History
The presence of obsidian flakes near the cave has led archaeologists to conclude that Native Americans knew about the caves long before any pioneers arrived in the Oregon country. The first recorded discovery is credited to a local settler named Leander Dillman, who found the cave opening on a hunting trip in 1889. Legend has it that Dillman found the cave entrance while following a wounded deer. After its discovery, he used the cave to cool his venison. The cave acquired its name from a 1923 geology study published by Ira A. Williams. The study also provided the first map of the cave.
In 1926, the Shevlin-Hixon Lumber Company donated the 22.5-acre (91,000 m2) site around the cave entrance to the State of Oregon for a park. In 1981, the cave and above ground park area were acquired by the Forest Service as part of a land exchange with the State government. In November 1990, the cave was incorporated into the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. However, it is still managed by the Forest Service along with the rest of the Newberry monument area.
Read more about this topic: Lava River Cave
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