Squire Boone Caverns
Encyclopedia
Squire Boone Caverns and Village is a cavern exploration attraction in Mauckport, Indiana
Mauckport, Indiana
Mauckport is a town in Heth Township, Harrison County, Indiana, along the Ohio River. The population was 81 at the 2010 census.-History:In the earliest times Daniel Boone and his brothers, most notably Squire Boone, were regularly in the area of Mauckport. Squire Boone settled in the area in 1806...

 (near Corydon
Corydon, Indiana
Corydon is a town in Harrison Township, Harrison County, Indiana, United States, founded in 1808, and is known as Indiana's First State Capital. After Vincennes, Corydon was the second capital of the Indiana Territory from May 1, 1813, until December 11, 1816. After statehood, the town was the...

 in Southern Indiana
Southern Indiana
Southern Indiana, in the United States, consists of the 33 counties located in the southernmost part of the state. The region's history and geography has led to a blend of Northern and Southern culture distinct from the remainder of Indiana. It is often considered to be part of the Upland South...

). The park consists of a one-hour walking tour into the caverns, as well as a working pioneer village and grist mill.

Park's History

The cave was first discovered by Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone was an American pioneer, explorer, and frontiersman whose frontier exploits mad']'e him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. Boone is most famous for his exploration and settlement of what is now the Commonwealth of Kentucky, which was then beyond the western borders of...

 and his brother, Squire Boone
Squire Boone
Squire Boone Jr. was an American pioneer and brother of Daniel Boone. In 1780, he founded the first settlement in Shelby County, Kentucky. The tenth of eleven children, Squire Boone was born to Nathan "Squire" Boone Sr. and his wife Sarah Boone in Berks County, Pennsylvania at the Daniel Boone...

, as they were hiding from Indians in the late 18th century. Squire would come back later to purchase the land and live near the caves in 1808 and start a mill at the site. The mill is on the Indiana Register of Historic Sites and Structures
Indiana Register of Historic Sites and Structures
The Indiana Register of Historic Sites and Structures was created in 1981 by the Indiana General Assembly. The Survey and Registration Section of the Indiana Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology oversees this state register. All places within Indiana that are listed on the National...

 and still operates today.
Squire Boone died in 1815 and, having so loved the caverns, requested to be buried in them, and was buried near the entrance to the cave. His remains were moved in the 20th century because of construction near his burial site and it's continual disturbance by relic hunters. The coffin, which contained only bones, was moved deep into the caverns.

The Village

The caverns are open year round, while the village and grist mill are open only during the summer months. The pioneer village includes an old fashion candy shop, a building where soap
Soap
In chemistry, soap is a salt of a fatty acid.IUPAC. "" Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. . Compiled by A. D. McNaught and A. Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford . XML on-line corrected version: created by M. Nic, J. Jirat, B. Kosata; updates compiled by A. Jenkins. ISBN...

 is made from lard
Lard
Lard is pig fat in both its rendered and unrendered forms. Lard was commonly used in many cuisines as a cooking fat or shortening, or as a spread similar to butter. Its use in contemporary cuisine has diminished because of health concerns posed by its saturated-fat content and its often negative...

, a chandlers house were candle
Candle
A candle is a solid block or cylinder of wax with an embedded wick, which is lit to provide light, and sometimes heat.Today, most candles are made from paraffin. Candles can also be made from beeswax, soy, other plant waxes, and tallow...

s are made by hand dipping, and a country store. The products made in the village are marketed nationally and can be purchased in many part of the country including Disney World. Everything made in the village is done the "old fashioned way", by hand.

The company which owns the caverns also run the Squire Boone Caverns' factory in New Albany
New Albany, Indiana
New Albany is a city in Floyd County, Indiana, United States, situated along the Ohio River opposite Louisville, Kentucky. In 1900, 20,628 people lived in New Albany; in 1910, 20,629; in 1920, 22,992; and in 1940, 25,414. The population was 36,372 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of...

, just off I-265, where hand dipped candles are mass produced.

Cave Tour

The tour of the cave is conducted by experienced guides on lighted walkways with minimal stairs. The tour starts with a short walk through the woods to a man-made entrance of the cavern.As of 6/27/2011 This Entrance has been closed. The tour now begins and ends with the stairs. The cave's tour includes such sights as a major underground river whose outlet and source are unknown, massive stalactite and stalagmite formations (which are not to be touched), a large open central cavern, several narrow areas, a large underground waterfall, several interesting rock formations, and at the end the coffin of Squire Boone and 73 Stairs leading out of the cave and into the general store where the tour began. Squire also settled down in this place around the entrance of the cave.
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