Giants in Adair County, Kentucky
A Kentucky Cave Story, Adair County Adair County
Louisville-Courier-Journal Columbia, Kentucky
January 30, 1876 Adair County
Reprinted in a Story by Wayne May in Ancient American
Ancestors of our First Americans
The Kentucky Cave Story in Adair County
Two young men named White, while idly wandering in a large tract of wild, dense forest, in the south-eastern part of our county, discovered what they supposed to be a sink-hole or
fox-den, (A) and with that idea proceeded to explore it. After a little trouble in making their way through the entrance, the cave (for such it proved to be) became large enough to admit of
their walking upright. They had proceeded thus in this passage probably, 150 yards, when they emerged into a large and picturesque gallery, the beauty and grandeur of which will
rival that of the old Mammoth itself. The room, according to their calculations, is about 150 by 100 feet, and abounds in all the varieties of the stalactite and stalagmite. Adair County
But, it’s not the things that we naturally expect to find in caves that we wish to mention particularly, but the curios remains that were discovered therein. Adair County
In the northeast corner of the first gallery, (for there are five, which we will speak of) about five feet from the ground, they noticed some strange characters or hieroglyphics neatly carved in the wall, which, upon close examination, proved to be the head-rock of a vault. Adair County
A few minutes prying served to loosen this and disclose to view the interior of an enclosure in the solid rock of about five by ten feet, which contained the remains of three skeletons, which measure eight feet seven and a half inches, eight feet five inches and eight feet four an three quarter inches in length respectively.
The heads were lying toward the east, each body parallel to the other. Beside them lay three huge (what looked to be) swords, but they were so decayed that upon being touched they crumbled to dust.”
After examining the remains closely, but finding nothing that would serve to throw any light on the question as to who and from whence they are, they closed the vault, but in doing so,
knocked their torch out, which they had contrived before entering, leaving them in anything but a pleasant predicament. After searching some time for their lost treasure, they
concluded to try to escape by feeling their way out, but in this they made the matter worse. They stated that after leaving the first large room they struck a good sized branch, and
continued following it until forced to turn into another passage the stream disappearing suddenly in a huge perpendicular gulch which led them into another spacious hall, the size of
which they believe to be quite as large as the first.
Out of this second opening, and through what they conceived to be three others similar at least in size their way seemed to gradually ascend, until their hearts were made glad by the
discovery of light ahead, and finally emerged from their ugly confinement through a hole about midway, the cliff of Russell’s Creek, having been confined in their subterranean
discovery over thirty eight hours. The whole country thereabouts is rife with speculations concerning the interesting discovery, and numbers of citizens will visit it as soon as the
Messrs. White finish their work of rendering the entrance less difficult to pass.
Source: Ancient American #45
The Hartford herald., February 09, 1876, Image 1
The Tarborough southerner. [volume], March 17, 1876, Image 1
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume], February 07, 1876, Image 1
American citizen., February 19, 1876, Image 1
What is the source of the original article? I see reposts all over the web when doing a search. In addition I see no evidence of these so called giant skeletons. grant you there is the picture associate with this article but nothing that gives a sense of spatial identification… no rule… nothing to compare the height against
The original source is a newspaper article archive. With the advent of the internet about 1100+articles can be compared together for the first time. Not all of them have spatial objects for comparison. Many of the ones that do have spatial comparisons i can replicate for people like you to come and see. The greater ancestors world museum has many skeptics that walk in but almost none that walk out. checkout our facebook page as well.
Someone recently contacted my family who was doing some research on this story. The men who first discovered these remains were White’s and we are also White’s who live in Adair County Kentucky along Russell Creek. We had never heard this story before but are curious to learn more about it. Could anyone help me find more information on the story or tell me how to get the article that was published in the magazine? Thanks
Dana,
http://www.ancientamerican.com/aa/index.php/back-issues
On this link you can order the back issues. Keep me informed on what you find and i will give you research credit.
~ GAWMuseum
Where is the cave where these “giants” were found. I live in Adair county and I’m a cave explorer…very interesting article
Researcher,
Many of these stories are just “starting points” “leads” to go on.
First i would start by picking up the original article:
original article:: Louisville-Courier-Journal Columbia, Kentucky January 30, 1876 Ad
You may be able to contact them directly: http://www.courier-journal.com/
You can try writing them: http://cjinfo.courier-journal.com/contact/
So in return I am going to asksomething of you.
I would like to have an original copy of the article if you can get it.
I am still looking for an exact location, but there is a mention of a second hole in which is a small exit: “through a hole about midway, the cliff of Russell’s Creek”.
this is not the primary entrance.
The secondary article is here:
ANCIENT AMERICAN ISSUE # 45
Ancestors of our First Americans
by Wayne May
This also would be a good article to have for the museum.
I hope this helps. Any information that you bring back in your hunting, please respond in this thread with details.
~Chris L Lesley / GAWMuseum
I have seen a hint that the main entry is like a sinkhole or fox’s den outside the city, I think that city might be Louisville.
also check out the main library in the local newspaper archives around 1876 in Louisville.
http://www.lfpl.org/branches/main.htm
~Chris L Lesley / GAWMuseum
Charles Dickens claims to have met one and refers to him in “American Notes” about his trip here. The details escape me but his account implied there was more than just the one he met.