Organ Cave - A Natural Landmark

Named for a massive calcite formation resembling a pipe organ, Organ Cave is the second largest commercial cave in the eastern United States. The mouth of the cave is 150 feet below the surface and the total depth of the cave reaches to 486 feet. With its many twists and turns, there are still over 200 passages that have never been explored.

The cave was discovered in 1704, but evidence has been found that shows the cave had long before been used by Native Americans, since at least as early as 8000 BC. The ceilings and walls of the cave are lined with fossilized coral, better known as flint. Flint was an important resource to Native Americans, who used it for arrowheads and knives, as well as to make fire. The many arrowheads and cutting tools that have been found near and in Organ Cave are evidence of Native American presence near and in the cave.

Organ Cave is one of the most, if not THE most, historic caves in the United States. It contains the largest collection of Civil War hoppers left in the USA that are located in one place. Organ Cave also served as a shelter for General Robert E Lee and his men during the Civil War. Even religious services were conducted in the cave for more than a thousand of service men. The cave was also an important mining source of saltpetre (potassium nitrate), which is used in the production of gunpowder.

"Within the depths of Organ Cave lies the Hopper Room, a well-preserved refinery built by Confederate soldiers at the beginning of the American Civil War. Built of hardwoods, hoppers are large vats that held the nitrate rich soil mined by the soldiers inside the cave. Each hopper was filled with over 2 tons of mined rock and soil, then men poured water over the soil, leaching the minerals from the earth and carrying into troughs placed beneath the hoppers. This water was then filtered and evaporated to leave behind saltpetre suitable for gunpowder production. A simple but laborious process, hoppers were used to refine saltpeter in the soil into the snow-white crystals needed for making black powder. The Hopper Room contains 37 of the original 52 saltpetre hoppers built by the Confederates."
(from http://www.organcave.com/CWHistory.htm)

In addition to this, the walls of the cave serve as a museum of Native American sketches, petroglyphs and writings. The meaning and age of the petroglyphs remains a mystery to this day.

Important paleontological finds in Organ Cave include: Black Bear, Bobcat, Dire Wolf, Armadillo, Porcupine, Brown (Grizzly) Bear, Saber-toothed Cat, Complicated-toothed Horse, Long-nosed Peccary, Caribou, and the tooth of an American Mastodon.

History Timeline of Organ Cave:

1704 - discovered.
1791 - visited by Thomas Jefferson.
1800s - mining of saltpetre and exploration started.
used as a shelter and for saltpeter production during the War of 1812 and the Civil War (1861-1865).
1873 - first published accounts of tourism.
1822 - John Rogers became the cave. It was now called John Roger's Organ Cave.
1836 - John Rogers sold the cave to James Robinson.
1878 - his grandson James H. Boone got the cave.
1900s -James H. Boone opened the cave to the public, using candle light.
1914 - pathways and Edison light bulbs installed.
1926 - sold to George Carter.