Exploring Howes Cave: History, Tragedy, and Tourism

Historian and author Dana Cudmore, a former tour guide and current chronicler of Howes Cave, Howe Caverns, and Schoharie County's "Cave Country," gives us a lay of the land and recalls the oft-repeated question, " Anybody ever die down here?"

Cudmore recounts in his 2024 book, The Cave Electrician’s Widow: The Tragedy at Howe Caverns & Dramatic Courtroom Fight for Justice, the story of two Howe Caverns employees who tragically asphyxiated in response to a nearby dynamite blast on April 24, 1930. The conversation describes the events of that tragic day, as well as the continuing allure and industrial significance of the caves and surrounding area.

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00:00 Introduction: The Popular Question

00:16 History of Howe Caverns

02:04 Touring Cave Country

03:18 Lester Howe's Discovery of Howe Caverns

06:20 Secret Caverns and Fraternal Rivalries

11:17 The 1930 Tragedy

21:56 Modern-Day Mining in Howes Cave

22:52 Conclusion and Author's Reflections