Prior to 1937, rock climbing was evolving as a sport in several places around Europe. Fritz Wiessner was a German-American climber and member of the American Alpine Club (based in New York). Climbing with Lawrence Coveney and William House, Wiessner led the trio in the first free climb of Devils Tower. Wiessner helped set the standard of rock climbing at the Tower, and his name is still attached to the route he and his cohorts pioneered in 1937. The story of the first free climb is available to read on the park website.