DeSoto Caverns facts for kids

DeSoto Caverns is a famous series of caves and a fun tourist spot. It's located in Childersburg, which is in Talladega County, Alabama. People call it "Alabama's Big Cave" because it's so huge!

The caverns are found in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Besides exploring the amazing caves, you can enjoy other activities at the park. There's a big maze called the Lost Trail Maze, a place to pan for gemstones, a climbing wall, and even some amusement park style rides. When you take the cave tour, you'll see a cool show with lights, sounds, and water that changes with the seasons and holidays.

Before it became DeSoto Caverns, the cave was known as Kymulga Cave. Long ago, Native Americans used the cave. It was also mined during the Civil War.

Exploring the Cave Structure

The main room of DeSoto Caverns is incredibly large. It's taller than a ten-story building and bigger than a football field! The entrance to the cave used to be a small hole, about 4-foot-high (1.2 m) and 8-foot-wide (2.4 m). But it has been made much bigger over time.

For a while, people thought the cave system was enormous. They believed it stretched all the way from Childersburg to Talladega, Alabama. However, explorers have found that the cave only continues for a short distance past the main room. At the back of the main room, there's a passage that goes for about two or three hundred yards. It ends at a solid wall and a small pool of water. It's possible there's an underwater exit through this pool, but no other paths have been found.

The caverns are famous for having one of the world's largest collections of onyx-marble stalagmites and stalactites. These are rock formations that grow over time. Because these formations are still actively growing, visitors are usually not allowed to touch them. This helps protect these amazing natural wonders.

A Look Back at the Caverns' History

Early Native American Use

You can see a burial site from the early Native American Copena culture inside DeSoto Caverns. The name 'Copena' comes from two materials often found in their burials: copper and galena. The Copena people believed caves were good places for burials. They thought caves offered a peaceful and safe home for the spirits of the dead.

Archaeologists from the University of Alabama found this burial site in 1965. It held the skeletons of five Native Americans, including one child. One skeleton had a very large jawbone. Scientists think it belonged to a man who was over seven feet tall! In 1995, DeSoto Caverns worked with a group of Native Americans. They wanted to rebury these remains in a secret part of the cave.

The 16th Century and Spanish Explorers

In 1540, Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto arrived in Alabama. His visit marked the start of European history in the area. At that time, the Muscogee people lived in Alabama and other parts of the Southeast. In Talladega County, where DeSoto Caverns is, the Coosa people were part of the Muscogee.

The Coosa chiefdom was the first recorded in Alabama's history. It stretched along the Coosa River, from Gadsden to Wetumpka. Their main town, also called Coosa, was near what is now Childersburg. Just a few miles east was DeSoto Caverns, which was an important cave for their ancestors.

De Soto's group stayed in the Coosa capital for over five weeks. The Coosa Micco, or chief, welcomed de Soto warmly near the cave's entrance. Even though the chief was kind, de Soto took him hostage. He also took some Coosa people as slaves.

The 18th Century and Official Records

During George Washington's time as president, Benjamin Hawkins was in charge of Native American affairs. In 1796, he visited the Creek Indian territory. In his report to the president, he described how magnificent DeSoto Caverns was. This report makes DeSoto Caverns the first cave in the United States to be officially recorded.

The 19th Century and the Civil War

Near the end of the American Civil War, the Confederate Army needed saltpeter. This material is used to make gunpowder. Families were encouraged to mine caves for it. The situation was so serious that young men were paid to mine saltpeter instead of joining the army. Because of this, DeSoto Caverns became a major saltpeter-mining center.

The cave had a spring-fed well, which was very important. Mining saltpeter needs a lot of water to clean the soil. Today, you can see the well, a cleaning trough, and a rebuilt vat from the Civil War mining operations.

Early 20th Century Changes

In 1912, a businesswoman named Ida Elizabeth Brandon Mathis and her friends bought the caverns. They planned to mine the cave for its rich supply of onyx, a beautiful stone. But then, Mexican onyx became popular and was cheaper. So, the partners couldn't compete, and the mining stopped after some early tests.

During the Prohibition period (1920–1933), selling alcohol was against the law in the United States. An illegal speakeasy and dance hall opened in the cavern. Because of frequent trouble, the caverns became known as "The Bloody Bucket" in the early 1920s. Eventually, government agents closed the place down.

In the mid-1920s, Ida Mathis's son, Allen, bought out the other mining partners. He gained control of all the underground rights to the property. For its first 50 years, the cave was a popular spot for young people to explore. In the early 1960s, Allen Mathis and Mr. Fred Layton started turning the caverns into a show cave. They put in powerful electric lights to show off the colorful onyx formations. The attraction first opened to the public as KyMulga Onyx Cave. This name came from a group of Chickasaw Indians who had a village nearby.

Late 20th Century Developments

Allen Mathis's son and grandson, Allen W. Mathis, Jr., and Allen Mathis, III, took over the caverns in 1975. The next year, the caverns were renamed DeSoto Caverns to honor Hernando de Soto. New lights were added, pathways were made wider, and improvements allowed larger groups of visitors. In 1980, parts of the cave that visitors had never seen before were opened.

The 1980s also brought a new light, sound, and water show. A playground, a gift shop, and a snack bar were added. Camping facilities were made bigger and better. In the 1990s, the climbing wall and gemstone panning activities were introduced.

DeSoto Caverns was added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage on July 19, 1976.

See also

In Spanish: Cavernas de Soto para niños