Missouri Caves in History and Legend (Missouri Heritage Readers Series) (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: crystal cave, marble cave, fairy cave, Saltpeter Cave, Onondaga Cave, Meramec Caverns (more...)

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Product Description

Missouri boasts more than six thousand caves in an unbelievable variety of sizes, lengths, and shapes. This grand tour sheds light on the historical significance of caves, corrects misinformation about them, and describes how people have used and abused them. Weaver tells how caves have enriched our knowledge of extinct animals and early Native Americans. Caves were used for burial sites and moonshine stills, as hideouts for Civil War soldiers and outlaws, and even as venues for underground dance parties in the late nineteenth century. Weaver also relates the history of Missouri's show caves and the resulting expansion in tourism. The book covers all counties with recorded caves and includes photos from the author's collection.

About the Author

Former show cave operator H. Dwight Weaver is the author of nine books, including Wilderness Underground: Caves of the Ozark Plateau, also published by the University of Missouri Press, and most recently History and Geography of Lake of the Ozarks. He lives near Eldon, Missouri.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: University of Missouri Press (January 26, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826217788
• ISBN-13: 978-0826217783
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 0.7 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,098,150 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Very informative, September 28, 2009

By	Debrah D. Phillips - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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I have not finished the book yet, but I have found it to be very informative about the history surrounding Missouri caves.

5.0 out of 5 stars A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this fascinating tour , February 2, 2008

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Former show cave operator H. Dwight Weaver presents Missouri Caves in History and Legend, the concentrated essence of a lifetime of history and research into Missouri's caves created by limestone bedrock slowly dissolved by groundwater. Bringing the reader on a tour underground, Missouri Caves in History and Legend reveals what caves have to tell us about extinct species and early Native Americans; how caves were used to mine saltpeter, onyx, and guano; how caves became hideouts for Civil War soldiers and notorious outlaws such as Jesse James; and much more. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this fascinating tour accessible to readers of all backgrounds - the next best thing to visiting Missouri's caves in person!