Newton County, Arkansas
  Diamond Cave
Also known as Diamond Caverns
and Ace of World's Caverns...
Ford Carlton got in touch with me and told about his brother Berlin passing away. I read his obituary in the Newton County Times, and saw where he had worked at Diamond Cave for 37 years. Then started going through pictures and post cards that I have, and decided that they could at least be shared with others. In hopes that the history and memories of the cave could be recorded, I put together what I could on the cave...discovery, early owners, operators and guides. Then picked Ford's brain for the names of those he knew of, who had worked at the cave. He got in touch with his sister-in-law Bonnie Carlton, and his nephew Kirby Carlton, and between the three of them, they came up with a nice list of past guides. Thank you Ford, Bonnie, and Kirby! For those of you who have provided pictures, info, and an interest in this project, thanks to you too! For anyone visiting the cave pages, if you have something to add, please do...
Discovery, Owners, Managers, Tour Guides, Memories, Comments, Pictures...
Location and Discovery of Diamond Cave... By  Walter Lackey in History of Newton County, Arkansas, pg. 211-213:
Diamond Cave: Located on Henson Creek, about three miles from Jasper in Section 5, T 15, Range 21 West. Diamond Cave is known and visited by tourist from all over the United States.
How the cave was discovered: Samuel and Andrew Hudson, born in
Tennessee, 1810 and 1818, respectively, migrated to Newton County about
1831, and made settlement near the mouth of Henson Creek. The Hudson
brothers were young amd well schooled in the art of hunting in those
days. Hunting was not thought of as a sport or recreation when the
county was first settled; but a means of supplying meat for the table.
It was a fall day, the air was cool and crisp and some snow was on
the ground, when Sam and his brother Andy, their sons and a neighbor,
started on their daily quest to supply meat for their tables. They had
scarcely entered the deep woods when they heard their dogs barking
furiously. The bay ceased for a time but was soon heard farther up
Henson Creek. The hunters followed in the direction and soon came upon tracks made by their dogs and other familiar footprints. By this time the bay of their dogs had ceased entirely. Awe-stricken and with
cocked guns the hunters followed the tracks that led around the mountain side of Henson Creek. They had not gone far until they discovered that all tracks led to a hole in the side of the mountain. Hearing no sound within, the hunters prepared to enter the cave to see what had become of their dogs. With an ample supply of pine torches, rifles, knives and other fighting equipment, the hunters entered with caution. After descending a steep incline for about 200 feet, they came to an underground passway that led back under the mountain. The hunters had followed this passway but a few yard until they came upon two of their dogs that had died in a furious battle.
Sam Hudson, veteran bear hunter, who was leading the charge back
into the underground passage, now informed his companions that they
were in for trouble. Sam's training and experience told him that the
cave was the home and hide-out of bears. The hunters replenished their
pine torches and examined their guns and fighting equipment as Sam gave
instructions how to fight and behave in the battle that was soon to take place. Soon, staring firey-red eyes appeared before them, rifles
barked, bears rushed to make their get-away, men were knocked down,
torched extinguished. The fight was on. Farther back in the cave, in a secluded wallow was a wounded mother bear and her two cubs. The hunters killed the mother bear and captured the cubs. Returning to the outside, tired and exhausted, the hunters triumphed for their success in eliminating the bears and vengeance for the death of their dogs. Little did they realize that their discovery had made history.
The discovery of the Diamond Cave happened many years ago. I
remember my mother telling the story when I was a little boy. Since the
discovery and the narrative of how it came to be discovered, the story
has been stretched, rolled, and inflated. But the basic fact I consider worthy of a county history. Newton County has hundreds of caves and caverns, many of which have never been explored. But the Diamond Cave, 'Ace of World Caverns' is known and visited by geologists, students, and tourists from every state in the Union. The cave, which is privately owned by W.J. Pruitt, son of one of Newton County's first settlers, had been protected and kept in its natural state as much as possible. Electric lights, drainage, steps, and bridges, add to the convience of the visitors. Newton County is proud of Mr. Pruitt's efforts in developing the Diamond Cave. The Diamond Cave is one of Newton County's most entrancing, picturesque beauties. Its miles of subterranean passages offer the visitor many thrills and pleasures. The cave is open to the public all year and the personnel of well-informed and courteous guides add to the comfort and pleasure of visitors.END
Owners, Managers, and Tour
Guides...
If you can add to the following list of names of persons who were guides and/or managers at Diamond Cave, please do so by sending an email to: Diamond Cave Info. When I learn of additional names, they will be added to the list.
Eugene Joseph Rhodes was half owner of Diamond Cave. He first came to Arkansas in July of 1869 and worked at the Land Office in Harrison for a short time before moving to California. Rhodes returned to Boone County in 1878 and married Mattie Keener. He served as Mineral Surveyor for the state of Arkansas for ten years and he was president of the Arkansas Zinc and Lead Company, which was incorporated in 1890. Eugene J. Rhodes was born March 17, 1845, died November 2, 1931...son of Ira G. Rhodes and Ann Emelia Botts. The entire 1915 biography of Eugene Joseph Rhodes is located in the Boone County Families section on my Boone County, Arkansas site.
Harley Moore
 William 'Jonah' Pruitt was son of William Wilshire Pruitt and Martha Wynn. He was known as W. J. or Jonah Pruitt. Jonah Pruitt served two terms as Sheriff of Newton County and owned and operated Diamond Cave until his death. Jonah and wife Cora were living next to Abe Harp and wife Bessie, Marble City Township, in 1910. The below census image shows Jonah and Cora with their children at the time. Jonah was born in 1872 at Pruitt, he died in 1959. His wife, Susan 'Cora' Anthony, was born in Newton County in 1879 and died in 1967. Jonah and Cora are buried in Maplewood Cemetery, Boone County, Arkansas.
 See: Hello From Stewart
Note: Place mouse cursor over image, hold left mouse button down, move left, right, up, or down to pan image, the 1 to 1 button allows a nice view of the image.
 William Boyd Pruitt, son of Jonah and Cora Pruitt, known as W. B. Pruitt or Boyd Pruitt, was next to run the business at the cave. Boyd appears in the above census record, age 7.
 William Alonzo Spencer was son of James Riley Spencer, and husband of Ersie P. Kilgore. Lonzo was a tour guide and off-season manager of Diamond Cave for about 8 years. Lonzo Spencer was born January 5, 1891, he died December 30, 1976 and was buried in Mt. Sherman Cemetery, Newton County.
 Claude Carlton was manager and guide at Diamond Cave and managed the Skate Rink at the cave in 1949. He was son of Columbus Franklin Carlton and Martha Waters. Claude was born January 28, 1903, Newton County, Arkansas; he died May 9, 1988 and was buried in Union Hill Cemetery, Newton County.
 Boyd Matlock was a tour guide at the cave in the mid 1950s. Boyd Matlock was the son of Claude Matlock and Nancy 'Ida' Belle Reynolds. He and his wife, Olive Smith, are buried in Union Hill Cemetery.
Billy Paul Matlock...Tour Guide...son of Boyd Matlock and Olive Smith.
 Gus Carlton married Wanda House April 10, 1955. They managed and operated the cave for about a year.
 Arlie Carlton, father of Gus Carlton, also operated the cave in the 1950s. Arlie was born September 20, 1906 to Columbus Franklin Carlton and Mattie E. Waters. He died August 7, 1978. Arlie's wife was Florence Villines. During the time that Arlie was manager, Florence ran the Panther Inn at the cave. Florence was daughter of Copeland Calvin 'Cal' Villines and Margaret Emma Reynolds. She was born September 17, 1911, died May 16, 1957. Arlie, his father, Florence, and her parents are buried in Low Gap Cemetery, Newton County.
 Ford Carlton, son of Claude and Mamie Daniels Carlton, was a guide at the cave. When he was too young to handle full tours, he would give short tours to older visitors who only wanted to take a brief look at the cave.
Roy 'Beecher' Kilgore was a tour guide under several managers. Beecher Kilgore was son of Jackson Kilgore and Sally Lackey, and husband of Jewel Gay Casey. Beecher was born August 24, 1900 and died January 19, 1978. He is buried in Mt. Sherman Cemetery.
 Berlin Carlton and wife, Bonnie Breedlove Carlton, managed the cave for thirty-seven years. Throughout that time, Bonnie kept things going at the Panther Inn. Berlin and Bonnie left the cave October 14, 1995. Berlin was born May 7, 1929, son of Claude Carlton and Mamie Daniels. Berlin Carlton died April 18, 2005 and was buried in Union Hill Cemetery. View obituary.
Ray Daniels...Tour Guide...son of Remel Daniels and Essie Ramsey.
Dorlin Stacey Daniels...Tour Guide...son of Henry Daniels and Irene Murray. Buried in Snow Cemetery.
Troy Carter...Tour Guide...son of Leon and Joan Carter.
David Carter...Tour Guide...son of Leon and Joan Carter.
Johnny Carter...Tour Guide...son of Leon and Joan Carter.
Doy Breedlove...Tour Guide and Manager...son of William Breedlove and Stella Smith.
Randy Garrison...Tour Guide...son of Don Garrison and Eulene Henderson.
Russell Garrison...Tour Guide...son of Don Garrison and Eulene Henderson.
Gene Spencer...Tour Guide...son of Alonzo Spencer and Ersia Kilgore. Garland Eugene Spencer is buried in Mt. Sherman Cemetery.
Larry Clark...Tour Guide...son of Wilburn Clark and Beulah Carlton.
Harold King...Tour Guide...son of Buster King and Bertha Flippo.
Donnie King...Tour Guide...son Of Buster King and Bertha Flippo.
Kendall Sloan...Tour Guide...son of Norman Sloan and Janice Shelton.
Thomas Reynolds...Tour Guide
Eddy Reynolds...Tour Guide...son of Serles Reynolds and Julia Ava Martin.
Serles Reynolds...Tour Guide...son of John Thomas Reynolds and Rhoda Kilgore.
Arthur Hoyer...Tour Guide
Guy Hoyer...Tour Guide...son of Arthur Hoyer and Dolly Braudrick. Guy was buried Mt. Sherman Cemetery.
Luther Trulove...Tour Guide...son of John Truelove and Kathleen Ramsey. Luther was buried Mt. Sherman Cemetery.
Jack Carter...Tour Guide...son of John William Carter and Ada Hickman.
Jimmy Carter...Tour Guide...son of John William 'Bill' Carter and Ada Hickman.
Jackie Carter...Tour Guide...son of Daniel Jackson 'Jack' Carter and Beatrice Ramsey.
Ricky Kilburn...Tour Guide...son of Arlis Lee 'A L' Kilburn and Beatrice Daniels.
Arlis Lee 'A L' Kilburn...Tour Guide...mother was Frankie Carter. He is buried in Union Hill Cemetery.
Jarrett Willis...Tour Guide...son of Wilburn Willis and Hazel Daniels.
Sam Shelton...Tour Guide...son of William Riley Shelton and Della Hudson.
Gary Gordon...Tour Guide...son of Harold and Roselyn Gordon.
Ricky Gordon...Tour Guide...son of Harold and Roselyn Gordon.
 Norman Floyd Phillips...Tour Guide...son of Ernie Phillips and Bethel Chrisomon. Buried Union Hill Cemetery. View obituary.
Nelson Phillips...Tour Guide...son of Norman Phillips and Mary Ruth Villines.
Jerry Shelton...Tour Guide...son of Everett Shelton and Shirley Breedlove.
Daniel Farmer...Tour Guide
Lewis Smith...Tour Guide
Bill Breedlove...Tour Guide
Anthony Campbell...Tour Guide
John Lewis Reynolds...Tour Guide...son of Jack Duel Reynolds and Inez Moss.
John W. Reynolds...Tour Guide...son of Thomas Reynolds and Francis Belew. He is buried in Union Hill Cemetery.
John Allen 'Johnny' Casey, manager and guide, lived at Parthenon...son of William Uriah Casey and 2nd wife, Nancy Farmer. Husband of Esther Reynolds, who was daughter of John W. Reynolds. John then married Rhoada Roberson.
Rodney Phillips...Tour Guide...son of Norman Phillips and Mary Ruth Villines.
Ed Lepel...Tour Guide
Allen Nutter...Tour Guide
Vinet Wilson...Tour Guide...son of James Buchanon 'Buck' Wilson and Cora Belle Henderson.
Joseph 'Joe' Flippo...Tour Guide...son of Henry Allen Flippo and Cora Jane Snow. Husband of Beatrice Wilson,
they are buried in Union Hill Cemetery.
Bobby Brasel...Tour Guide...son of Bill Brasel and Faye Reynolds.
Roy Brasel...Tour Guide...son of Guy Brasel and Jessie Breedlove.
Ricky Russell...Tour Guide...Son of Dr. David Russell and Jerry Russell.
Rodney Russell...Tour Guide...Son of Dr. David Russell and Jerry Russell.
Mitchell Brasel...Tour Guide...son of Jack Brasel and Jerry Lynn Reynolds.
Ruby 'Ray' Carlton...Tour Guide...son of Arlie Carlton and Florence Villines.
Bill Hudson...Tour Guide...son of Garland Hudson and Jewell Flippo.
Mike Ham...Tour Guide...son of Grant Ham of Deer, Arkansas.
Freddy Kilgore...Tour Guide...son of Beecher Kilgore and Jewell Casey.
Ronald Archer...Tour Guide
Danny Archer...Tour Guide
Kirby Carlton...Tour Guide...son of Berlin Carlton and Bonnie Breedlove.
Clifford Carlton...Tour Guide...son of Berlin Carlton and Bonnie Breedlove. Buried Union Hill Cemetery. View obituary.
Mike Crabtree...Tour Guide
 Herbert Keeton...Tour Guide...son of Arvil Keeton and Eva Wishon.
 Arvil Keeton...Tour Guide...son of Bill Keeton and Ancie Kilgore, husband of Eva Wishon. All buried Low Gap Cemetery.
Bud Woods...Manager
Wilson Moore...Tour Guide
Gary Woods...Tour Guide
Hubert Roberson...Tour Guide...son of Leo Roberson and Ruby Daniels.
Tim Roberson...Tour Guide...son of Hubert Roberson and Betty Payne.
Troy Carter...Tour Guide
David Carter...Tour Guide
Loyal Breedlove...Tour Guide...son of William Breedlove and Stella Smith.
Kenny Harrison...Tour Guide
Russell Harrison...Tour Guide
Gene Bell...Tour Guide
Steve Hudson...Tour Guide
Keith Brown...Tour Guide
James Stacey...Tour Guide
Danny Stacey...Tour Guide
Oscar 'Carroll' Villines...Tour Guide...son of George Washington Villines and Amanda Susie Bragg. Buried in Low Gap Cemetery.
Ford Pruitt...Tour Guide
Logan Pruitt...Tour Guide
Larry Clark...Tour Guide
Albert Gonzales...Tour Guide
Diane Gonzales...Tour Guide
Meg Green...Tour Guide
Danny Green...Tour Guide
Bonita Villines...Tour Guide
Ricky Henderson...Tour Guide...son of V. J. Henderson and Frances Kilgore. Frances was the daughter of Beecher And Jewell.
Johnny Henderson...Tour Guide
Thomas Reynolds...Tour Guide
Someone out of state purchased Diamond Cave around the time that Berlin Carlton stopped working there. The cave is no longer open to the public.
Memories and Comments...
The cave drew as many as 3,000 visitors a month. I recall the admission price of $1.50 for adults and half that much for children. Big crowds would show up on weekends at the skating rink. The skates were attached to the soles of your shoes and tightened up with a key...
As to the discovery of the Diamond Cave, that is credited primarily to
Samuel and Andrew Hudson, early pioneers from Tennessee (and a couple
others unnamed), described in Lackey's History of Newton County book. Along the theme of this story, there used to be a formation in the cave that
the guides would throw a light on and it would cast a shadow that
resembled an arm holding a large knife.
This Samuel Hudson was also involved in nearby Panther Creek being so
named. In 1854 he and his 5-yr old son had just cut down a bee tree for
the honey when a panther attacked Samuel and knocked him down. The two
were rolling on the ground with Samuel getting the worst of the fight
when the youngster handed his Dad the knife used to cut the honey out of
the bee tree. Samuel managed to kill the panther with the knife. The
Panther Creek lead mine was later discovered along this creek.
Many of the rooms and formations inside the cave were named. There were
the Holy of Holies - King Solomon's Temple; the Piano; Japanese Fish
Pond, Giants Causeway; the Red Room; Fountain of Youth; Angel of the
Grotto; Liberty Bell; Pinnacle Ceiling Chamber, etc..
There was the 'Baloney Pool'. Because the stream of water that flows thru the cave was so crystal-clear, an optical illusion made the small pools, which might be five or six feet deep, look as if they were only a fraction that deep. On one tour, the guide had stopped his group beside one of these tiny pools and was explaining how deep the water really was. The pool looked very shallow, nowhere near five or six feet deep. One of the tourists thought the guide was telling a tall tale, cried 'Baloney!', and stepped into the pool to prove it and found out the guide was right! The pool was thereafter known as the 'Baloney Pool'.
My Granddad Lonzo had started working at the Cave as a guide when he
lived atop Mt. Sherman, and walked back and forth to work every day, down thru the woods and past the Panther Creek Mines, easy going to work, but uphill going home, some three miles each way. Eventually, in 1923, he and Ersie and their kids moved down to 'The Cave' where he took over as manager during the offseason (winter) months, at salary of $75 per month.
The family lived there about eight years, first in the hotel and later in the house directly across Henson Creek, which was then accessible by a foot bridge across the creek. My mother's youngest brother, killed in WWII in France, Diamond Ford Spencer, was born in the Panther Inn at Diamond Cave. Mom (Opal) named him. Grandma Ersie Spencer ran the hotel/restaurant/Panther Inn at 'The Cave' for a while when Lonzo was a guide.. Lonzo hired Ersie's sister Rhoda (Kilgore) Reynolds, widow of John Thomas Reynolds, to help cook for the hotel at $1 per day. I have been told that the guide salary in the early 1930s was $20 per month.
Burl Kilgore, Beecher Kilgore, John Thomas Reynolds, Arthur Hoyer, Luther Trulove, were some of the many men who were tour guides at The Cave over the years. My Granddad Lonzo Spencer and Burl Kilgore had 'swapped sisters' for their wives so their two sets of children were 'double cousins'. Arthur Hoyer and Luther Trulove had each married granddaughters of 'Uncle John' Spencer, Beecher Kilgore and Grandmother Ersie Spencer were siblings, and as mentioned, Tom Reynolds had married Ersie's sister Rhoda. So 'The Cave' was sort of a family in itself.
A narrow slot between two formations was called 'Fat Man's Misery'. One day when Lonzo was ahead leading a tour, a rather heavy-set woman became wedged in this slot, and when Lonzo took her arm and tried to pull her on through, he dislocated her arm, pulled it out of socket!
I remember a tale...once my Granddad Lonzo was guiding a group of people
way back in the Cave and they heard a loud noise further back, like a big rock had fallen. The Cave hadn't been fully explored then and the noise apparently really shook everyone up. When the tour came out of the Cave, Granddad refused to go back in again, but Mr. Moore finally talked him into not quitting. The Moores lived at Lamar, or Clarksville, Arkansas, and had control of 'The Cave' at the time that Lonzo worked there. I understand the Cave was once owned by some sort of corporation but have no confirmation of that. Jonah Pruitt acquired controlling interest from the Moores sometime after the incident of Lonzo's loud noise inside the cave..Lonzo quit working there not long after Jonah Pruitt took over management.
In its heyday 'The Cave' was one of the most popular attractions in
Northwest Arkansas. Tourists and locals from far and wide came to the
Cave for sightseeing and 'socializing'. My mother stated that during the 1920s and 1930s, there would be 'a hundred at a time go thru there.' The
campground along Henson Creek would be full of tents of visitors,
especially on weekends. There was an elevated outdoor dance floor, and in good weather dances were held almost every Saturday night. In bad weather the dances moved inside the original old walnut log building. My Dad first met my Mother one summer day at one of these outdoor dances...
Our Jasper School went there on an all day picnic with parents back in the 1930's. There was a skating rink there and I remember skating almost all day. We all went inside the cave and it was wet, but beautiful. My family went there often in my growing up years, but I can't recall things we did, except eat a lot of watermelon and home made ice cream.
Judy, This's Great. Sure glad that someone told you about the Baloney Pool, I had forgot about it. We would show the pool and tell the story every time we guided a group through the Cave.
Well I will try to tell you some of my remembrances of Diamond Cave. I was born in a log cabin on Mt. Sherman. I was a year old when we moved to Diamond Cave. The building called Panther Inn had a third story to it, so we lived in the upper quarters. My brother Ford was born there, hence the name Diamond Ford. On the second floor was the dining room and a kitchen. Just outside the kitchen was a room which was called the Ice House. It had several sections where big blocks of ice were stored. The grounds were kept beautifully manicured, and one section of the lawn had a place to play croquet. My mother cooked meals with the help of her sister Aunt Rhoda, for the tourists who came by the hundreds sometimes to take a trip through the cave. Coveralls were furnished for the people to protect their clothing, for sometimes one would have to lie down to get through a small opening. There was a building on the grounds where the people could take showers and discard the overalls. My mother and my sister Opal and others would take them home and launder them. There were a couple of cabins, besides the larger log buildings. On one of the cabins, when they put down the cement, my brother Ford put his hand prints down in the wet cement. I guess they are still there if the cabins are still standing. There were rooms in the big log buildings to rent out to tourists. Also, one room was used to hold dances and parties. On the bottom floor of the Panther Inn was where they kept soda pop of all flavors, candy and gum. There was a swinging bridge that crossed the creek (called Henson Creek). There was no bridge there, so cars wagons, etc. had to cross in shallow water. We finally moved across the creek into a small white house. There was a barn there also. My dad would plant corn, etc. in the fields. He had a couple of mules he used to plow the fields with.
My parents always had a large garden and my mother would do a lot of canning. There was a little dirt road along the side of the creek that led to the Diamond Cave spring. There was a bluff overhang where ice cold water ran out. We would carry pails of water up to the house to drink. We had a couple of cows, so the milk was put in a gallon bucket and put in the cold water to keep cool. In the summertime we would put watermelons in the cold water. There were places in the creek where we could go swimming.
The manager of the cave was Harley Moore. He and his wife and family lived in a building next to the ticket office. My dad was head guide and there were two or three others that worked as guides. My oldest brother Gene, worked there too. When one group would return, another group would be ready to go. I think it was about a two mile trip. My sister Oma, had a job baby sitting for the peoples children. When I was about six years
old, we moved to Jasper. My mother opened up a cafe. It had living quarters upstairs where we lived. We went to school there in Jasper. After the Depression hit, we had to sell the cafe and move back to Mt. Sherman. I think I was about nine years old then.
That's about all I can think of right now about Diamond Cave. It brings back a lot of wonderful memories.
Just to the right before you go through the Fat Man Squeeze, it looks like several kinds of vegetables and fruits. They called it the Garden of Eden. Beecher Kilgore was taking a tour through the cave and when he came to The Garden of Eden someone asked where Adam and Eve were.
Just to the bottom of The Fast Man Squeeze, there are two small columns, with water dripping onto them. Beecher shined his flashlight down at the two figures and said they are down here taking a shower bath. That always got a big laugh. Then someone asked what did they do after they got through taking a shower. He said that they raised Cain, split the difference, and done better when they got Abel :o).
In the old days, the first electricity they had in the cave was a Delco System, only one tour could go through the cave at a time. I remember the remains of a small building at the lower end of the park that housed the Delco Electric System. With a large group, they would have one guide in front, he would turn on the section of light in front and a tail guide was at the rear, to turn off the section of light in back. After rural electricity came in, they would make three tours a day through the cave. As one tour came out, another one was ready to go in. And after they rewired the cave, several tours could go through at one time. When I was a guide in 1955-1956, the guides got a dollar and fifty cents a tour, and would get in from three to five tours a day.
That brass Diamond Cave plaque pic on your site was put there by Dad and his brother Jerry in honor of WW and Susan Cora Pruitt, their grandparents.
Stewart, I read your Hello From Stewart piece...you wrote:
LW was son of Sam Nance who was one of first employees of newly formed Newton County Bank in 1905ish … a bank that never closed during depression.
Stewart, I got the Civil War records of my Great Great Granddad Anderson Carlton's brother, Marion Benjamin Carlton. And at the time of his death in 1936 he still owned twenty four shares of stock
in the Newton County Bank; said that it was worth six hundred dollars.
I am Berlin's brother. Remember Jonah and Cora well.
Ford
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Take Care, Judy Tate
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