The Big Cave / Early History and Authentic Facts Concerning the History and Discovery of the World Famous Carlsbad Caverns of New Mexico

A first-person memoir relates how an early settler and his family moved to a frontier community and encountered a vast underground cavern, recounting its discovery, the initial commercial exploitation of bat guano, and the rudimentary exploration and camp life that followed. Another section outlines the cavern's deep geological history and the arrival of life within its chambers, while a later account describes the cave in its more developed, visited state, offering surface approaches and subterranean views. The book combines eyewitness recollection verified by local testimony with plain geological explanation and photographs to document the site's origins, early development, and present accessibility.