Dunbar Cave State Park is a 110 acre (450,000 m²) park in Clarksville, Tennessee, situated around Dunbar Cave. Dunbar Cave is the 75th largest cave complex in the world, stretching 8.1 miles (13 km) inward. In front of the cave entrance is a large concrete poured structure with two distinct arches. The cave is located in an area of karst topography, including sinkholes and rock formations. The manmade Swan Lake also sits in front of the cave. Downtown Clarksville Clarksville is a city located in Montgomery County, Tennessee. ... Karst topography is a landscape of distinctive dissolution patterns often marked by underground drainages. ... A special type of sinkhole - formed by rainwater leaking through the pavement and carrying dirt into a ruptured sewer pipe Sinkholes, also known as sinks, dolines, and cenotes, are formed by the collapse of cave roofs and are a feature of landscapes that are based on limestone bedrock. ... For discussion regarding the term strata as used in geology, see stratum. ...

The park is open daily from 8 a.m. to sunset.

History of the cave

Dunbar Cave was inhabited by local prehistoric peoples for thousands of years before settlers arrived. By 1790 it had been claimed by Isacc Rowe Peterson, however the cave's namesake belonged to a man named Dunbar. During the Mexican War, the cave was used to mine saltpeter for gunpowder. In 1858, developers saw the potential in the area, along with nearby Idaho Springs, and the first cabins were built there. After the Civil War, the springs and the cave were acquired by J. A. Tate, who constructed a two-story hotel on the site. 1790 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... The Mexican-American War was a war fought between the United States and Mexico between 1846 and 1848. ... Saltpeter is variously: potassium nitrate (niter); or sodium nitrate (soda niter) ... Gunpowder whether black powder or smokeless powder, is a substance which burns very rapidly and is used as a propellant in firearms. ... 1858 is a common year starting on Friday. ... Idaho Springs is a city located in Clear Creek County, Colorado. ... The American Civil War (1861–1865) was fought in North America within the United States of America, between twenty-four mostly northern states of the Union and the Confederate States of America, a coalition of eleven southern states that declared their independence and claimed the right of secession from the...

By 1931, the area had hosted numerous social events, including dances, concerts, and fairs, and was in need of repair and renovation. At the time, the state had just completed a new road in front of the hotel and a opportunity arose. A couple of local businessmen cleaned up the site, adding additional recreational facilities, including a concrete swimming pool, bathhouse, and tennis courts, and restoring and expanding the size of the hotel. The existing lake was also dammed up increasing its size to 20 acres (81,000 m²). 1931 (MCMXXXI) is a common year starting on Thursday. ...

During the latter half of the 1940s, Dunbar Cave was purchased by Roy Acuff and was the site of musical festivities and entertainment shows, which would host big bands like Benny Goodman's and Tommy Dorsey's. Acuff also added a golf course adjacent to the lake. Over time the popularity of the cave and surrounding area declined, and the hotel closed in 1950, The pool was shut down and buried in 1967. // Events and trends The 1940s were seen as a transition period between the radical 1930s and the conservative 1950s, which also leads the period to be divided in two halves: The first half of the decade was dominated by World War II, the widest and most destructive armed conflict in... Roy Claxton Acuff (15 September 1903–23 November 1992) was an American country musician. ... Benny Goodman, born Benjamin David Goodman, (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was a famous Jazz musician, known as King of Swing, Patriarch of the Clarinet, and Swings Senior Statesman. // Childhood and early years Goodman was born in Chicago, the son of poor Jewish immigrants who lived on... Tommy Dorsey (November 19, 1905–November 26, 1956) was a jazz trombonist in the Big Band era. ... 1950 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In 1973, the State of Tennessee, under then Governor Gordon Browning, purchased the land from Acuff, and classified it a State Park. The purchase was to repay Acuff for being a political "sacrificial lamb" during his run for the governorship in 1948. 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ... Gordon Weaver Browning (November 22, 1895–May 23, 1976) was an American politician who represented Tennessee in the United States Congress and was later Governor of Tennessee from 1937 to 1939 and again from 1949 to 1953. ... 1948 (MCMXLVIII) is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ...

In 2002, the park shut down briefly during the state's budget cutting crisis. 2002 (MMII) is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Persons wanting to read the complete history of Dunbar Cave, from it's use by Native Americans as early as 8,000 years ago, through it's pioneer days in the 1800's, through it's heyday as a Resort, and finally as a State Park will want to read "Dunbar Cave: The Showplace of the South" by Larry E. Matthews (2005). This book was published by the National Speleological Society, the largest group of cave scientists and cave explorers in the United States. This book is 146 pages long in a big 8.5 X 11 inch format, with numerous maps and historical photographs. It can be ordered online from the National Speleological Society at www.caves.org.