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Wind Cave National Park Left to right: John Stabler, Mary McDonald, page from Alvin McDonald's Diary, Old staircase in Wind Cave, Alvin McDonald
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Wind Cave National Park
Birth of a National Park - Publicizing the Cave
 
Early Tour into Wind Cave

NPS Photo Archive

Early Tour into Wind Cave

The Petrified Man

The Stablers presented many publicity “stunts” to advertise the cave. They “found” a petrified man in Wind Cave Canyon and placed him in the cave. For a small sum you could look at “the petrified man”.

 
Alvin McDonald - left Paul Alexander Johnstone - center John Moore - right

NPS Photo Archive

Alvin McDonald - left Paul Alexander Johnstone - center John Moore - right

A Mind Reader!

A mind reader, Professor Paul Alexander Johnstone, came to the Black Hills in 1893 to find a hat pin that had been secreted in the cave. John Moore, a writer for the Deadwood Times and the Omaha World Herald was with them. After 3 days of searching and 3 days of publicity, the pin was located in the Standing Rock Chamber on today’s Candlelight Tour.

Exploration continued and on March 20,1892, George A. Stabler, Alvin McDonald, Elmer McDonald, J.D. McDonald discovered the Fairgrounds. It was the largest room in Wind Cave until the Club Room was found in 1964.

 
Alvin McDonald at the Columbian Exposition

NPS Photo Archive

Alvin McDonald at the Columbian Exposition

Going to the Fair

In 1893, the McDonalds and Stablers took cave specimens to the Colombian Exposition in Chicago to promote the cave nationally. Unfortunately, on the trip Alvin caught typhoid fever. He died December 15, 1893. The Hot Springs Star reported that Alvin was now “the chief guide to the pearly gates of the Eternal City.”

 
Columbian Exposition
NPS Photo Archive
Pictures from the Columbian Exposition

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Sign used at Wind Cave in 1903 when the cave became a national park.

Did You Know?
Wind Cave is the first cave in the world to be designated as a national park. That occurred on January 9, 1903.
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Last Updated: May 05, 2007 at 13:50 MST