Marengo in Crawford County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Marengo Cave National Landmark
Discovered September 6, 1883 by Blanche & Orris Hiestand who descended into the first room. The following Sunday, Mitch Stewart and friends explored the main passageways. The next day, local residents descended in mass on the cave. Owner Samuel Stewart, recognizing the commercial potential, secured the entrance and immediately opened the cave to the public. The Marengo Cave Company was formed in 1900 to operate the cave. The cave became a popular destination for railroad excursions prior to the Great Depression.
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Local residents used their wagons to haul visitors to and from the train depot. As transportation changed from trains to automobiles, the business languished yet survived on word-of-mouth advertising. The cave was sold to Floyd Denton in 1955. Floyd had big plans for redevelopment but died in 1960 before he could realize many of his plans. The cave was sold to a group of avid cave explorers in 1973. Designated a National Natural Landmark in 1984, the cave business has steadily increased since 1973 to become Indiana's #1 natural attraction.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Natural Features. In addition, it is included in the National Natural Landmarks series list. A significant historical date for this entry is September 6, 1958.
Location. 38° 22.524′ N, 86° 20.379′ W. Marker is in Marengo, Indiana, in Crawford County. Marker can be reached from State Road 64, ¼ mile east of Main Street (State Road 66). Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 400 IN-64, Marengo IN 47140, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. William Proctor House (approx. 0.9 miles away); United States Marine Corps (approx. 6 miles away); Crawford County Extreme Sacrifices Memorial (approx. 6 miles away); United States Army (approx. 6 miles away); United States Navy (approx. 6 miles away); Crawford County Veterans Memorial (approx. 6 miles away); United States Air Force (approx. 6 miles away); United States National Guard (approx. 6 miles away).
Also see . . .
1. Marengo Cave. Website homepage (Submitted on March 2, 2023, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
2. Marengo Cave. YouTube video (3m 25s) (Submitted on December 3, 2013.)
Additional keywords. cave
Credits. This page was last revised on March 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 2, 2013, by Lugnuts of Germantown, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 903 times since then and 7 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 2, 2013, by Lugnuts of Germantown, Wisconsin. 3. submitted on March 2, 2023, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. • Al Wolf was the editor who published this page.