Last week, my husband and I were in Missouri, taking a short vacation before a reader event I participated in over the weekend. My husband enjoys caves and caverns, so we decided to spend one afternoon taking a tour of a caven near where we were staying in Springfield. We decided to visit Fantastic Caverns. We learned some interesting history, especially about a dozen adventuresome women.
The story goes that local farmer John Knox had a dog who went missing in 1862. It turns out his dog followed a critter into a hole that ended up being a cave. A cave so dark that the dog couldn’t find his way back out. Happily, John went search for his dog and found no only his pet, but a large cave. The original opening was very small, but it opened up into a much larger space.
Since this discovery happened during the Civil War, John kept the news of the cave a secret. He didn’t want soldiers digging through his property in search of bat guano that could be made into gunpowder. After the war ended, however, he placed an add in the Springfield newspaper seeking help exploring the cave. Surprisingly, it was a group of twleve young women who answered the add.
These women were part of the Springfield Women’s Athletic Club. The youngest was believed to be only 13 years old. These intrepid explorers made their way into the cave and discovered what they called The Hall of Giants – a pair of giant stalagmites.
The women likely did their exploration in this pitch-black cave with nothing more substantial than focused lanterns made with candles and empty coffee cans.
My favorite part of the tour was when we passed the wall that showed where the twelve young women left their names on the cavern wall.
Deeper in the cave were some other impressive formations.
This cave has some other interesting history as well.
- It was used as a speakeasy during Prohibition.
- It was owned by the Klu Klux Klan from 1924-1930 and used for secret meetings.
- Mushrooms were farmed in the cave during the Great Depression.
- It hosted concerts in the 1950s and 1960s.
Now it is open to the public as a show cave, and it all started in the with a dog, a farmer, and 12 intrepid young women.
Have you ever toured a cave or cavern?