Marengo Cave
| Marengo Cave | |
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Formations seen during a tour in the cave.
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 Map of Indiana
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| Location | Crawford County, Indiana |
| Nearest city | Marengo |
| Coordinates | 38°22′32″N 86°20′24″W / 38.37555°N 86.33993°WCoordinates: 38°22′32″N 86°20′24″W / 38.37555°N 86.33993°W |
| Area | 7 acres (2.8 ha) |
| Owned by | Private |
| Official website | |
| Designated | 1984 |
Marengo Cave is located in Marengo, Indiana. One of only four show caves in Indiana, public tours of the cave have been given since 1883. Tours commenced just days after the cave's discovery by two school children. The cave was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1984.
Marengo Cave was discovered September 6, 1883. There are many early descriptions and some confusion about the date and the story how the cave was discovered. "When Orris was hiking in the woods along Cave Spring Creek with his sister, Blanche, and they stumbled into a sink hole, situated in a thick woods and undergrowth of vines and ferns. Orris let himself get down in the hole enough to see that an opening and darkness extended to an unknown depth. The word was spread in a few days and the next Sunday a group of larger boys let themselves down into a large cave, with beautiful stalactites and stalagmites." (August 28, 1973 as told by his son Thomas C. Hiestand).
"Anniversaries and Memorial
Crawford County - Marking the discovery in 1883 of Marengo Cave, one of the largest caves in Indiana, by Blanche and Orris Hiestand, a bronze marker commemorating the event was placed inside the cave on Sunday, December 8, by Mrs. Kate White, of Indianapolis, and Mrs. James Tinkler, of Georgetown sisters of the Hiestands."
"Marengo cave has been known only since 1883. The cave was first entered on Thursday, September 6, 1883, by two children of the name of Hiestand. The children were at play in the grove and were attracted to the opening at the bottom of a sink hole. Accounts as to why they ventured into the opening differ. For some reason the story is told that they followed a rabbit into the opening and this led to the discovery of the cave. Mr. Stewart and those connected with the cave emphatically deny the rabbit story and say the discovery is due solely to childish curiosity. It is significant that shortly preceding the discovery, the virgin timber had been removed from the hillside upon which the entrance was found. Mr Stewart thinks this favored increased gullying and that the increase in runoff was the main factor in opening the hole in the sink.
The children did not venture far into the cave, certainly not beyond the zone of light, but they realized there was a great interior opening. The discovery was not mentioned until the Sunday following at which time the first party of explorers, people of the vicinity entered. Mr. Stewart upon whose land the discovery was made noticed that people returning from the cave were carrying numerous mineral formations that they had broken from the walls or ceiling. Realizing that the feature must be an unusual one he wisely prohibited the breaking and carrying away of the mineral deposits. This early protection is largely responsible for the nearly unmutilated character of the cave interior. Another incident, purely accidental, saved the most beautiful part of the cave from mutilation by the first party of explorers. The part of the cave to the right of the old entrance (as one enters) is known as Pillared Palace, Queen's Palace, and Crystal Palace, places that are literally filled with wonderful mineral formations. The first party of explorers did not notice this part of the cave upon entering and traversed the entire length of the cave, following much the same route now taken by tourists... When this part of the cave was first discovered, directions for the preservation of the mineral forms had already been given, so this section remains today in all of its primitive glory. Only the natural process of a hard winter freeze has slightly marred the interior decorations."
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Wikipedia