Salt Peter Cave, and the meaning of it's name.

Salt Peter cave is truly one of the wonders of Crittenden County. But today things aren't like they once were, where one could visit and enjoy these sights, most of these wonders are now hidden from us and we are not allowed to visit them. Due to destruction and vandalism of careless sightseers the location of these sights are now heavily posted, and some not even owned by Crittenden County residents.

As far back as 1880, this cave was considered a wonder. This is a description of the cave that was printed in The Crittenden Press, March 10, 1880.

There is a remarkable cave in the eastern part of this county, by those who live within its vicinity it is commonly called the "Peter or Salt Peter Cave. 

The cave is about nine miles east of Marion. It is located upon the farm of Messrs. Cam and Eph Hill.(in 2006 this land is owned by some people from Madisonville.)

Our way to the cave led us through several fields and cedar thickets up a gentle slope. This slope terminated at the base of an abrupt elevation which forms an apex of a considerable hill. On the side opposite the one we ascended and immediately under the hill, the cave is located. 

Standing upon the brink of the precipice, formed by the almost perpendicular declivity of the hillside, a grand sight presents itself to view. Grim, gray cliffs crowned with mournful pines and gloomy cedars and decked here and there with patches of moss and rock ivy, form a romantic amphitheater of semicircular form about the mouth of the cave. 

There is something amazing about these cliffs; for they are not only very high, but their stupendousness consists in being with but a few exceptions, formed by one solid stone. Some of them forming grand towering walls to the height of 300 feet.

Five hundred feet below through the intervening timber, old Piney Creek could be indistinctly seen, "moving its slow length along" like some huge silver serpent. 

There are two ways by which to gain access to the cave. One is by descending crawfish fashion down a fallen cedar thence over protruding crags until you reach a bench of rocks then turning to the right a few steps brings you to the cave. 

The cave is accessible the other way by going around the base of the hill. We preferred the former way on account of being the nearest, but on our descent we privately wished we had taken the latter. We reached the cave safely however, plus a few scratches.

The scene near the mouth of the cavern is somewhat impressive. The grim over hanging crags with their time stained fronts; throwing their lengthened shadows across the tall leafless oaks far over the immediate vicinity of the cave, lend to the scene a melancholy influence. The solitude was intense. 

On entering the cave we discovered a number of rudely constructed hoppers filled with a grayish brown dust.  This dust subsists in great quantities in the cave, and contains a large percent of niter. The dust is thrown into the hoppers, water is then poured upon it till saturated, this produces a kind of lye. The lye is put into large kettles, boiled down and then run into troughs to crystallize. This is the operation employed by the farmers in the neighborhood, in making salt peter for domestic use.

This is how the cave came by it's name of Salt Peter Cave.

 Another interesting sight at the cave are the initials J. L. B. and the year 1793 carved in the sandstone.

Could this be an earlier pioneer that was making salt at the cave,  or perhaps a traveler exploring the cave?