Horse Cave Stories

270-854-3054

Mayor Randall Curry Listen to the
Cellphone Audio for Stop #1 spoken by Mayor Randall Curry

Click to Read the Tour Script for
Stop #1

Stop # 1 Rich Heritage of Horse Cave - Narrator: Randall Curry

Pre-historic Native Americans explored Hidden River Cave and Horse Cave's early settlers were attracted to the abundance of clean water available at the cave's mouth. Beginning in the late 1800's thousands of visitors arrived by train to visit the cave. But cave tourism was fraught with feuds and controversy, as you will soon learn.

Horse Cave has an intriguing African American history. The Horse Cave Colored School (as it was known before integration), was renowned for its high academic standards as well as its outstanding basketball team, which won the state championship four years in a row. Graduates of the team went on to play for the Harlem Globetrotters.

"Horse Cave Noon Whistle"

Water Street from Horse Cave Park yesteryear

Inside a prominent tobacco warehouse yesteryear

Horse Cave central park before Highway 31W

Turn of Century young people enjoying gazebo in park

Young people around the center pool in park yesteryear

Closer view of old park. Look for gazebo and pool.

See Historic District Designation Map

Historic District Designation Report
(.pdf 356K)

"Horse Cave Colored School" graduating class in the 1940s

Oral Histories about the
"Rich Heritage of Horse Cave"

Sandra Wilson
Sandra T. Wilson, Executive Director
Hart County Tourist Commission
"Tobacco, commerce, and

"Off-kilter streets and
triangular buildings"

Ken Russell,
President
Horse Cave Development Corporation

"Tobacco town"

Newton Thomas, Principal of "Horse Cave Colored School" (retired)
"Basketball champions and academic achievers"

Curtis Wilson
"Growing up in Horse Cave
in the 1930's and 1940's"

"The championship team"

"Clarence Wilson and the
Harlem Globetrotters"

Randall Curry,
Mayor of Horse Cave
"Horse Cave Colored School"

"Basketball champions play
for Harlem Globetrotters"

"Professor Thomas - it takes a village"

"Athletics and academics"