinion during key times in American history.
White was more than a journalist. He was a trusted advisor to presidents, a leader of the Progressive Movement, and a fierce defender of democracy and civil liberties. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1923 for an editorial opposing the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and spent his life advocating for decency, reform, and the power of everyday Americans.
In 1924, White entered the Kansas governor's race, campaigning to run the KKK out of the state. While he lost the election, his mission was a success. Kansas became the first state to outlaw the Ku Klux Klan.
Beyond his professional work, he was a devoted husband and father. White and his wife, Sallie, were married in 1893. In his autobiography, White said that marrying Sallie was the best decision he had ever made. They had a son, William Lindsay, and a daughter, Mary. Tragedy struck the family in 1921 when Mary, only 16, died from a horse-riding accident. White published "Mary White," a eulogy that ran on the front page of the Gazette. Newspapers across the nation also picked it up.
Throughout his life, he developed an eclectic group of friends - from Theodore Roosevelt to Albert Einstein. The Whites enjoyed opening their home and entertaining guests. In addition to Roosevelt, they hosted four other presidents: William Taft, Calvin Coolidge, Warren Harding, and Herbert Hoover.
People came to know White as the "Sage of Emporia." On January 29, 1944 - Kansas Day - White died at his home.
History of Red Rocks
Wealthy cattleman and lawyer, Almerin Gillett, bought the lot at 10th and Exchange, and construction began on the home in 1885. Gillett and his wife Eugenia moved to the house and lived there during its construction. In November 1891, Gillett moved to Kansas City, Missouri, but Eugenia continued to live at Red Rocks until her sudden death the following year. Speculation has been made that Eugenia took her own life, but her obituary states she died of sudden heart failure (make that what you will). Her funeral was held in the residence. Mr. Gillett stayed in Missouri and remarried in 1893. Gillett and Eugenia's daughters lived at Red Rocks after the death of their mother.
The name "Red Rocks" originates from the house's partial construction using Colorado red sandstone.
In 1899, William Allen White leased Red Rocks and then purchased the home in 1901. For nearly a century, the White family called Red Rocks home. When Allen's daughter-in-law, Katherine, passed away in the 1980s, the home remained vacant. In 2001, the White descendants donated the house to the Kansas State Historical Society. Since then, it has been open to the public seasonally as a state historic site.
The Legacy of the White Family
After White's death, his son William Lindsay picked up the torch. Becoming the publisher of the Emporia Gazette, William Lindsay went beyond simply following in his father's footsteps. He worked as a World War II correspondent for CBS and wrote for many publications, including The Washington Post, Reader's Digest, and Fortune magazine. William Lindsay also published 14 books. Three were turned into motion pictures.
He and his wife, Katherine, adopted their daughter, Barbara, from a London orphanage. After their deaths, Barbara became the publisher of the Emporia Gazette, and today her son runs the newspaper.
Red Rocks State Historic Site Today
Operated by the Kansas State Historical Society, Red Rocks is open for guided tours from mid-April to mid-October. Located at 927 Exchange Street, the site encompasses the main house, the adjacent "Mother’s House" where William Allen's mother lived, and what used to be the stables is now the visitors center - and starting point for tours.
Tours are offered on Wednesdays through Saturdays from 10 am to 5 pm and on Sundays from 1 pm to 5 pm. For groups larger than 1o, it's asked that tours be booked at least two weeks in advance.
