By Hannah Claflin, Destiny Collins, and Rebecca Raney
With Halloween just around the corner, many Tennesseans are preparing to enjoy the annual “Trick or Treat in the Cave” event held at the historic Cherokee Caverns. If you’ve already been or plan to go, you can thank current lead-volunteer of the Caves, Jim Whidby, for the fantastic experience.
In 1929, Cherokee Caverns opened under the name Gentry’s Cave. Since then, it has had eight name changes and passed through multiple hands. It wasn’t until the early 1990’s that the Caverns were put under the protection of volunteers, led mainly by Jim Whidby, member of the National Speleological Society and Chairman of the local cave club.
Jim Whidby first became interested in caves after a caving expedition (one which he originally had no interest in) with a co-worker and friend from Sears . That first trip was rocky, to say the least. As he tells it,
“Jack started to hit on me right away about go caving with us this weekend, and I said, ‘I don’t know if I’d be interested in going caving…’ but I said, ‘I don’t know if I’d be interested in caves.’ He kept on after me, week after week, and finally, to get him off my back I said, ‘Okay, I’ll go caving with you.’ So, one weekend we took off – hardly any caves around Atlanta – we went up to the Lookout Mountain area… and Jack had told me, ‘Now the only thing you’re gonna need is a good light.’ He says, ‘Go out and get you one of these six-volt fishing lanterns, and tie a rope around it, so that you can hang it around your neck. So your hands’ll be free. I found out immediately that that was the way to[injure] yourself in a cave. So, we had tennis shoes on, we didn’t have gloves, didn’t have a helmet, and we crawled around. I bruised my knees up, my elbows, scratched my head, fell down a mudbank, slid down it, grabbed a broken stalagmite – which was like grabbing a razor blade – cut a gash in my hand. I told Jack, I said, ‘You almost killed me.’ … After a month, the bruises healed, I thought, ‘ I saw some pretty good stuff.’”
That was the start of Mr. Whidby’s adoration of caves. He went out and bought true caving equipment, and took a twenty-year early retirement from his job at Sears in order to fulfill his newfound passion. At that time, 1981-1989, the Caverns were virtually defenseless; vandalism was rampant, and the caves were overrun with destructive hooligans. Jim Whidby and his volunteers stepped in in 1989 to deal with the rampant disrespect of the historic Caverns; they built a gate at the highway entrance that still stands today and a temporary gate over the cave entrance proper, went through the caves, cleaning and cordoning off historic sites – like hoofprints of the famous trick horse, Stardust, who performed shows with the similarly famous singing cowboy, Marshall Andy – and reopened the Caverns with many new attractions that still draw in both cave-enthusiasts and casual observers alike: Trick or Treat in the Caves, Christmas in the Caves, Movies in the Caves, weddings, birthdays, scout trips, and more!
Today, Mr. Whidby continues to lead tours and help manage the caves with his eldest son. His most recent project has been a 1200 foot long stretch of caves re-purposed to better suit the needs of handicapped visitors. Although he is less involved than he was some decades back, Jim Whidby still burns with a bright passion of caving that illuminates even the darkest, most recessed crevices as he explores, discovers, and serves his local community.
If you have the chance, take some time to visit the Caverns and tell them that the Karns Oral History Society sent you!
Karns Oral History Project 