Eleven Jones Cave

Eleven Jones Cave is located by Beargrass Creek in Louisville, Kentucky. It is 1,600 feet (490 m) southeast of the corner of Eastern Parkway and Poplar Level Road on the west bank, between Louisville Cemetery and Calvary Cemetery, near St. Xavier High School. It is developed in Louisville Limestone 448 feet above sea level. A spring discharges water into Beargrass Creek.[1]

The cave is the best known and best documented in Jefferson County.[1] It is popularly said to be named for being used by eleven brothers named Jones;[2] however, some believe it was actually named from early residents Levin Powell and John Jones.[3]

The stoopway entrance that is 4.5 feet (1.4 m) high and 2.5 feet (0.76 m) wide leads to a forty-foot passage into a fairly normal limestone crawlway conduit cave.[4] It is the only known habitat for the Louisville cave beetle, which is listed as a candidate for endangered species status.[5]

  1. ^ a b George, Angelo I. (1974). "The Legend of Eleven Jones' Cave, Jefferson County, Kentucky". Filson Club Historic Quarterly (48): 342.
  2. ^ Pritchett, Lucy M. (7 May 2001). "When it's hot, they're cool".
  3. ^ Kleber, John E. Encyclopedia of Louisville. (University of Kentucky Press). pg.270.
  4. ^ Kleber
  5. ^ "Species Profile for Louisville Cave beetle (Pseudanophthalmus troglodytes)". ecos.fws.gov. Archived from the original on 2011-10-19.