Diamond Caverns - Jewel of Kentucky’s Underground
© Diamond Caverns, LLC. 2006

In 1811 storm clouds of war with England were gathering over unresolved territorial issues from the Revolutionary War. A junction of several stagecoach roads in south central Kentucky was intersected by a road that led eight miles away to Flatt’s Cave. The British embargo of American ports led to a shortage and inflated price of saltpeter. The dry sediments in Flatt’s Cave, soon named “Mammoth Cave,” were a valued source of saltpeter (potassium nitrate), necessary for the production of gunpowder.

One and a half miles north of the road junction, named Three Forks, saltpeter was also being mined in Short Cave and nearby Long Cave, on the west side of a long deep sinkhole valley. Underneath this valley, and undiscovered at this time, was a beautiful cave that later became known as Diamond Caverns.

By 1859, Three Forks was a sleepy village with 75 inhabitants. It was universally known as Bell’s Tavern for the town’s famous hotel, and was the departure point for the eight mile trip to Mammoth Cave. Most people of means stayed at Bell’s Tavern, revered for its peach and honey brandy, and then traveled by horseback or stagecoach on the single lane rutted road to Mammoth Cave to tour the world famous attraction. One and a half miles north of Bell’s Tavern, very near the road to Mammoth Cave, a slave of landowner Jessie Coats discovered a pit in the rocky bottom of the valley on July 14, 1859. Lowered on a rope into the cave, this first visitor thought sparkling calcite formations resembled diamonds, and the name for the cave was born.

The next day, a survey team entered the cave, descending rope ladders to assess the new discovery. Steps were built into the Rotunda and beyond, and a building was constructed to protect the entrance. The cave has remained remarkably pristine because of the conservation efforts that occurred immediately after the cave was discovered.
A newspaper article in the Louisville Daily Courier from August 19, 1859 describes the discovery and early history of the cave, referring to it as “Richardson Cave,” named for one of the original explorers. After a month of work developing the cave for tours, on August 19, 1859 the Kennedy Bridal Party was the first to enjoy the newly opened show cave. Except for short periods during the Civil War, the cave has been shown as an attraction for over 147 years.

In 1854 the Louisville and Nashville Railroad reached Three Forks. A branch line was laid to the nearby town of Glasgow. Thereafter, the town was named Glasgow Junction, and much more recently, Park City. The arrival of the railroad brought many more visitors to Diamond and Mammoth Caves.

The original owner of Bell’s Tavern, William Bell, left the tavern to his son, Robert, and daughter-in-law, Maria Gorin Bell. Maria’s father, Franklin Gorin, was a Glasgow lawyer and early owner of Mammoth Cave. After Robert Bell’s death, Maria married a prominent widowed local landowner, George Proctor. In addition to running Bell’s Tavern with his wife, George showed Diamond Cave to travelers. At the same time, his brother, Larkin Proctor, managed the Mammoth Cave Hotel, and also owned the stage line that served Bell’s Tavern, Diamond Cave, and Mammoth Cave. On December 12, 1859 Maria Proctor’s uncle, Joseph Rogers Underwood, a renowned Bowling Green lawyer and senator, bought Diamond Cave and 156 acres from Jesse Coats for $1,200.00. In addition to owning the Diamond Cave property, Underwood was also the managing trustee of the Mammoth Cave Estate, responsible for making Mammoth Cave a commercial success.

The Civil War effectively shut down visitation to Diamond Cave, as well as to Mammoth Cave. Guerrilla raids, use of the railroads for military purposes, and dreadful economic conditions ended tourist travel on the roads and railroads. Cave visitation remained stagnant in an impoverished nation after the Civil War.

Expansion of the railroads following recovery from the war led to increased tourism and development of other show caves in the region. Maria Gorin Bell Proctor’s stepson, John R. Proctor, bought Diamond Cave from Joseph Rogers Underwood for $1,472.00 in 1867. John and his father, George, continued to develop the cave. Two editions of a guidebook were printed, and numerous articles were published on the cave. John R. Proctor speculated in land and failed to settle personal debts and pay taxes on his extensive land holdings. On April 21, 1879 Seth B. Shackleford purchased Diamond Cave for $1475.00 at the Edmonson County courthouse steps. Proctor moved on to a distinguished career in public service, becoming Kentucky’s state geologist and a prominent federal civil servant.

There was a close relationship between Mammoth Cave and Diamond Cave for years. Books and cave brochures would describe both caves. Beginning in 1880, the Mammoth Cave Railroad tracks were laid just west of Diamond Cave. When the line finally opened in 1886, Diamond was one of the primary stops on the railroad. Excursions were available to see Diamond and Mammoth Caves on the same day, and still return to Glasgow Junction in time to catch through trains to Louisville or Nashville. Mammoth Cave Railroad stops also served two nearby caves opened by Larkin Proctor, Long Cave, commercialized as Grand Avenue Caverns, and Proctor Cave.

On June 11, 1900 J. B. Hatcher acquired Diamond Cave from Seth Shackelford’s Estate for $500.00. Two days later, G.T. Parker bought the cave from Hatcher for the same amount. Railroad travel brought more cave visitors, but only Mammoth Cave had national fame. Louisville and Nashville Railroad owned and promoted Colossal Cave east of Mammoth Cave, but there were few visitors. Indian Cave, Grand Avenue Cave, Proctor Cave and Diamond Cave were visited by those who sought caves with stalactites, stalagmites and other cave formations. Mammoth Cave’s extensive avenues were practically devoid of cave formations. During this period visitation to landmarks in the eastern United States was declining because of the development of national parks, and the continual discovery of spectacular natural features in the American West.

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