In 1960, several members of the Pelham Chamber of Commerce began a campaign to have Glory Hole Caverns (then mistakenly called "Blowing Cave") into a major tourist attraction. More than 42 years later, South Georgia is still pleading with Atlanta to save, preserve and develop the natural wonders in our area.
My hometown of Bainbridge is in the adjoining county and in 1963 when I was going to college in Atlanta and working for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, I began making trips to the area to visit the caverns and falls. I started exploring caves all over the South that year as a member of the National Speleological Society, an organization of spelunkers (cave explorers) and speleologists devoted to the exploration and study of caverns. I was a member of the Society's local chapter (grotto) in Atlanta, the "Dogwood City Grotto".
I have had a life-long passion for the tourist industry and have studied this field since I was in high school. I did so because I earnestly believe the tourist industry can bring millions of dollars in tourist revenue and add thousands of new jobs to this region. Once I had been inside Glory Hole Caverns, Climax Caverns and the cave at Ochlocknee Falls, I knew immediately that we had a golden opportunity right here in our own back yard! Here were natural wonders that could match anything in Florida (except their beaches) and better than much of those in Alabama, South Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana and Tennessee.
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t the same time, I am strongly opposed to commercial development of major natural wonders by private enterprise. All too often, this element turns Mother Nature's beauty into a gaudy carney show. Natural wonders should be owned by the public so they can be properly developed and preserved for future generations.In 1964, I entered the campaign to develop Glory Hole Caverns. I brought fellow spelunkers from Atlanta down to help map the cave and turned our maps over to the Pelham Chamber of Commerce and later to the Southwest Georgia Area Planning & Development Commission.
The Commission decided to authorize a feasibility study in 1965 at the urging of many folk. They hired Economic Research Associates, a division of Hamilton, Thomas & Associates of Miami. Unfortunately, this company had absolutely no experience in development of natural wonders as a public park or commercial tourist attraction. No one in the company had ever even visited a cave, much less knew anything about the sites in this area. They later hired two spelunkers from the University of Florida to visit the cave and furnish a report. Once again, the fate of the cave depended upon people with no knowledge of the sites and very little caving experience. The two Florida spelunkers contacted me and asked me to take them on a tour of the cave which I eagerly did. The Commission paid $3,000 for the feasibility study which agreed that the cave could and should be developed.
However, when the study was released in May 1966, it was a disappointment because of too much gobble-de-gook. It had little on basic research of similar parks around the country. Yet it did recommend the site be developed by a public agency, leaving the question open as to whether this might be a county or state government agency.
I wrote newspaper articles for several newspapers about the study. However, this bland report simply could not catch the public's interest. Even though Glory Hole is one of the most beautiful in the South, what was needed was a proposal for a major park featuring ALL of the surrounding natural wonders.
Camilla Enterprise
Camilla, Georgia
I later moved back home and began writing for the Albany Herald and covering the area for newspapers in Tallahassee and Jacksonville, Fl. and United Press International. I wrote a number of articles for these and other newspapers about the project. In 1967, I decided a real development plan was needed, backed up with some hard tourist research and emphasizing public caves. I visited state parks and commercial tourist attractions in several states, including several dozen visits to Florida Caverns State Park -- one of that state's most wonderful and profitable state parks.
My report brought an immediate and enthusiastic response from folks in the area. I was asked to speak to the community club in Whigham, a small village (about 450 population) west of Cairo. I expected perhaps a dozen or so to show up. Instead, I almost had to push my way into the community center -- the place was packed, with standing room only. This big crowd hung on my every word and applause was plentiful. Color slides of Glory Hole Caverns brought a lot of "oohs" and "aahs" and more applause.
I also addressed the Rotary Club in Camilla, county seat of adjoining Mitchell County, where Pelham is also located. This group was also enthusiastically for the project.
A Tallahassee and Thomasville television station asked me to appear on live shows to tell about the project and the natural wonders. WSB TV of Atlanta sent a reporter and cameraman down to visit Glory Hole. Unfortunately the reporter (later a prominent NBC reporter) chickened out when he saw the tight entrance. You can't see where you are going in the present entrance -- you just have to feel your way with your feet. I entered first and was putting the cameraman's feet into the right spots when the reporter announced there was "no way" he was coming in. I jokingly grabbed the cameraman's feet and told him "You're coming on in if I have to drag you!" He later confessed he thought I actually meant it -- otherwise he would have scooted out right away. Luckily for my joke, he got some very good TV footage which was seen on the Atlanta station with the biggest audience in the South.
CONTINUED in Part 3
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