Meramec Caverns , Stanton, MO

The last time I had been to the caves was some time in the early 90’s. About an hour outside of St. Louis, it was a popular destination for grade school field trips. The cave system, at 4.6 miles, is one of the largest in the country and contains stalactite and stalagmite formations that are thousands of years old including a section of aragonite that forms a six-foot high table supported by three legs. These were the throw-away facts our tour guide, Woody, peppered us with on his way to the real story of the place. Jesse James, the infamous 19th century bank and train robber purportedly hid in the caves, and managed to use the underground river system to escape the authorities that had chased he and his gang into the hideout. Forget geology, this place was home to Missouri’s most famous outlaw hero.

Before Jesse James found the caves they were mined for salt peter (bat guano) for the manufacturing of gun powder during the Civil War. Once all the bats were gone and train-robbing outlaws were no longer in need of underground shelter the caves sat empty and “undiscovered” until 1933. In 1935 it was opened as a tourist attraction on Route 66 by Lester B. Dill who is credited with inventing the bumper sticker to promote the caverns. It is currently promoted by more than 50 billboards that go for miles in each direction.

This place is so rich in photographs I wish I had more time there.