George MorrisonGeorge Morrison was an oilman. He had taken an interest in Mammoth Cave, and after taking a tour believed strongly that the Cave’s length extended beyond the surface boundary of the Mammoth Cave Estate. He entered the cave on several occasions and began creating a map which he would later use to pinpoint possible drilling sites. One such site was on land belonging to the Colossal Cave owners, but the Colossal Cave owners would not sell, and Morrison continued hunting.
Later, he heard about a large sinkhole that children liked to play in (in the summer) because volumes of cool air issued from underground. He bought the property, dilled several holes, hit cave, and blasted a hole. He called this the "New Entrance to Mammoth Cave". He began to sell tickets, and visitors would pass the "New Entrance to Mammoth Cave" before getting to the Old Entrance. The Mammoth Cave Estate took Morrison to court to demand that he stop using the name "Mammoth Cave". Morrison was prepared and proved that he was showing the same cave to the public. The courts agreed on the condition that his tours would not show any part of the Mammoth Caves that belonged to the Mammoth Cave Estate. |