Squire Boone Caverns

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Squire Boone Caverns and Village is a cavern exploration attraction in Mauckport, Indiana (near Corydon in Southern Indiana). The park consists of a one-hour walking tour into the caverns, as well as a working pioneer village and grist mill.

Park's history

The cave was first discovered by Daniel Boone and his brother, Squire Boone, as they were hiding from Indians in the late 18th century. Squire would come back later to purchase the land and live near the caves in 1808 and start a mill at the site. The mill is on the Indiana Register of Historic Sites and Structures and still operates today.[1] Squire Boone died in 1815 and, having so loved the caverns, requested to be buried in them, and was buried near the entrance to the cave. His remains were moved in the 20th century because of construction near his burial site and its continual disturbance by relic hunters. The coffin, which contained only bones, was moved deep into the caverns.

The Park

Village

The caverns are open year round, while the village and grist mill are open only during the summer months. The pioneer village includes an old fashion candy shop, a building where soap is made from lard, a chandlers house were candles are made by hand dipping, and a country store. The products made in the village are marketed nationally and can be purchased in many part of the country including Disney World. Everything made in the village is done the "old fashioned way", by hand.

The company which owns the caverns also run the Squire Boone Caverns' factory in New Albany, just off I-265, where hand dipped candles are mass-produced.

Cave tour

The tour of the cave is conducted by experienced guides on lighted walkways with minimal stairs. The tour starts with a short walk through the woods to a man-made entrance of the cavern.As of 6/27/2011 This Entrance has been closed. The tour now begins and ends with the stairs. The cave's tour includes such sights as a major underground river whose outlet and source are unknown, massive stalactite and stalagmite formations (which are not to be touched), a large open central cavern, several narrow areas, a large underground waterfall, several interesting rock formations, and at the end the coffin of Squire Boone and 73 Stairs leading out of the cave and into the general store where the tour began. Squire also settled down in this place around the entrance of the cave.

Gallery

  • The village.

  • The village.

  • View of the gristmill from the entrance of the park.

  • View of the gristmill from upstream.

  • View of the gristmill from the front.

  • Marker at Boone's original burial site.

  • Closeup view of Boone's original burial spot.

  • Distant view of location of Boone's original burial cave.

References

  1. ↑ http://www.in.gov/dnr/historic/bin/srlistnew.pdf

External links

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