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Entrance to Meramec Caverns,
Kathy Weiser, November, 2007.
This image available for photographic prints
HERE!
Meramec Caverns is a set of natural limestone caves that features
beautifully sculpted patterns of stalactites and stalagmites. Formed more than 400 million years ago, the caverns have a long and
rich history. First used by
Indian Tribes as a shelter, they
were first discovered by “white men” when a French Miner stumbled upon
them in 1720. Discovering saltpeter in the cave, which is used
to make gunpowder, Renault named the cave Saltpeter Mine and mined the
resource until 1742. Later, Spanish miners utilized the cavern
as a base of operations for lead mining.
During the
Civil War, saltpeter mining was revived in
the cavern and Union troops used it as a munitions powder mill from
1862 to 1864. However, when
William
Quantrill and his irregular band of confederates discovered it,
they destroyed the plant. One member of
Quantrill’s band, namely
Jesse
James, would remember the location of the cave and use it later
during his
outlaw years. It was
also during this time that the cave was said to have harbored runaway
slaves on the “Underground Railroad.”
On the way to
Meramec Caverns, another
vintage business -- the old Riverside Reptile Ranch, can also be seen.
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Live Alligators Here!! Kathy
Weiser, November, 2007.
The Riverside Reptile Ranch on the way to
Meramec Caverns, Kathy Weiser, November, 2007.
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