Cave-In-Rock Illinois: Notorious Harpe Brothers Hideout
Cave-In-Rock Illinois: Notorious Harpe Brothers Hideout
In this video, we’re going to see the Cave in Rock, which is a natural cave formation inside a rock ledge along the Ohio river in Illinois. The cave itself is cool enough, but I first heard about it in reading about two notorious early American outlaws known as the Harpe Brothers. The cave was a hideout for river pirates and bandits in the late 1700s, and the Harpe Brothers went here in 1799 when they were on the run from authorities across the river in Kentucky.
#Cave-In-Rock #harpebrothers #cave
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Areas like that are interesting. I’ve been thru Luray Caverns, Endless Caverns in Virginia both great places to visit.
Looks like the stories my great uncle Harpe told me about
According to my grandpa, the Harps pushed them into the opening and that’s why it was screened off.
Looks the same as it did when my wife and I visited it on our 25th anniversary trip back in 1994. We were on our way home to MIlwaukee from The Great Smoky Mountains, Chattanooga, and Nashville by taking back roads and exploring small towns and Historical Markers.
Very interesting, have never heard of this cave. You still in TN?
Ya mentioned they ended up with their heads on pikes as a warning to other criminals. That’s been done for centuries and to this day it hasn’t seemed to stopped any criminal activity. The only method that seems to work is killing the criminal. No warning, just death.
Awesome video
I’m sure that entire area has been explored with a metal detector.
Wonder what was found 🤔
Is there any description of what the inside looked like back then? I’m guessing they had wood building’s of some sort.
Very interesting , never heard of this place. Thank you
Love places like this!!
It really stirs the imagination.
Thank you for the video and information. My ancestors were James and Elizabeth McFarlan, who operated the Rose Hotel. I am interested in the history of the area.
Don’t know if it was mentioned, but an excellent read is "Satan’s Ferryman".
Tells you everything about the Harp brothers, the pirates of the cave in the rock and other historical documentation.
I use to live across the river.
To my chagrin wile searching my family tree, I find I am related to these guys….
We visted the cave. I never knew this until now. Great video! Thanks!
we love this kind of stuff like to know more, was it ever used by the Indians, or giants good stuff god bless
Great area, go there quite a bit. Use to be a great diner called Roses, think it’s closed now though. Still a decent campground close by there. Good vid, had to check it out. Grew up round there. Thanks
A nice tour of the cave. Its bigger than I expected it to be. One of these days I am finally going to run the entire river and would like to stop around here to check it out. Its not clear from any of the cruising guides if there is a dock nearby to tie off to, if not, I hope that the park allows boaters to pull ashore and tie off to whatever you can find to do so. I need to investigate that. I am sure its a lot prettier at the park on a nice and warm, sunny summer’s day. It really is something all of the history that is related to the Ohio River that so many people just don’t know that goes back before the founding of the nation and every period since then.
After the Masons kicked them out, the Harpes returned to Kentucky, where after they committed yet another outrage, they were hunted down by a posse, in the fight that ensued, Little Harpe was killed, and his head was placed in the fork of a tree, along what is still named Harpes Head Road,it remained there for several years until it was removed, and crushed into powder, by a local woman, who believed that a concoction made from it, would cure her daughter’s epillepsy, Big Harpe, escaped and crossed the Mississippi, where he was believed to have been killed by Choctaw warriors, about a year later, according to Historian Alan Eckert, in That Dark And Bloody Ground.
It’s in a few old movie also
That cave really resembles an ancient lava tube.
I’ve read about these stories but never seen the cave , thanks.
Good story thank you perfect day too shot.
I remember in the 80s we had family reunions here. Fried cat fish from the river and playing in the cave and throwing rocks in the river while my parents drank beer. A childhood with minimal supervision.
What a beautiful place with a horrible history.
"Natural", sure…
Rememb?er the tv ?series "Davy Crockett and the Riverboat Pirates" ? The segment about the pirates was filmed in and near this cave, if I’m not mistaken!
Those shafts of sunlight are known as crepuscular rays.
Your voice sounds like Will Forte. Cool video.
Looks like Thundball Grotto with no water
Pretty cool place . Do you ever get the feeling there is something still to discover there ? The geology of the entrance is interesting in itself. :O)
Imagine the height and power of the river when it made that cave. Would have been awesome to see.
That was pretty cool. Thanks
Nice video. Thanks
can imagine 10,000 years ago that was a place of power
That last pic almost looks like a painting. Nice.
Pretty cool. Road trip.
I totally agree , the Harps had to die.
I’ve heard that before the 1812 earthquake you could walk underground
From Cave in rock to near St Louis.
The earthquake ended that. I grew up in Marion KY.
So it’s claimed or owned by who, the state or fed gov I’m guessing, and you must pay to explore there as of so many of nature’s monumentals?
The Harps were some real Busters. They would be prison rapists in the Feds if they committed their crime spree today.
Might be they got the idea for the How The West Was Won scenes of an ambush of flat boat people.
They had to live like animals and their parents were probably unchristian immoral bitter and angry at the world Hopefully God will take that into consideration?
Ruins of a massive,melted building 💥💯
Far many caves throughout the Appalachians that’s unexplored for Centurys. Many are habitable dwellings with spring water and eatable vegetation abound.
I miss the cave I went to alone sometimes. But it got scary when I started seeing large dog like prints around the spring edges that growed vary healthy cat tails which I would seldom eat the roots of. The roots are vibrant energy snacks.
Hoping it’s never been destroyed like so many have.
I plan on finding out and video recording the inner n outer beauty of it.
That was cool af!
This was a kool video. To bad about the sucky history. just goes to prove that not much has changed, they had ass holes back then as well. Be well.
thanks good history and tour
I’m going to find that gold! Just saying….
I think you can find a better word than amazin
That wood was still green when it was carved out originally crazy to think how big the trees once were to be walking inside of a tree trunk is mind blowing to see how thick those growth rings are! .😳😳🤯🤯🤯