Cumberland Caverns

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Cumberland Caverns is the 2nd longest cave in Tennessee, USA. It has a surveyed length of 27.616 miles (44.4 kilometers), which makes it the 13th longest cave in the United States and the 50th longest cave in the World.

The main entrance was discovered by Aaron Higgenbotham in 1810 while he was surveying the nearby Chickamauga Trail on Cardwell Mountain in what is now Warren County, TN. According to legend, Higgenbotham was the first man to enter the cave and it was named Higgenbotham Cave in his honor. Another, smaller cave, also located on Cardwell Mountain was also discovered about this time and was named Henshaw Cave. Although not nearly as big as Higgenbotham Cave, Henshaw Cave proved to be a source of saltpeter (the main ingredient of gunpowder) and was operated as a saltpeter mine during perhaps both the War of 1812 and the Civil War.

Higgenbotham Cave became a favorite spot for local adventurers during the 1800's and groups would ride out to the entrance in Haywagons and make the strenuous trip to a point in the cave now known as the Ten Acre Room. Here, many visitors left their names and the date candled on the ceiling.

In the 1940's, Higgenbotham Cave began to be explored by modern cave explorers who were members of the National Speleological Society (NSS). By the 1950's, they had greatly increased the known extent of the cave. In 1953 a connection was discovered between Henshaw Cave and Higgenbotham Cave. This connection was named the Meatgrinder due to its small size and shape. Soon afterwards, some of these explorers leased the cave from its owner, Mr. Andy Powell, and developed it into a commercial cave. The cave opened under the name Cumberland Caverns on July 4, 1956 and has been open to the public since that time.

Persons wanting to read the complete history of Cumberland Caverns, from its discovery by Aaron Higgenbotham in 1810, through its pioneer days in the 1800's, through modern exploration beginning in the 1940's, and its development into a commercial cave in 1956, will want to read "Cumberland Caverns" by Larry E. Matthews (1989, 2005). This book is available from the National Speleological Society, the largest group of cave scientists and cave explorers in the United States. The book is 188 pages long in a big 8.5 X 11 inch format, with 14 large-size maps and many photographs. It can be ordered from the National Speleological Society at www.caves.org.

[edit] References

Matthews,Larry E [1989] 2005 Cumberland Caverns ISBN 0-9615093-4-1