The fascinating story of one of America's most spectacular caves-a compelling account that combines natural history, business intrigue, and Americana.

Back in 1842 in the foothills of the Catskills, eccentric Schoharie County farmer Lester Howe began to wonder why his cows stood out in the sun rather than under the shade trees nearby. Taking a closer look, he discovered a chill breeze blowing up from a brush-covered hole in the earth. Soon Howe and a neighbor were making lengthy and primitive explorations below ground, and each time the two returned, mud-covered, to the surface, they spoke of a cavern system that amazed them with its extent and complexity. Local Native Americans had known of the cave long before-they called it "Otsgaragee," the Cave of the Great Galleries-but Howe's chance rediscovery is the first chapter in the dramatic tale of one of America's oldest and greatest commercial caves.

Just as dramatic as the caverns' features-walls of colored floorstone, gigantic columns of stalactites and stalagmites, murderously tight squeezes and vast open galleries-is the story of their evolution from natural wonder to commercial venture as a cement quarry to tourist attraction. Noted natural historian Dana Cudmore examines this spectacular natural phenomenon, which is greeted by nearly a quarter of a million visitors each year. Packed with fascinating historical photographs, The Remarkable Howe Caverns Story is a remarkable and compelling account of man's interaction with nature.

"An interesting local history that should intrigue spelunkers and expand awareness of a site already well known to visitors of New York State's Leatherstocking region." Booklist

"Spelunkers and local history buffs will relish this engaging account." Publishers Weekly

Dana Cudmore, spelunker and local history expert, worked for several summers as a Howe Caverns tour guide to pay his way through college. A former newspaper reporter and editor, he lives in the Hudson Valley of New York.