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Exploration and Institutional History of Caves of the Upper Midwest, USA

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Caves and Karst of the Upper Midwest, USA

Part of the book series: Cave and Karst Systems of the World ((CAKASYWO))

Abstract

Cave history among the states comprising the Upper Midwest, USA, involves three periods: (1) European exploration of the region, usually before 1850; (2) Euroamerican settlement in the century from 1850 to 1950; and (3) modern exploration by cave clubs or NSS grottoes, usually following World War II. The earliest mentions of caves in this region are often tied to French explorers along rivers in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Some of the most famous show caves had their beginnings in the subsequent, settlement period. Finally, the project caving of dedicated clubs and the “pulsed paradigm” of exploration of the longer cave systems have continued to the present time. Ironically—contrasting with caves like Mammoth in Kentucky—the smaller the caves the larger their history: Cave in Rock (Illinois), Carver’s Cave and Fountain Cave (Minnesota), Decorah Ice Cave (Iowa), and the caves of the Dells (Wisconsin) are good examples.

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Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank Larry Cohen, Windy City Grotto; Ed Klausner, Iowa Grotto; and Gary Soule, Wisconsin Speleological Society, who have contributed generously to this chapter.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lands and Minerals Division, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, Minnesota, 55155, USA

    Greg A. Brick

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  1. Greg A. Brick
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Correspondence to Greg A. Brick .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Lands and Minerals Division, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, St. Paul, MN, USA

    Greg A. Brick

  2. Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA

    E. Calvin Alexander Jr.

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Brick, G.A. (2021). Exploration and Institutional History of Caves of the Upper Midwest, USA. In: Brick, G.A., Alexander Jr., E.C. (eds) Caves and Karst of the Upper Midwest, USA. Cave and Karst Systems of the World. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-54633-5_2

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