Cardwell Mountain

Warren County, Tennessee's Cardwell Mountain traces its history back to the year 1810. While surveying the Chickamauga Trail, just south of present day McMinnville, Aaron Higgenbotham discovered an entrance to a cave. However, Higgenbotham did not explore the cave in great detail. During the Trail of Tears, Higgenbotham constructed a road around Cardwell Mountain for use by the area Indian tribes. Not long after, another cave was discovered. This cave became known as Henshaw Cave. Henshaw Cave became significant, as it was a source of saltpeter. Saltpeter is the main ingredient of gunpowder. During the Civil War, saltpeter was mined and sold exclusively to the Confederate army, for the manufacture of gunpowder. Shortly after the Civil War, explorers ventured into the depths of Cardwell Mountain in search of much more then what Higgenbotham found. After exploring for over a mile, an explorer discovered a room that was sixty feet wide, ten feet high, and two thousand feet long. This room became known as the "Ten Acre Room." For the next few years, Cardwell Mountain became a haven for cave enthusiasts. In 1950, a second entrance was discovered. This entrance was located approximately 240 yards from the original one. However this entrance was much smaller and required persons to crawl to access it. In 1955, plans were set in motion for the cave system to be developed as a tourist attraction. The network of caves were dubbed Cumberland Caverns. In 1978, Cardwell Mountain was added to the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion D for its archaeological significance. Today Cumberland Caverns is the largest attraction at Cardwell Mountain, as it plays host to cave enthusiasts, and also to bluegrass concerts in the "Ten Acre Room."

The "Ten Acre Room" at Cumberland Caverns.

At Moore Historical Consulting my #1 priority is historic preservation. Do you own a historic home, commercial building, or farm? If so contact me today to learn more about the historic preservation strategies I offer. These include nominations to the National Register of Historic Places, nominations for a Permanent Conservation Easement, nominations to the Century Farms program, and writing text for historic makers. At Moore Historical Consulting I make exploring and preserving your past fun and easy.