Locals rediscover Caverns: Some residents take first look at cave during 50th anniversary celebration
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?I haven?t been here since high school but today I?m going on a tour with my granddaughter who?s never been here,? said Dickie Basham with his granddaughter, Crimson Basham, who were among the hundreds of Warren County residents who took tours during yesterday?s 50th anniversary celebration.
?I?ve lived here all my life but this will be my first time,? said Leigh Wrisner as she was about to enter Cumberland Caverns. ?I?ve been in small caves, but this will be my first big one.?
Cumberland Caverns manager Carol Pedigo said the 50th anniversary celebration, where local residents were admitted for half price, was aimed at letting local people discover the cave for the first time.
?It?s really amazing how many people, born and raised here, have never been,? Pedigo said. ?Everyone I?ve talked to today who has taken the tour for the first time has been thrilled. This day is as much about thanking the people of the community as it is about a celebration.?
The event also featured live music at the amphitheater with groups like Cooper Creek, David Morrison and Not Half Bad.
?This has been a wonderful experience,? said local resident Debbie Sawyer, who came to see Cooper Creek perform but also took a cave tour. ?Everyone needs to do it at least once.?
For Lewis Lamon, the caverns were the lure which brought him here after he traveled from Indiana to first tour the cave. He was on hand Saturday to enjoy the celebration.
?We had to come down here back in 1951 and check out this big thing,? Lamon recalled of his first experience with the cave. ?We stayed at the Brown Hotel back then and probably clogged the drains with all the mud we washed off of us.?
Lamon has been involved with the cave for many years since. He?s had a hand in several improvements, including hanging the chandelier in the main cave dining hall.
?That was no small feat,? Lamon recalled of hanging the giant chandelier years ago.
Others on hand were some of the nearly 500 cave guides who have worked at Cumberland Caverns over the years.
?During my time here I had visitors from all 50 states and around 70 countries,? recalled former guide Danny Stubblefield. ?There?s a long tradition there. I hope some day they may even have a tour guide reunion.?