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| Oregon Caves National Monument, USA (Oregon Caves National Monument, Oregon)
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The Discovery of the Oregon Caves
In 1874, a local hunter named Elijah Davidson was in this area of the Siskiyou Mountains hunting deer with his faithful bear-hunting dog, Bruno. After shooting a buck, the dog suddenly sensed a bear nearby and Elijah gave him the command to go after it. He watched as the dog chased the bear through the brush when suddenly they appeared to vanish into the side of the mountain. As he approached, Davidson noticed a dark hole in the midst of the rocks. He cautiously entered it, following the barks of his dog. However, the inside was so dark, he stopped in his tracks. When he suddenly heard the cries of Bruno from far within, he reached for his matches and forged ahead. It seemed to go on forever and his matches were finally exhausted. Davidson had no choice but to return from the direction he came. In total, he estimated that he spent three hours inside the marble cave and never encountered an end. His dog returned shortly afterwards, a little worse for wear but all right, and he would return to camp to tell everyone what he had just found.
The Oregon Caves National Monument
Elijah Davidson would return to the cave several times after that and bring others with him as well. As word of the discovery spread, more explorers converged on the area to see the spectacular sight for themselves. On July 12, 1909, President Taft would establish the 480-acre Oregon Caves National Monument and tours would be provided for the general public. Over the years, construction has broken through to other caverns, expanding the tour to a 90-minute walk, including over five hundred stairs. There are a few restrictions in place, so it is best to check the site below for more information.
The Ghost Room
Oddly enough, a ghost is said to haunt one particular room of the cave, aptly named the "Ghost Room." The Ghost Room is in the shape of a crescent 520 feet long and 50 feet wide, with a ceiling 40 feet high. In the early days, one particular guide was known to pull pranks on his friends he led into the cave by shutting off the lights when they reached this massive room. He would growl, moan, or make other spooky sounds as he moved away from the group. Apparently, he even left a few of them there and let them find their own way out. After his passing, many people have reported seeing a face appear in areas of the room on occasion and some believe the guide is still having fun with the guests. If the ghost in the cave is not enough, the entrance to the Oregon Caves sits right across from the Oregon Caves Chateau, which features its own ghost stories as well.
Bigfoot Sighting
On July 1, 2000, Oregon psychologist Dr. Matthew Johnson and his family had just finished touring the caves and decided to follow the Big Tree Trail, rather than follow the path back to the Visitor Center. Around the two-mile mark, the family all smelled a pungent odor that was overbearing, but not that of a skunk. Shortly after, they began to hear odd cries in the forest. Nervous, but undeterred Johnson had other business to attend to and left his family on the trail and ventured up a nearby hill to do a little nature of his own. While he was squatting and doing his business, he caught sight of a large upright creature watching his family. Having encountered bears before in his travels, he knew that it was not a bear. He automatically assumed that he was looking at the legendary Bigfoot or Sasquatch. His instincts kicked in and he rushed back down the hill to his family and they quickly made their way back to the Visitor Center where he reported their findings. The story hit the news and several Bigfoot hunters converged on the area and, while some reported hearing the same noises the Johnson family did, no one else sighted the creature. |
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| Related Sites |
Oregon Caves National Monument
The official site of the Oregon Caves National Monument, home of the reportedly haunted "Ghost Room" and even a bigfoot sighting. |
skookumQuest.com: Matthew Johnson's Encounter
An article from Oregon psychologist, Matthew Johnson, detailing his encounter with Bigfoot near the Oregon Caves National Monument. |
OregonBigfoot.com
A collection of sightings and reports of the mysterious cryptid known as either Bigfoot or Sasquatch completely focused on the state of Oregon. |
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| See Also on TheCabinet.com |
| Blog: 100 Years of Ghosts and Monsters at Oregon Caves (07/12/09) |
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| Available from Amazon.com |
Mothman and Other Curious Encounters |
Awesome Caverns of Marble in the Oregon Caves National Monuement: Documentary |
Discovery and exploration of the Oregon caves: Oregon Caves National Monument, |
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