The Kentucky Cave Wars

Aug 19, 2024

Journey into the depths of Kentucky's Mammoth Cave and explore the intense Cave Wars of the 19th and 20th centuries. Discover the gripping story of Floyd Collins, whose entrapment in the cave captivated the nation and ultimately influenced cave tourism. Learn about the crucial roles of enslaved guides like Stephen Bishop and how their contributions shaped the cave's legacy. This tumultuous saga intertwines tragedy, transformation, and fierce competition, redefining the allure of one of the world's longest cave systems.

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Intro

00:00 • 2min

Exploring the Kentucky Cave Wars

01:38 • 8min

Exploring Mammoth Cave: The Guide's Journey

10:02 • 6min

Exploration, Struggles, and Tourism at Mammoth Cave

16:26 • 9min

The Turbulent History of Cave Tourism in Kentucky

24:58 • 4min

Tragedy and Transformation at Sand Cave

29:09 • 16min

Upcoming Plans and Sponsorship Highlights

45:13 • 3min

In the 19th century, Kentucky's Mammoth Cave launched an entire, very competitive cave tourism industry in the area, In 1925, Floyd Collins was trapped in the cave system, which was the beginning of the end of the cave wars.

Research:

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Bullitt, Alexander Clark. “Rambles in the Mammoth Cave, During the Year 1944, By a Visitor.” Louisville, KY. Morton & Griswold. 1945.
Butler, Telia. “Throwback Thursday – The Kentucky Cave Wars.” WNKY News 40. 3/25/2201. https://www.wnky.com/throwback-thursday-the-kentucky-cave-wars/
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Lanzendorfer, Joy. “Enslaved Tour Guide Stephen Bishop Made Mammoth Cave the Must-See Destination It Is Today.” Smithsonian. 2/6/2019. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/enslaved-tour-guide-stephen-bishop-made-mammoth-cave-must-see-destination-it-today-180971424/
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Meloy, Harold. “Short Legal History of Mammoth Cave.” National Parks Service. https://npshistory.com/brochures/maca/short-legal-history.pdf
"Mammoth Cave National Park." Britannica Library, Encyclopædia Britannica, 4 Sep. 2015. libraries.state.ma.us/login?eburl=https%3A%2F%2Flibrary.eb.com&ebtarget=%2Flevels%2Freferencecenter%2Farticle%2FMammoth-Cave-National-Park%2F50412&ebboatid=9265652. Accessed 29 Jul. 2024.
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National Park Service. “Tragedy at Sand Cave.” Mammoth Cave National Park. https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/tragedy-at-sand-cave.htm
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Schmitzer, Jeanne Cannella. “CCC Camp 510: Black Participation in the Creation of Mammoth Cave National Park.” The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society , Autumn 1995, Vol. 93, No. 4 (Autumn 1995). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/23383772
Sides, Stanley D. and Harold Meloy. “The Pursuit of Health in the Mammoth Cave.” Bulletin of the History of Medicine , JULY-AUGUST 1971, Vol. 45, No. 4 (JULY AUGUST 1971). https://www.jstor.org/stable/44450082
Tabler, Dave. “The Kentucky Cave Wars.” Appalachian History. 4/19/2017. https://www.appalachianhistory.net/2017/04/kentucky-cave-wars.html
Trowbridge, John. “The Kentucky National Guard and the William Floyd Collins Tragedy at Sand Cave.” 2/10/2021. Kentucky National Guard. https://ky.ng.mil/News/Article/2648067/the-kentucky-national-guard-and-the-william-floyd-collins-tragedy-at-sand-cave/

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