Program

NYS Historic

Subject

Site

Location

2190 Berne-Altamont Rd, Altamont, NY 12009, USA

Lat/Long

42.669697, -74.118244

Grant Recipient

Knox Historical Society

Knox Cave in Albany County, New York has been known and explored since the 18^th century. A stone tablet with “hieratic writing” and artifacts were reportedly left behind by indigenous people (“Where the Gentle Touches of Air,” 1981). The Haudenosaunee used the cavern to seek refuge from Colonial Dutch settlers. Archaic writing (later thought to be erosion marks) also generated lore about Mormon inhabitants of the cavern.

In 1835, the cave was rediscovered by Thadeus Chapman, a resident of the Town of Knox. A handful of explorers wandered into the passage afterwards, including Prof. Sias of Schoharie Academy in 1879, but it was largely forgotten or sealed until 1933. Burdell J. Truax found a mysterious passage on his property and proceeded to organize an exploration party to investigate its contents. Truax, his brother Marvin, and a few other men navigated the cavern for several hours and found many “underground curiosities”, including chambers of varying sizes, a small lake, stalactites, and stalagmites (“Another Huge Cavern,” 1933). They estimated the passage as 200 feet below ground and one mile in length.

C. Robinson saw an opportunity to commercialize the cavern’s natural beauty and leased the cave from Truax. The site was cleared of debris, lights were installed, and stairs were erected for the public. The cavern opened to the community on May 30^th, 1933, and soon became a popular tourist destination for experienced cavers and common spelunkers. Picnic grounds, a roller-skating rink, and athletic fields were built on the property to attract additional guests. The location became so beloved among the community that a wedding was held in the main cavern passageway in 1958.

The cave closed to the public in 1961, upon D.C. Robinson’s death, and was largely abandoned. The site fell under disrepair and was left to deteriorate. However, brave spelunkers would re-enter the site from time to time. In March 1975, a group of students from SUNY Albany attempted to access the cave on an unseasonably warm day. The weather caused a massive ice block to break free and hit the students, killing one and paralyzing another. To prevent further accidents, the property owner attempted to donate it to the National Speleological Society. The NSS conducted a detailed survey of the site but determined that it was too much of a liability to maintain.

A non-profit organization, the Northeast Cave Conservancy (NCC), was founded to protect and maintain access to the site. The cave has reportedly been owned by the NCC since 1979, but the organization did not acquire the surrounding property until 2004. Knox Cave is still open, but cavers are now required to obtain a permit to enter the site.

Sources:

Another Huge Cavern, About Mile Long, is Uncovered in the Helderbergs. (1933, February 15). Albany Times Union.

Where the Gentle Touches of Air and Water Work at Their Leisure. (1981, July 10). The Altamont Enterprise.

Links:

https://www.necaveconservancy.org/