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Jewel Cave Becoming A National Monument
Transcript
Discovery Hour Transcript- Aimee Murillo 02/07/2025 Musical Intro 00:00:04 Hello and welcome to Jewel Cave National Monument’s 125 years of discovery podcast discovery hour. 00:00:12 Join us this episode as we listen to a presentation on Jewel Cave becoming a National Monument presented by Ranger Aimee recorded on February 7th, 2025. 00:00:23 A transcript of this episode is available on our website www.nps.gov/jeca. Thank you for listening.
00:00:49 Yeah I'm Ranger Aimee I've been here at jewel cave for about 3 and a half years I've been a park Ranger for the National Park Service and get to wear his awesome green and green uniform for about 15 years got my start back in Missouri when I was in college 2010 had a little civil war battlefield and seasonal Ranger for. 00:01:05 A couple of years. 00:01:07 Carlsbad caverns National Park in New Mexico. 00:01:09 Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Colorado and then I moved out to California was there for. 00:01:15 About 8 and a half years 3 and a half years at Muir Woods National Monument north of San Francisco and then 5 years at Lava Beds National Monument. Part— way up we actually lived in Oregon when yeah yeah and there are other maybe other lava tubes in Idaho but. 00:01:24 Idaho yeah in Idaho. 00:01:31 close yeah Klamath Falls so about 2 and a half hours south of there yeah so I really enjoyed that but I love being here at jewel cave for some reason I was at Lava Beds I was like I really want to I want to work there it just seems like kind of an underdog story in a way that we'll be talking about today kind of from when the Cave got made basically about 1933 and I'm presenting today with. 00:01:51 Introduce yourself. 00:01:53 So my name is Jacob Dalland I'm an ace member so ACE stands for American Conservation Experience a partnership with the National Park Service so that's how I'm here I've only been here since November 12th but I have a background in both geology. 00:02:13 And history both of those fields are quite relevant to jewel cave more so the geology in general but history especially in terms of this presentation. 00:02:25 And yeah I think that's about it. 00:02:29 Well thanks Jacob yeah you’re welcome to stand or sit down if you want cause all kind of take over the beginning of the presentation then Jacob will take it away here in a bit. 00:02:36 But first of course going to do a little plug you all are here for our discovery hours greatly appreciate and we are doing these for to celebrate the 125 years that like jewel cave has been known today we're celebrating when jewel cave officially became a monument February 7th of 1908. 00:02:52 but we 00:02:54 believe that people first like found the Cave actually went into. 00:02:56 It I should say. 00:02:57 September of 1900 so we're celebrating this as like our 125 years of people going in the Cave exploring it knowing about it and such so we're hoping to do these talks monthly we began them in December and who did our first talk Sydney. 00:03:12 That was her yeah. 00:03:14 Sydney is loaded I didn't even come but I knew it was loaded cause I just saw the little preview but she did to talk about geology of like the entire 00:03:20 Black Hills then we kind of worked our way down to geology just of jewel cave and then again today we're kind of talking about how jewel cave became a monument how we got protected after The Cave was officially found and such but I just wanted to do a plug for that like I said we'll be hopefully doing them. 00:03:35 Monthly in the summer we might even have two a month so just follow us on our shows through media that's where we have on our website also that social media we we're just sharing a more often our Facebook and our Instagram and what we do in other really exciting. 00:03:46 Things for our. 00:03:47 125 years as well so just stay tuned monthly we're hoping to discover something new ourselves and also for our visiting public so that's kind of our theme. 00:03:56 Over something new here jewel cave every month prior wrapping up the discover. 00:04:00 in September because that's again when the discovery anniversary was so thank you all for coming to our 3rd discovery hour. 00:04:07 Little plug and so I did want a really quick because this is your first time to jewel cave and then you all have been here and when was last time you were on a tour. 00:04:11 Yeah. 00:04:15 I did the tour last March. 00:04:18 Oh that's right that's right so last March. 00:04:18 Yeah but he has been here. 00:04:20 I was first year for first year 40 years and I've been here several other times. 00:04:23 Oh that's awesome. 00:04:26 So your geology might be like a little rusty. 00:04:28 Yeah yeah a little bit little bit. 00:04:29 You might got it. 00:04:30 So I can't go into as much detail as. 00:04:32 Sydney but like I said. 00:04:33 A real quick OK. 00:04:35 You will probably— so this will sound familiar though. 00:04:38 Oh that’s funny. 00:04:40 I'm more of a history background I don't have geology and history like Jacob but having worked in geology parks I appreciate it especially if I think of it as like more of a history so here our geologic history is from like 300 million years to about 15 million kind of in that range and as yeah you all might know you maybe not just yet but. 00:04:57 Ultimately long time ago much of North America is covered in these inland seas within that are a lot of sea creatures have really nice calcium rich bodies they would die compact at the bottom of that shallow sea ultimately they made our limestone and any case so that limestone is just kind of hanging out at the bottom of that shallow sea all those compacted sea creatures all those brachiopods until there was a big uplift about somewhere around 60 million 00:05:20 years ago so that big uplift made older rocks beneath the limestone go up to the surface have you all hiked Black Elk peak before? And you probably haven’t done it yet. 00:05:28 It’s awesome not right now maybe a little icy but those are some of the oldest rocks in the Black Hills they all got pushed up to the top Black Elk peak is the highest point east of the Rocky Mountains wonderful views yeah kind of yeah exactly yeah kind of like up and here and Mount Rushmore as well would also be some of. 00:05:45 the older rocks. 00:05:45 It's. 00:05:46 So we're kind of in this layer because what happens.00:05:49 those older rocks kinda push them in the middle and then limestone layer was kind of on the outer edge, water from that sea started to come down. 00:05:56 It combined with a little bit of carbon dioxide in the soil to make a real diluted form of carbonic acid and that's kind of worked away and made the passages that we have in the Cave the nice big target room you all get to see in the concert today eventually the water drained out there was a breakdown period. Did you all like all those nice. 00:06:11 Rocks on the ground around you? 00:06:13 Yeah it's going to happen during the concert—no! Fortunately that was a really really long time ago and that's probably somewhere around. 00:06:21 15 million year mark and after that we do have some areas of the Cave you have been here and have you been to other caves besides.00:06:27 Jewel Cave? ohhh my. 00:06:28 My first one. 00:06:29 Gosh great first cave to see well. 00:06:31 Yes. 00:06:31 Other caves are more wet they might have more like stalactites and stalagmites. 00:06:36 We have some. 00:06:37 But where water is dripped down and mineral deposits it made those little spiky. 00:06:40 things grow. You didn't really see them in the target room that area the. 00:06:43 Of the cave. 00:06:43 Is pretty pretty dry but in any case most of the Cave is pretty dry and after? 00:06:47 That breakdown period was. 00:06:48 Probably. 00:06:49 Pretty quiet it's about 1900 and that's where we get to mainly what we're going to talk. 00:06:54 About today. But does Wind Cave? 00:06:57 They also have some but they're also pretty dry and it is really funny that we're both two— there's a lot of caves in the Black Hills dozens of them I think it's around 200 actually and they're all a little different I feel like some of the smaller caves have been able to find some of their like more wet rooms Rushmore cave I think has more of like the flowstone looking features. I think there's also a crystal cave. 00:07:17 Out near Hermosa but us and Wind Cave are both pretty dry so they have some but not too many and I think it's estimated like 5 percentage of Jewel Cave is wet. 00:07:25 You know you know. 00:07:27 So jewel cave and again it was just kind of quiet for a very long time Native Americans have lived in the area for you know thousands of years they might have known about the opening but it was really small almost the size— anyone finished with their plates? you can hold them up it's about the size of that yeah and so maybe. 00:07:44 a very small. 00:07:45 Child would be able to fit. 00:07:47 That but there isn't any evidence to show that so the first folks who officially get like credited with finding the opening popping in it and see if they pop up first I don't know how to do my animations. Frank and Albert Michaud they both have pretty good mustaches but I'm pretty sure judging by another picture that this is Frank 00:08:06 and this is Albert I'm pretty sure but yeah it was it's hard to tell them apart but they were riding we believe on September 18th of 1900 riding horses in hell Canyon with a friend of theirs named Charles. 00:08:16 Bush and they hear a whistling noise have a typical like we found a cave story other caves I've worked at they're like hunting and an animal like runs into but often Wind Cave was also a noise that attracted people to the Cave so they come upon that little dinner plate sized hole realize they can't fit in it but they're pretty curious about it because like a lot of people at the time. 00:08:37 They had came to the area for mining so very excited they're like maybe this is it this is we're going to find our riches and if you want to make a rock hole bigger what are you going to get. 00:08:47 Dynamite. so they I guess it's 1900 I guess they just had that handy you know they come back go to their junk drawer they get their dynamite they blast that hole open they're pretty excited about what they see and then I have a few pictures. 00:09:00 Of the opening but I should say this is a Ranger his last name is and he's Lyle Lynch he came upon and started working the park in the 1930s so the opening they didn't blast it quite this big but. 00:09:10 Just to show you what it looks a little bit. 00:09:13 But any case no matter how big the opening. 00:09:15 Because it didn't matter there wasn't anything super valuable in there even though it was sparkly it was pretty the calcite crystals that you all maybe got to see in the target room does indeed sparkle like jewels but like you and Sydney were chatting about no actual diamonds have been found but they were hopeful that maybe they could find.00:09:33 Like. 00:09:34 Gold. 00:09:35 Silver manganese and iron so that's what I can probably go to my next slide I guess. 00:09:41 A month later was Halloween which I guess I don't know if they celebrate Halloween at this point but it was like October 31, 1901 that's whenever they first stake their mining claim and that's kind of what they claimed that they were hopefully going to find. 00:09:54 They again they could pretty quickly realize it was really soft and so they're like well maybe we should also think about developing this for tourism like wind cave and have you all been to. 00:10:03 Wind Cave before? 00:10:03 Probably yes and that's your second cave. 00:10:06 Yeah and they just got their elevators renovated they just reopened for cave tours within like. 00:10:12 A week so it's definitely cool park they're more known for. 00:10:14 A feature called box. 00:10:15 Work they have some calcite crystals like we do but box work is really cool like webbed looking features in the rock but any case it was Wind Cave has been known about also for a long time probably even longer it's it's a sacred site for the Lakota culture they didn't go in it but they knew of the opening. 00:10:31 1880s is kind of when like euro Americans started to find the opening pop in it and a really fortunate thing for wind cave National Park it wasn't wind cave National Park I should say but wind cave. 00:10:43 Was that it was near to a train so they could pretty easily and alright I don't know what railroad line but apparently from Hot Springs there was a train went by wind cave so they're able to do pretty well with tourism and so maybe they just wanted people to go in the Cave the Michauds and Charles Bush and wear hats like that I don't know but this is and I would say this is apparently in a room? 00:11:04 Called the odd fellows room. 00:11:06 Because it kind of looks like the rings of the odd fellow society I was like and then in this picture is like a former governor as well as William Jennings Bryan who was a presidential candidate so you got some pretty well to do visitors had a really good community support made money and it was a McDonald family who initially started guiding people and the Michauds were like and Charles Bush that sounds great. 00:11:26 Let's do that so they started making developments and within about. 00:11:30 A year they had widened paths they had stairs in the cave they had a mile and a half trail that they built from whatever mediocre road was from Custer to Newcastle it wasn't great they did have a like a little path right up to The Cave entrance and they also built a cabin they also tried to make some like fun. 00:11:50 Things happen so they created the jewel cave dance club and that's one reason we've really sought to bring kind of some music to The Cave with the concert that we had today but doesn't anyone dance there wasn't really dancing music. 00:12:00 That's OK come back in September we're hoping out in our historic area where our initial Ranger station is to have a concert in September to kind of accumulate the year of discovery that might be more dancing like we'll see but in any case they did these different things and it's hard to take pictures in a cave as you all probably discovered today especially when you can't use flash so. 00:12:20 Ultimately the only pictures really have those developments that I have like from roughly around the time. 00:12:26 Are of the cabin that they built. 00:12:28 But unlike Wind Cave. 00:12:30 Unfortunately they didn't have a railroad that went right by the cave so their tourism venture wasn't working out very good just from custard to jewel cave it took about a half day ride on a horse and I sometimes it's like a full tour of 30 people I’ll ask like who would like to spend you know a half day on horse to get here? We did have the rodeo. 00:12:48 Queens here this morning they might have been like yeah but most people. 00:12:52 They're not. 00:12:52 Gonna wanna do a half day horseback ride to get here so the tourism adventure wasn't great Charles Bush after a few years they had a mining claim they all 3 pooled in on by about 1905 Charles Bush was. 00:13:02 Like I'm out. 00:13:04 And they somehow found a woman named Bertha King Richard from Saint Louis Missouri but she invested in it she never made any of the infrastructures that they did but she apparently had the money and so she became kind. 00:13:14 Of their 3rd. 00:13:15 Person so they just kind of continued making developments but they just weren't super fruitful but that was their whole plan make a mining claim then do enough developments to maintain that mining. 00:13:24 Claim maybe eventually 00:13:25 Will make some money on that tourism but yeah just wasn't? 00:13:28 Wasn't really panning out but finally 1906 the town of Custer starts to care just a little bit about The Cave because they are starting to think well maybe it would be nice to have a cave like wind cave near us and to promote it and get people to come and the visitors that did trickle from Custer to here it is pretty. 00:13:48 It's a really neat looking cave so they started getting a little bit of community support just enough to kind of get some word out and for somebody to come and kind of think about it and ultimately to jewel cave was surrounded by. 00:14:01 National Forest it. 00:14:02 Was formally called the Harney National Forest today the Black Hills National Forest. 00:14:06 And so they're like we could be a game preserve within that National Forest the initial plan was pretty big it was like jewel cave is going to be jewel cave game preserve will be 38,000 acres and it will have some springs for grazing won't allow any additional mining claims but you can do some settlements on there. 00:14:26 And the the town of Custer was like well it's kind of what we wanted but we still want to be able to graze and we don't like the idea that we can't do any new mining claims so what it boiled down to was instead let's just make 1200 acres a National Monument. 00:14:39 Through something the president could do through the antiquities act so that's what ended up happening today 1:00 117 years ago and so we have the initial proclamation from Theodore Roosevelt was the president at the time and then a little telegram that got sent it's really funny. 00:14:53 To read through. 00:14:54 Our history and you know it wasn’t like an incident like you know just on Facebook like I was having it took a while. 00:15:00 For word to get around but in any case the antiquities act is pretty interesting that allows the president to declare small places national monuments it doesn't have to go through congressional approval or anything so I'll toss it to Jacob to talk. 00:15:12 A bit more about. 00:15:13 That go ahead Jacob take it away. 00:15:18The antiquities act was actually pretty new when jewel cave was declared a national so only two years before in 1906 Congress approved the antiquities act which as Aimee said empowers the president to declare. 00:15:38 National monuments so. 00:15:41 In this picture we have George W Bush signing one of those acts that one happened to be one that actually is a marine National Monument stretching across many seamounts and various seashores of the farther Hawaiian islands. 00:16:02 And the name for that one I definitely can't pronounce but it's in the Hawaiian language so. 00:16:08 So. 00:16:09 The antiquities act at least original originally appeared to be about conserving archaeological resources and also items of scientific interest so when we think about jewel cave it doesn't really have a lot of archaeology especially from what predated. 00:16:29 The Michuads 00:16:30 But what it does have are all of the nice crystals the jewels as it were of the Cave so those items of scientific interest are what made Congress and President Theodore Roosevelt agree that jewel cave should be preserved as a National Monument under. 00:16:49 The antiquities act. 00:16:51 So. 00:16:53 Uh yeah so Theodore Roosevelt signed us as a National Monument on this day in. 00:16:59 1908. 00:17:01 And. 00:17:03 Next we have. 00:17:06 Just what exactly national monuments do. 00:17:09 So. 00:17:10 National monuments are supposed to conserve. 00:17:15 Resources as I mentioned that are archaeological or scientific interest, but they can also change hands and sizes and even they can change from a National Monument to National Park. 00:17:29 So. 00:17:30 Here we have devil 's tower which was the first. 00:17:32 National Monument and has stuck. 00:17:36 But on the left you may recognize that as Grand Canyon so Grand Canyon was one of those national parks which started off as a National Monument. 00:17:46 And national monuments are always created from pre-existing federal land so since this area was already part of the Black Hills forest reserve we were able to create that National Monument from land on the forest. 00:18:03 But. 00:18:04 Private lands can also be donated from owners like farmers ranchers that kind of thing to add on to those National Monument boundaries but either way the president usually determines the size of the National Monument according to what is the precise size needed to conserve those resources. 00:18:25 So for example with Jewel Cave. 00:18:28 We made sure to conserve that part of the Cave that was already known about which was less than 2 miles by that point now of course we've got all kinds of passageways extending outside the National Monument boundaries although technically that too is protected as part of National Monument. 00:18:46 Uh. 00:18:48 And then Congress can also declare national monuments as part of this antiquities act but it's oftentimes just the president. 00:19:01 And so over the decades there has been some debate over what exactly a National Monument is supposed to protect like I said originally it appeared like national monuments were for archaeological resources and also items of scientific interest but. 00:19:21 That debate has kind of focused on how large national monuments can really be whether they should be conserving just small areas or vast areas of land. 00:19:34 Or whether they're supposed to really be. 00:19:36 For offshore locations in exclusive economic zones. 00:19:40 On the sea floor. 00:19:42 So. 00:19:43 Here we have some. 00:19:44 Marine turtles on. 00:19:46 One of the marine national monuments which I've mentioned before so that monument conserves both sea floor and some of the atolls and shallow islands. 00:20:02 So that kind of leads us to some local differences that have arisen in two states namely Alaska and Wyoming about. 00:20:13 How much power the president should really have in the antiquities act and whether he should seek congressional approval before creating national alignments so.00:20:26 That image is of one of the national monuments in Alaska I don't remember which one but either way that was one of the national monuments that Jimmy Carter back in 1979 created that caused a bit of a stir within the state of Alaska because you know. 00:20:46 Jimmy Carter just basically went by his own authority. 00:20:51 Didn't consult Congress when Alaska kind of thought maybe he should. 00:20:54 Have. 00:20:56 But. 00:20:56 Of course most states are usually fine with the president not asking but I guess not Alaska in this case same thing with Wyoming back in 1933 when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. 00:21:12 Decided to sign. 00:21:14 Uh Jackson Hole National Monument into law so Jackson Hole National Monument is now guaranteed to National Park. 00:21:23 But like once again Wyomingites apparently didn't really like how he didn't ask them first or rather ask them through their representatives in Congress whether they should think that that part of the state should be a National Monument. 00:21:39 So these days both Alaska and Wyoming require at least some congressional approval before the antiquities act can actually be passed to make National Monuments in those states. 00:21:54 So. 00:21:55 Now I'll hand it back to Aimee. 00:22:00 Right. 00:22:05 Right yeah so Jacob was mentioning that there are you know there's national monuments not all just with like the National Park Service especially at the time that Jewel Cave became a National Monument the National Park Service didn't exist yet National Park Service did not exist until 1916. The Forest Service did so initially that was who we were kind of lumped with and again we were surrounded. 00:22:26 Completely by a National Forest so that made the most sense so we're a 00:22:29 Number of national monuments that were and actually my prior part Lava Beds National Monument first got established in 1925 we were also initially just kind of lumped in and protected with the National Forest that called the Modoc National Forest that we were surrounded by but any case initially protected by the Forest Service so today you'll see my patch National Park Service. 00:22:49 And a little bit of just how it was when the Forest Service first was managing the site and here we. 00:22:53 Just have. 00:22:53 A old map of the Black Hills National Forest as well as a picture of initially the first forester and one of the first leaders of the Forest Service Gifford Pinchot. 00:23:03 In any case forest service was also pretty new at the time that Jewel Cave got set aside it was only first made as it had a different name at first but in. 00:23:11 1881. 00:23:13 About 1891 within 10 years or about 15 little what they called forest reserves all around the country it wasn't being super well managed so Gifford Pinchot. 00:23:23 It was pretty funny he was from a very well to do family he's a really interesting guy to study and his dad for whatever reason. 00:23:30 He saw that his son really liked the outdoors and he's like you should be a forester. Like there are there aren't any foresters I'm going to Yale? 00:23:37 But in any case. 00:23:39 He went to Yale wasn't able to really study forestry there but he was able to go to Europe and study there and go amongst forest and like Germany and Switzerland and just learn a lot and bring that knowledge back. 00:23:49 To United States. 00:23:51 And begin organizing national forests and really advocate we need better organization so that was able to happen in the early 1900s and again with getting these little monuments and these little. 00:24:01 Forests and such but it wasn't. 00:24:03 Still wasn't a great at least kind of got the name all established and such but it was yeah it was just kind of lumped in we didn't really get a lot of people from the Forest Service out to Jewel Cave they maybe just popped in the Cave like once or twice a year their bag was definitely more the surface above why do we have this cave we don't want to go in there. They wouldn’t 00:24:22 Want to go in there without an actual guide. 00:24:24 Which is pretty much the Michauds and the really big hope was I think I can maybe switch to my next slide? 00:24:30 The really big hope was just a token mining photo here of anybody in the Black Hills. This isn’t even the Michauds to me it looked very much like people mining but— the hope was whenever it became part of Forest Service with the Michauds and especially Bertha Cain because again she was just like an investor she hadn't built any infrastructure she wasn't really that interested in that she really wanted some return. 00:24:49 On her claim. 00:24:50 So when Forest Service takes over especially Bertha was like. 00:24:54 Can we give some money for our? 00:24:55 Claim can we sell. 00:24:56 It to you? the Forest Service didn't have any way I mean they're very new they're still trying to organize and such. They didn't have any way to pay them for their claim so Bertha’s really bummed about this and she's like. 00:25:05 You know what I'm out so 1908 birth is out Albert eventually start getting kinda discouraged as well because the Forest Service like I said they didn't go in the Cave very much but the main thing they were interested in is this. 00:25:17 Actually like of. 00:25:18 Any value you all have they actually at this point had 5 mining claims not just the jewel cave tunnel load that it was called but they? 00:25:25 Had 4 others. 00:25:26 Are you all actually finding any iron any gold any silver any manganese of any paying portions? 00:25:32 And the reports are showing that they didn't so it's not being profitable they're not going to pay Bertha or the Michauds and so again Bertha was out and Albert eventually moved to Canada that's where his their father was from he moved back to Canada so at this point the mining claims investigations aren't panning out it's not looking like it's going very good and that it's going to be profitable. 00:25:52 And so they're not going to get paid for it everyone's out with Frank Michaud who had at that point gotten married started to have a family and decided. 00:25:59 To kinda live by the Cave and they were allowed by the Forest Service to continue with their not so great mining claims as long as they continue doing infrastructure updates so he at least kept doing that and getting one of his sons named Ira involved in that so again please keep doing that but. 00:26:14 It wasn't going great. 00:26:16 And so ultimately it was like we need more support and so there was something called the Custer commercial. 00:26:22 Club. 00:26:23 So the Custer Commercial Club– and there was a Forest Service representative who started chatting with Peter Norbeck he is a former senator who also became governor of South Dakota believe the 9th governor talk to him when he was still a senator and was like we need to get support from the Custer Commercial Club to get like a Superintendent for jewel cave to get like infrastructure paid for maybe we should give money to the Michauds. 00:26:43 For the claim you know unfortunately that wasn't working and so Frank at this point is like I'm very discouraged he started locking The Cave because it was getting vandalized they were getting support from the Forest Service. 00:26:54 So let's just. 00:26:55 Call it let's just lock it up so it wasn't going very well even though they at least kind of got some bigwigs. 00:27:00 Come in. 00:27:01 So something they had a little bit of success from was fortunately the jewel cave corporation. 00:27:09 Because I said the Michauds are frustrated they're starting to lock the Cave the Forest Service is only visiting a time or 2 a year they don't really. 00:27:15 Want to go. 00:27:15 In there very bad and even whenever the person reached up and got support from Peter Norbeck against the that's not very well and eventually I should also mention the Forest Service started locking The Cave with a different lock and then. 00:27:27 The Michauds had so they didn't love that and umm Frank Michael passed away in 1927 while he was visiting family in Canada so at this point the family they're all alone they have this claim but they're not getting anything for it but here again comes the jewel cave corporation because what started to help things move a little bit better for little jewel cave again all I. 00:27:46 Thought to be. 00:27:47 About 2 miles was that the road between Custer and Newcastle was really crummy not so bad today right from Newcastle and I drove from Custer I think it's pretty good yeah it's really nice but there at the time now or to like the. 00:28:00 Kinda late 1920s that road was not very good. Frank died in 1927— road not so great so they're like Custer commercial club contacted the Newcastle Lions Club and like hey you can we get together and make a club for jewel cave and maybe it's right in the middle ish and it's like 22 miles for you I think 13. 00:28:20 For us so the middle let's start something called the Jewel Cave Corporation and the Forest Service leader was on boarding and those clubs were on board and they were able to raise some capital stock to get infrastructures made to get the thought of a better road happening and finally to pay the only person with any bit of a claim. 00:28:38 Michaud a little bit of money they were able to raise money to pay. 00:28:41Your $750.00 inflation calculators I know aren't like super accurate just kind of looking that up this morning that have been around 13,000 so for 20 ish years of work not great but she was a widow with a family so it was something so she took it so at this point now the shows are out jewel cave corporation they for the first time. 00:29:00 Since the monument had became a monument in February of 1908. In 1928 they started doing tours they weren't dressed like this this is what we dressed like today to kind of model actually in 1940s Ranger once we were park. 00:29:12 Service but I just. 00:29:13 Thought that was fun picture but any case. 00:29:14 And they were leading tours initially and that was kind of some success finally thanks to the Jewel Cave Corporation and 2 towns like we have here today working together and getting that going because the Forest Service again just didn't really have the people to and then have the desire really to go into the cave now that they didn't really have Frank Michaud take him in Ira knew a fair amount. 00:29:34 So Ira was hired by the Jewel Cave Corporation to be one of the initial 3 people that they were able to hire for infrastructure builds. 00:29:41 So that was something that was good. 00:29:43 Thank you Jewel Cave Corporation. 00:29:45 And maybe because of all the really cool infrastructure things they were doing and all the money. 00:29:50 They were able. 00:29:50 To raise finally were able to reach the attention of fairly new National Park Service you can just from 1916 also could have been because Albert Michaud he's still living even though he's in Canada he wrote a letter to the former director of the National Park Service. 00:30:06 Stephen Mather being like jewel cave is not being very well taken care of by the Forest Service and I'm frustrated and so again probably a combination of that. 00:30:13 The letter as well as hearing of things happening with the Jewel Cave Corporation representative from the National Park Service team to visit jewel cave in 1929 apparently they were very impressed yeah that's what they said the Cave has much beauty but crystals and less extraordinary variety can hardly hold the continued interest of visitors. 00:30:33 To the same extent as drip formations and yeah by that I imagine they mean more of those stacties and stalagmites and things like that it would seem that the caves of local and statewide importance rather of national interest and like I. 00:30:46 Said come on underdog story. 00:30:47 So we didn't really realize how much there was to jewel cave but that's another. 00:30:51 But it's kind of funny it stayed quiet even though we had a National Park Service representative visit in 1929 no movement was just kind of like we visited we came we saw we're going to leave there's there's really not much there but randomly what happened was an executive order in August of 1933 FDR was trying to consolidate national monuments to save some money. 00:31:11 The great depression is happening and so 1933 an executive order he passed reorganized 70 national monuments away from the Forest Service and plunk them with the national. 00:31:20 Service and that my former park that was also the year that. 00:31:23 We went from Forest Service. 00:31:25 Park Service so any case that's where we officially became with the agency were with today. 00:31:31 And after that you have some different things happened Jewel Cave Corporation continued to do tours so then conservation corps eventually came in to start doing infrastructure and that's kind of what we'll continue on probably later this summer with the talk continuing the history of jewel cave the underdog story and finding out how we went from 2 miles to 220.33 that we know of. 00:31:51 Today yeah and so again I'm Ranger Aimee on behalf of myself 00:31:56 Thank you all for joining our discovery hour today let us know if you have any questions thank you. 00:31:59 Yep. 00:32:02 Yeah. 00:32:04 Any questions? 00:32:05 OK. 00:32:06 Eat more cake. 00:32:11 In the limestone country nobody has wells so you have to drill. 00:32:15 1,000,000 feet down. 00:32:16 What's this place? 00:32:18 For water. 00:32:19 I'd have to double check with our facilities Rangers but yes they probably know better yeah. 00:32:22 Well that yeah. 00:32:27 And it's the it's the dead one yeah. 00:32:31 No.
Description
Learn how Jewel Cave became a National Monument with Ranger Aimee.
Date Created
02/07/2025
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