Cave in Rock - Illinois
Posted by: 
kodiak_62
N 37° 28.027 W 088° 09.550
16S E 397494 N 4147324
The "Cave in Rock" cave opening is located along the banks of the Ohio River near Cave in Rock, IL.
Waymark Code: WM53EH
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 11/04/2008
Views: 54
From the Illinois DNR "http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/Landmgt/parks/R5/CAVEROCK.HTM">web site:
"The actual history of this imposing natural phenomenon is colorful and provocative. The first European explorer to encounter it was M. de Lery of France, who in 1729 called it caverne dans Le Roc. It was a conspicuous curiosity frequently mentioned by later travelers in diaries and journals.
Following the Revolutionary War, this immense recess came to serve as the ideal lair for outlaws, bandits and river pirates who preyed on the people traveling along the Ohio River.
One of the most ambitious of these ruthless malefactors was Samuel Mason. Once an officer in George Washington’s Revolutionary Army, in 1797 he converted the cavern into a tavern which he called the Cave-In-Rock.
From this apparently innocent and inviting position, Mason would dispatch his cohorts upriver to befriend unwary and bewildered travelers with offers of help and guidance. As they neared the cave, these henchmen would disable their boats or force them toward the yawning hollow, where the hapless pilgrims would be robbed, or worse. Few victims lived to tell their story.
By the early 1800s, following the demise of the Mason Gang, the cave sheltered the even more notorious Harpe Brothers, a pair of killers fleeing execution in Kentucky. They continued their personal reign of thievery and murder in Illinois, using the cave as hideout and headquarters until they too were killed.
It’s interesting to note that the cave served as a backdrop for a scene in the movie “How The West Was Won.” The scene was a near-accurate portrayal of how, in the 18th and 19th centuries, ruthless bandits used the cave to lure unsuspecting travelers to an untimely end.
Although other desperadoes continued to take advantage of the secrecy and seclusion afforded by Cave-In-Rock, by the mid-1830s the quickening westward expansion of civilization and the steady growth in the local population and commerce had destroyed or driven out the “river rats” and the cave began to serve as temporary shelter for other pioneers on their way west. Throughout the 19th century, this remarkable geological feature was an important landmark, prominently displayed on maps from the period.
In 1929, the State of Illinois acquired 64.5 acres for a park that since has increased to 204 acres. The well-wooded, 60-foot-high hills and the rugged bluffs along the river - commanding expansive views of the famous waterway - became Cave-In-Rock State Park.
Since there is an Earthcache nearby, please don't post the opening size nor any photos that could answer any of the questions for the Earthcache.
Type of Land: National Park
Managed By: Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Contact Info: 618-289-4325
Website: [Web Link]
Type of Cave: Karst Cave
Contains Stalactites: no
Contains Stalagmites: no
Contains Bats: no
Price of Admission: 0.00 (listed in local currency)
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Visit Instructions:
Please include a digital photograph of the cave which documents your visit and any information that may be helpful for future visitors.