Lost River - Karst Information Portal

2007 NSS Convention Guidebook
good news is he did not drown.
— Richard “Dick” Blenz, Bloomington
Indiana caver, and owner of Buckner Cave,
Monroe County; generous benefactor to NSS
and friends.
— Dave McGowan, film producer of Cave
Biota, premiering in 2007.
— Blue Spring Cave survey and exploration,
Lawrence County, starting in the 1960s, Art
and Peg Palmer, Sam Frushour, Dan Chase,
Jim Richards, Bugs Armstrong, and countless
others.
— Doug Love and his very controversial
publications in the 1970s on caves in Garrison
Chapel Valley and Cave River Valley.
— Carroll Ritter, Bedford area caver
and educator, who documented many caves,
especially in the Lawrence County area.
— The 1960s era feats of the Sullivan
cavers, Bugs Armstrong, Sam Frushour, and
many others.
— The 1992 Marengo Cave Discovery
and Extension, found by Joe Oliphant, Chris
Schotter, Danny Dible, Greg McNamara,
Aaron Green, Ted Wilson, Tony Akers, and
Witek Jokiel.
— Harold and Loretta Meloy: lawyers and
cave historians from Shelbyville who wrote
many articles and books. Harold’s expertise
was Mammoth Cave, especially the mummies
found in the area.
— Edwin Hubble, whom the Hubble
telescope is named for, was a teacher in New
Albany and made visits to Fairground Springs
(in Corydon) and Wyandotte Cave before
leaving the area for a career in astronomy.
— The Indiana University Spelunking Club:
Many cavers got their start here and went on to
grottos such as Bloomington Indiana Grotto).
For example, Frank Reid, the late electronics
and cave radio specialist.
— The Purdue Outing Club has had its
share of cave contributions in Indiana; George
Jaegers, and “Fig” Newton got their start
there.
— Cave diving in Indiana: Steve Maegerlein,
Sam Frushour, Jeff Forbes, Bud Dillon, Dave
Strickland, Dave Black, Noel Sloan, Mark
256
Hermerding, and others.
— Grottos in Indiana; Central Indiana
Grotto, Bloomington Indiana Grotto,
Evansville Metropolitan Grotto, Harrison-
Crawford Grotto, St. Joseph Valley Grotto,
Western Indiana Grotto, Eastern Indiana
Grotto, Northern Indiana Grotto, Mid
Hoosier Grotto, and defunct grottos: Tell City
and Scotto.
— The survey and exploration of Lost River
Cave System: over 20 miles and what could be
the longest cave system in the state. This project
is headed by Mark Deebel and the St. Joseph
Valley Grotto and Northern Indiana Grotto.
— Jefferson Proving Grounds and Crane
Studies, headed up by Jerry Litaker, Bruce
Trotter, Ray Sheldon, Jerry Walker, Keith
Dunlap, and others.
— Evansville Metropolitan Grotto area
cavers, Don Shoftstall, Ernie Payne, Richard
and Sue Vernier, Bob Sergesketter, and Tom
Sollman. Sollman conducted crayfish counts in
Shiloh Cave, Lawrence County, in the 1980s.
— The Indiana Karst Conservancy is a
positive voice for karst in Indiana. People like
Tom Rea, Keith Dunlap, Bill Tozer, Jim Adams,
Kriste Lindberg, Larry Reece, Scott Fee (past
NSS president).
— The 1965, 1972, and 1992 NSS National
Conventions held in Indiana.
— The new generation of Indiana cavers,
Brian Killingbeck, Mark Sparks, Jamie Winner,
Todd Webb, Sean Lewis, Aaron Atz, Elliot
Stahl, and others.
— The development of Squire Boone
Caverns as a show cave , mainly by ISS cavers
and owner Fred Conway in the early 1970s.
— The tragedy and drownings of NSS
cavers at Show Farm Cave near Orleans in the
1960s.
— Ben Hains, New Albany native and cave
photographer, maker of cave stereo view in the
late 1800s.
— The Indiana Cave Survey data base;
Browsing the list of cave mappers and surveyors
among those mentioned; (by last name),
Sheldon, Nicoll, Black, Morthland, Spaulding,
Henrisey, Metz, Komisarcik, Lemasters, Doolin,