Tyson Spring Cave

Tyson Spring Cave plus Summary of History with Photos
by John Ackerman

"The gaping mouth of this cave system lies directly below a cluster of towering limestone bluffs in Fillmore County. And out of its inky black mouth flows a tempestuous vibrant volume of water, which cascades down large stair stepping blocks of rock, beginning its journey through the descending forested valley.
When I first laid eyes on this resurgence I was smitten, as I know previous generations must have been, dating back to the arrival of the Native Indians. Because the setting is almost utopian, no doubt our ancestors chose to make arduous journeys through the wild terrain in order to spend quality time there.
But due to its remote site, historical information is in short supply. We do know however, that shortly after the War of 1812 the United States government gifted approximately 120 acres to a war widow, who then deeded the property to Mr. Harper Tyson in 1862. He was obviously very proud of his cave, and sometime between 1875-1885 a professional photographer, who utilized the stunning new stereoscopic method, photographed the idyllic cave resurgence. Another historical photograph, taken by a succeeding landowner, can be found in the Fillmore County Historical archives.
It has been reported that the resurgence was a favorite picnic setting back then and that folks could venture into the 800-foot long cave using wooden boats. Unfortunately these early adventurers were prevented from penetrating deeper into the cave because the main passage ultimately became totally submerged in water. How frustrating this must have been, because during low water conditions it is almost certain that they could clearly hear a vivacious turbulent waterfall through tiny air gaps along the ceiling."

Read the Full article & Photos: http://www.caves.com/TysonSpring.pdf