HISTORY OF CRYSTAL CAVE

Crystal Cave was discovered in 1881 by a local farm boy, William R. Vanasse.  The discovery occurred while William was walking through the woods just a short distance from his home.  The sixteen-year-old, discovering a small leaf-filled sink, probed and pushed with a stick which suddenly slipped from his grasp, disappearing into the ground.  The initial exploration of the cave took place the next day when William and his younger brother, George, descended into the large vertical entrance.  They entered a clay and debris filled dome from which they then dropped down into what is now the main room of the second level.  In other directions, the boys saw only shallow entrances to clay-filled galleries on the upper level.  The existence of other levels and galleries was not suspected.

Crystal Cave, at that time was called Sander’s Corner Cave, remained in it's semi-filled condition for several decades.  A slight amount of caving from the sink on the surface was the only alteration visible to the succession of adventurers who visited the cave.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE CAVE

Crystal Cave was developed, or commercialized by Henry A. Friede, an advertising agency manager and amateur geologist from Eau Claire, Wisconsin.  Mr. Friede had been interested in caves for some time and had studied many possible sites in the Spring Valley/Elmwood/Plum City area, hoping for a discovery equal to that of Blue Mounds (now Cave of the Mounds) or the caves near Harmony, Minnesota (Mystery Cave and Niagara Cave).  The most likely prospect was Sander’s Corner Cave. a quarter mile south of the junction of State Highway 29 and County “H” (now County CC).  Work began during the week of November 2, 1941 on the first and second levels.  By November 20, 1941, six men worked daily using a drag line to remove the silt and debris filling the cave.  It was during this same time that Alvin Peterson began developing plans for the entrance building.

Stairway into cave

By early April, 1942, much of the debris had been removed and construction was begun on an entrance building.  Arthur Maher, from Durand, Wisconsin, was hired as stone mason.  At that time, plans called for a building measuring 52’ x 30’, built from “loose fragments of dolomite removed from the cave, and will be of one story with a full basement.  An easy series of stairways will lead from the basement to the first and to the second and third levels below.  The basement will be used to display the numerous minerals, rocks, and fossils found at the cave site...”.  (Taken from the “Sun”, April 23, 1942.)  The cave itself had a reported 1101 linear feet of passageway open to the public at a depth of 81 feet.  The April 23, 1942 “Sun” reported opening day as sometime in June of that year.  In conversation with Mrs. Henry Friede, original plans were to have a “Memorial Day Weekend Grand Opening!”.

Construction of the building continued throughout 1942.  The “Assembly Room” had been completed and was used as a curio and souvenir shop. The REA News article mentioned a separate opening providing an exit from the  cave but no more information can be found on these plans.  Photographs of building construction show completion during the summer of 1944.  Sometime between summer 1942 and summer 1944, an apartment was added to the building plans increasing the size to 80’ x 30’.

Restaurant

Mr. and Mrs. Friede continued to operate the cave making it a well-known local attraction.  A few years after opening, the Assembly Room was  converted into a restaurant where such (in)famous people as Joseph P. McCarthy dined (September 3, 1951).

Moe's and Friede's

As successful as the business was, Mr. and Mrs. Friede sold the cave in June, 1957 to Mr. and Mrs. William Moe of Minneapolis.  Mr. and Mrs. Moe continued to operate the cave as a highly successful enterprise until it was sold in December, 1975 to Glenn Buss of Prescott, Wisconsin.  Mr. Buss returned the business to the Moes in 1983.  Mr. and Mrs. Moe, again, sold Crystal Cave to Blaze and Jean Cunningham in December, 1986.  Blaze and Jean, geologists by training, continue to operate the cave as an underground educational facility.

Beginning in 1992, major exploration began in the cave.  Following a major breakthrough made by Blaze Cunningham and Nathan Carlson, the Minnesota Speleological Survey (MSS) led by David Gerboth, has almost tripled the length of the known cave.  A new survey of the cave is in progress, spearheaded by John Lavass and Dawn Ryan, members of the Wisconsin Speleological Society (WSS).  Data collected from this survey will be incorporated into the most detailed map of Crystal Cave to date.