In 1842, in the foothills of the Catskills, eccentric farmer Lester Howe and a neighbor began conducting lengthy and primitive explorations below ground at Howe's Scoharie Country farm. 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 was 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 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 Storyis 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)