Iowa Underground: A Guide to the State's Subterranean Treasures

Front Cover
Big Earth Publishing, 2004 - Travel - 223 pages
Take a mysterious and fascinating tour through Iowa's underground treasures. This guide will reveal the state's subterranean attractions including show and wild caves, springs, mining sites and other geological and man-made sites. If you are a sport caver, a scientist, or curious tourist, this guide will give you all you need to know to begin exploring Iowa's underground world. IN THIS BOOK YOU'LL FIND - Detailed directions with helpful tips and precautions. - Descriptions of various lead- and coal-mining museums. - Fun stories and legends, including cave fairies, trolls, and ghost towns. - Additional information about Iowa's coal-mining past. - Facts about underground biological life. "A uniquely written perspective on the underground wonders of Iowa, by a premier Midwest cave historian." --Gary K. Soule, Speleo Historian and Trustee, American Spelean History Association

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Contents

Spook Cave Clayton County
12
Crystal Lake Cave Dubuque County
16
Wild caves
20
Black Hawks Cave Allamakee County
21
Bixby Ice Cave Clayton County
23
Skull Cave Clinton County
25
Backbone Cave Delaware County
28
Black Hawk Spring and Cave Des Moines County
31
Mines of Spain Recreation Area Dubuque County
113
Coal Mines
116
Appanoose County Historical and Coal Mining Museum Appanoose County
120
Boone County Historical Center Boone County
122
Madrid Historical Museum Boone County
125
Jasper County Historical Museum Jasper County
128
Brick School Museum Keokuk County
131
John L Lewis Mining and Labor Museum Lucas County
133

Starrs Cave State Preserve Des Moines County
34
Catfish Cave Dubuque County
37
White Pine Hollow State Preserve Dubuque County
39
Brush Creek Canyon State Preserve Fayette County
42
Duttons Cave Fayette County
44
Talus Boulder Cave Fayette County
46
Eldora Cave Hardin County
49
Wildcat Cave Hardin County
50
Frankenstein Cave Jackson County
53
Maquoketa Caves State Park Jackson County
55
Werdens Cave Jackson County
61
Camp Wyoming Jones County
64
Indian Bluff Cave Jones County
67
Searryls Cave State Preserve Jones County
70
Wapsipinicon State Park Jones County
72
Mosquito Cave Linn County
75
PalisadesKepler State Park Linn County
77
Three Bridges Park Caves Marshall County
80
Wildcat Den State Park Muscatine County
83
Coldwater Spring State Preserve Winneshiek County
86
Decorah Ice Cave Winneshiek County
90
Dunnings Spring Park Winneshiek County
95
Malanaphy Springs Cave and Waterfall Winneshiek County
98
Troll Cave Winneshiek County
101
Mining Museums
104
Lead Mines
106
Lead Crevice Dubuque County
109
Lucas County Historical Museum Lucas County
138
MekherDallas Coal Mining and Heritage Museum Marion County
140
Monroe County Historical Museum Monroe County
143
State Historical Society Polk County
146
Ottumwa Coal Palace Wapello County
149
Living Underground
152
Northeast Iowa Cold Air Community Black Hawk County
153
Bat Caves Clayton County
157
Discovery Cave Ida County
160
Rootscape Tunnel Jasper County
163
Earth Lodges Mills County
166
Subterranean Biome Polk County
170
Secrets of the Cave Scott County
173
Artificial Loess Cave Woodbury County
176
Other Sites
179
EOWATA Adair County
180
Herbert Hoover Library and Museum Cedar County
183
Old Brewery Art Gallery and Museum Clayton County
187
Bertrand Museum Harrison County
190
Harmon Tunnel Madison County
193
Grotto of the Redemption Palo Alto County
196
More Iowa Caving Opportunities
201
Glossary of Caving and Mining Terms
205
List of Resources
211
Index
214
Copyright

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About the author (2004)

GREG BRICK is a Professor of Geology at Normandale College in Bloomington, Minnesota. He has an advanced degree in Geology from the University of Connecticut, and worked for years as an environmental consultant. Greg's special area of interest is cave history. A member of the National Speleological Society, he also is currently editor of a national publication, The Journal of Spelean History.

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