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Robert Baker discovered the cave in the late eighteenth century. A stream ran through the cave, and was wide enough so that oxcarts could be used to bring the saltpeter above ground. However, torchlights had to be used to light the cave so that workers could mine the saltpeter from the ground.
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During the War of 1812, sixty to seventy men were employed to mine the cave of its saltpeter, deemed necessary as
British blockades prevented saltpeter shipments from overseas. Many of the workers at the cave were slaves. To a lesser degree the cave was also mined during the
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For a time, ending in the 1970s, Great
Saltpetre Cave was a commercial cave, and was open not only for tours, but also for ballroom dances, a museum, and weddings. However, the guests would often damage the
77:
in 1806 the first scientific description of
Kentucky's saltpeter production, he drew mainly from the experiences of the Great Saltpetre Cave. As with most saltpeter caves, the land above the cave is a
102:. During the later war, the Union soldiers that worked at the cave also lived in the cave, due to its 58 °F (14 °C) year-around temperature giving respite from cold winters and hot summers.
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121:. Overnight camping stays are possible upon request if the requester belongs to certain organizations. Artifacts from the cave's mining days are still visible at the site.
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Today the cave is owned by the
Rockcastle Karst Conservancy, as part of the 300-acre (1.2 km) Great Saltpetre Preserve, off
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More details River of
Enterprise: The Commercial Origins of Regional Identity in the Ohio Valley, 1790-1850
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by taking souvenirs. Some would also leave their names in the cave, the most notable of which was
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65:, also called niter, is leached from dry soil. When Doctor Samuel Brown, a
54:. Other names include Kincaid's Cave and The Great Cave on Crooked Creek.
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218:"The History of the Great Saltpetre Cave According to Richard Mullins"
1404:
National
Register of Historic Places in Rockcastle County, Kentucky
283:
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Free Frank: A Black
Pioneer on the Antebellum Frontier
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professor of anatomy, chemistry, and surgery, gave in
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History of the
National Register of Historic Places
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1399:Protected areas of Rockcastle County, Kentucky
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284:"Great Saltpetre Cave Articles and Documents"
8:
86:. Typically the saltpeter would be sent to
50:in 2013, and is within the boundary of the
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239:"History of the Great Saltpetre Preserve"
151:NPGallery Digital Asset Management System
1414:Landforms of Rockcastle County, Kentucky
211:
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35:, it served as an important source of
31:in southeastern Kentucky. During the
7:
400:National Register of Historic Places
48:National Register of Historic Places
286:. Rockcastle Karst Conservancy, Inc
220:. Rockcastle Karst Conservancy, Inc
134:was partially filmed at the cave.
14:
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354:. University Press of Kentucky.
335:. University Press of Kentucky.
265:. Great Saltpetre Cave Preserve
1:
350:Walker, Juliet E. K. (1995).
331:Kleber, John E., ed. (1992).
308:Gruenwald, Kim Marie (2002).
1419:Daniel Boone National Forest
263:"Frequently Asked Questions"
216:Hilton, Sheryl (July 1990).
52:Daniel Boone National Forest
43:Also known as black powder.
1409:Nature reserves in Kentucky
1394:Kentucky in the War of 1812
1173:Kentucky in the War of 1812
1093:National Historic Landmarks
90:to be made into gunpowder.
46:The cave was listed on the
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1098:National Natural Landmarks
241:. Great Saltpetre Preserve
1316:
1253:
1106:
1057:The Highlands, Louisville
1021:
333:The Kentucky Encyclopedia
119:Kentucky State Route 1004
1197:Benjamin Franklin Graves
1303:The Hunters of Kentucky
67:Transylvania University
39:, a vital component of
1217:Richard Mentor Johnson
1111:Keeper of the Register
1365:37.36694°N 84.28750°W
1131:Contributing property
1298:Battle of Frenchtown
1272:Great Saltpetre Cave
1202:Nathaniel G. S. Hart
96:Mexican–American War
18:Great Saltpetre Cave
1370:37.36694; -84.28750
1361: /
1336:Kentucky portal
1067:West End Louisville
1052:Downtown Louisville
88:Lexington, Kentucky
1429:Mining in Kentucky
314:Indiana University
100:American Civil War
1389:Caves of Kentucky
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1242:Gabriel Slaughter
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1126:Historic district
29:Rockcastle County
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695:Jefferson: Other
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131:Fire Down Below
108:cave formations
80:hardwood forest
63:calcium nitrate
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1308:Spur's Defeat
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1291:Miscellaneous
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361:0-8131-0840-3
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342:0-8131-1772-0
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323:0-253-34132-9
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126:Steven Seagal
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61:At the cave,
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26:
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20:is a notable
19:
1346:
1277:Mammoth Cave
1271:
1237:John Simpson
1232:Isaac Shelby
485:Breckinridge
351:
332:
309:
302:Bibliography
288:. Retrieved
278:
267:. Retrieved
243:. Retrieved
233:
222:. Retrieved
199:
190:
185:Kleber p.794
181:
172:
167:Kleber p.387
146:
129:
123:
116:
112:Daniel Boone
104:
92:
75:Pennsylvania
71:Philadelphia
60:
56:
45:
17:
15:
1368: /
1081:Other lists
203:Walker p.34
176:Walker p.36
33:War of 1812
27:located in
1383:Categories
1356:84°17′15″W
1353:37°22′01″N
1192:John Allen
1187:John Adair
990:Washington
925:Rockcastle
860:Muhlenberg
850:Montgomery
765:Livingston
560:Cumberland
555:Crittenden
290:2009-01-18
269:2009-01-18
245:2009-01-18
224:2009-01-18
138:References
1047:Anchorage
920:Robertson
895:Pendleton
810:McCracken
700:Jessamine
670:Henderson
535:Christian
480:Breathitt
413:by county
153:#13000565
124:The 1997
82:-covered
41:gunpowder
37:saltpeter
22:limestone
1320:See also
1072:Portland
1015:Woodford
870:Nicholas
840:Metcalfe
815:McCreary
795:Marshall
785:Magoffin
735:Lawrence
660:Harrison
610:Gallatin
600:Franklin
570:Edmonson
515:Carlisle
510:Campbell
505:Calloway
500:Caldwell
430:Anderson
404:Kentucky
98:and the
1088:Bridges
1005:Whitley
1000:Webster
975:Trimble
955:Spencer
950:Simpson
935:Russell
915:Pulaski
830:Menifee
780:Madison
760:Lincoln
750:Letcher
705:Johnson
690:Jackson
685:Hopkins
680:Hickman
645:Hancock
640:Greenup
630:Grayson
615:Garrard
590:Fleming
585:Fayette
575:Elliott
565:Daviess
550:Clinton
520:Carroll
490:Bullitt
475:Bracken
460:Bourbon
435:Ballard
316:Press.
84:plateau
1265:Places
1180:People
985:Warren
960:Taylor
945:Shelby
910:Powell
890:Owsley
880:Oldham
865:Nelson
855:Morgan
845:Monroe
835:Mercer
820:McLean
800:Martin
790:Marion
745:Leslie
730:Laurel
710:Kenton
655:Harlan
650:Hardin
625:Graves
605:Fulton
580:Estill
525:Carter
495:Butler
440:Barren
358:
339:
320:
1010:Wolfe
995:Wayne
980:Union
970:Trigg
940:Scott
930:Rowan
900:Perry
825:Meade
805:Mason
770:Logan
755:Lewis
725:LaRue
715:Knott
675:Henry
635:Green
620:Grant
595:Floyd
540:Clark
530:Casey
470:Boyle
455:Boone
425:Allen
420:Adair
411:Lists
128:film
965:Todd
905:Pike
885:Owen
875:Ohio
775:Lyon
720:Knox
665:Hart
545:Clay
465:Boyd
450:Bell
445:Bath
356:ISBN
337:ISBN
318:ISBN
25:cave
16:The
740:Lee
402:in
1385::
312:.
254:^
208:^
158:^
114:.
73:,
1165:e
1158:t
1151:v
392:e
385:t
378:v
364:.
345:.
326:.
293:.
272:.
248:.
227:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.