Cave-in-Rock, Illinois
Early History
Cave-in-Rock, population 450, is a small village in Hardin Co. located on the north bank of the Ohio River in southeastern Illinois. There is much history associated with the village, mainly revolving around the "cave" from which the town was named. The first documented mention of the cave is in Charlevioux's History of New France in 1744. A map was drawn from data obtained by a Frenchman, Martin Chartier who visited the area in 1729. He called it "le caverne dans le roc". The cave is now part of the Cave-in-Rock State Park, and was once the hangout for river pirates and counterfeiters. Also visible in the State Park are Indian mounds, evidence of the early heritage of the area before the white man came.
The first permanent settler in Cave-in-Rock was Soloman Perkins, who was living there prior to March 3, 1807. He was granted permission to remain on 320 acres at the site of the town. Around 1807 another settler, Phillip Coon, and his family settled on the edge of Cave-in-Rock where the "Hessville community" was located. During the 1813 May Term of the Gallatin Co. Court of Common Pleas, Lewis Barker was given permission to have a road surveyed from his ferry to the U.S. Saline works. In 1814, Lewis Barker bought the section of land where Cave-in-Rock is located. As the result of a petition signed by inhabitants of Rock and Cave Township, Lewis Barker and Phillip Coon were appointed as viewers for planning a new road that would connect Barker's Ferry at the Rock Cave with the Kaskaskia Road, and a second road to the U.S. Saline Works. Near Cave-in-Rock is a crossing of the Ohio River, known as Ford's Ferry, and the highway that ran through Crittenden Co., Kentucky and Hardin Co., was known as Ford's Ferry Road. This road was the main highway across this section of the country in early days. Many of the pioneers who settled in the area came over this road from Kentucky and regions to the east.
A plat map of Cave-in-Rock was recorded in 1839, but the village was not incorporated until 1901. Early records often refer to the town as Rock-in-Cave. Sometime in the 1830's the name started appearing as Cave-in-Rock. The village was originally in Pope Co., until Hardin Co. was formed in 1839 from the counties of Pope and Gallatin. Records before 1839 can still be found in the county court houses of Pope and Gallatin,. Due to the Hardin Co. Court House burning in 1884, most records were destroyed. Little is know about the businesses of Cave-in-Rock before 1884, except for a business directory published in Atlas of the State of Illinois c1876. The directory named: Ed. H Baker, Dealer in Produce; R. C. Estridge, Dealer in Liquors; J. J. Goodwin, General Merchant; J. M Gentry, Physician; Thos. Hodges, Farmer and Minister; John Mitchell, Farmer and Merchant; Pell & Madden, General Merchants; Wm. L. Ray, Physician and Surgeon; M. L. Shelby, Dry Goods and Produce; John M. St. John, Farmer and Engineer; M. Wright, Farmer and Minister; E. F. Wall, Farmer and Shipper; and John Shearer, First Teacher. Until the late 1870's, the main street of Cave-in-Rock was Water Street, and it ran in front of the businesses which faced the Ohio River. The town burned, and the businesses were rebuilt facing away from the river.
The residents of Cave-in-Rock are very proud of their village and their heritage. Anyone visiting in the Shawnee National Forest is encouraged to visit our village, tour the State Park, and take a free ride on the Cave-in-Rock Ferry.