The Kentucky Cave Wars

by David Kem

Eighty-two square miles of rolling hills and valleys in south-central Kentucky make up Mammoth Cave National Park, one of four National Park units in the Commonwealth. Our 26th National Park is home to an enormous labyrinth of underground passages. In fact, Mammoth Cave today is understood to be the world’s longest known cave system. Over 400 miles of passages have already been discovered, yet Mammoth Cave is not the only cavern in southern Kentucky. More than 300 other cave systems are known to exist within park boundaries, with many more beyond the reach of the national park. The discovery and exploitation of many of these created opportunity and prosperity for many who would seek to compete with the world famous Mammoth Cave. Roughly one hundred years of competition between enterprising cave managers, guides, locals, outsiders, explorers, and those loyal to one cave or another defined an era known as the Kentucky Cave Wars.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

276 pages, Paperback

First published June 5, 2014

Reviews

[Graham Callis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book after taking the Frozen Niagra tour at Mammoth Cave. The Ranger tour guide was excellent and told a few stories about the cave wars on our return to the visitor center. I asked him if there were any books about the cave wars and he said "Yes. And my son-in-law wrote it". It was an enjoyable read about a fascinating part of National Park history!

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provided a very good comprehensive view of the Cave craze that seized Kentucky for over a hundred years. With the exception of some word-choice errors (e.g. “lied” vs. “lay” and “Ancestors” vs. Descendants”), it’s very well written and includes many marvelous contemporary photos.

It would have been very helpful if the author included:
- a map that highlights the proximity of the caves to each other, the railroads and highways. This is very important, because the cave owners were competing with each other for tourist dollars and understanding the tourist routes is key. It’s very hard to visualize.
- some time lines showing active years of key competitors
- Family trees that show how many of these people relate to each other and who inherited the cave properties.

Without this, it’s easy to lose track of people, places and dates.

I also would have liked to know the final disposition Floyd Collins’ body and the various mummies that were used to lure tourists to the various caves.

Still, this is probably the only book that covers this topic in so well and it’s very well researched.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book gives an adequate overview of the caving history in Kentucky, hitting upon both the exploration of the caves and the ensuing "war" fought over them. However, Kem is extraordinarily too focused in cramming in every detail. As a result, there is not as much about the war itself, and the legal and physical battles fought by many cavers were put into brief, semi informative tidbits. I was hoping for a bit more in detail explanation and a bit more elaboration, but it really feels like a more superficial overview. Still, if you're interested in the regions caves and how Mammoth Park was established, it's worth a read.

[Jennifer Schilke · Rating 4 out of 5]

We bought this book while visiting Mammoth Cave. I proceeded to read it to my family on our vacation. This is the best way to experience a road trip, deep learning about your surroundings.

The book is your tour guide through the complex history of south central Kentucky where the Mammoth Cave National Park would eventually be established. The author wrote this book for love of the area, and not as a literary masterpiece.

[Rene · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title and cover photo are rather lurid, but this is actually a solid introduction to the history/creation of Mammoth Cave National Park. I wish I’d read it before our trip to the park this past week. It certainly provides context for the park and the rival caves whose billboards still dot the area.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dry yet compelling and well researched tale of the formation of the Kentucky cave district. It's organized by subjects instead of chronology so it jumps through time a bit but is an interesting read especially if you've visited

[Teresa Brewen-White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great historical account, easy to read, enjoyed

[Kyra Devine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting historical content but the book is not written or structured in a captivating way.

[AJ Kuenzi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much cave, not enough war

[Richard Downey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice overview of the "Cave Wars" in south central Kentucky from the early 1800s until the last in-holdings were purchased by Mammoth Cave National Park. Several of the stories have been told elsewhere, but this one fills in a lot of holes in the history. Very enjoyable.