Stephen Bishop – Discoverer of the Mysteries of Mammoth Cave & Echo River

Once upon a time in Black Explorer History there was an African American man who was formerly enslaved that was the first man to explore some of the mysteries of the Mammoth Cave of Mammoth Cave National Park of Kentucky, including Echo River.

Stephen Bishop was born in the year of 1821, and he was enslaved by slavers named the Bishops. Those slavers once owned a cave that was a part of their land property. It was while enslaved on that land that Stephen Bishop decided to explore parts of this cave that had never been explored before to the extent that he had explored, and he did this when he was a teenager.

Now, the slavers knew that he would go into parts of the cave, but they of course, thought Stephen was all lies and imagination when he would state what he saw inside the cave because he wasn’t “properly educated” in school. What many missed was that Stephen Bishop was naturally educated and very intelligent, far more intelligent than in simply books. Everyone ignored him, but he was completely enamored with the cave, so much so that with any extra time he had, he was inside the cave.

Soon he discovered Echo River deep inside the cave, and this was when outsiders finally gained interest in what Stephen Bishop was revealing through his exploration. People started visiting the underground stream and verified all of what Stephen Bishop was saying. Stephen Bishop is known as being “the first human being to make an echo at Echo River” which was named this because it echoes all sounds several times. It flows 360 feet below the surface and connects to Green River at the other side of the cave.

Once the news of what Stephen Bishop discovered went mainstream, people from across the continent began coming, and are still visiting today. That cave is called Mammoth Cave. Even though many people came to see the natural wonder, Stephen Bishop didn’t stop exploring the cave. He continued exploring, and he discovered the Bottomless Pit and more scenes of the underground wonder. The Bottomless Pit was his most dangerous descent because one mistake could have meant death for Stephen Bishop, but he pursued his discovery anyway. With a very dim light and pole, he bridged the pit using the pole that he brought along, and then he crossed. Bishop was able to light up what had never been seen before in the Bottomless Pit, becoming the first to ever do it known to mankind^[2].

Despite Bishop having never been schooled, he was able to speak multiple languages, having learned them through listening to the many visitors from all around that came to Mammoth Cave. Stephen Bishop ended up being the tour guide for many big names who came to see the cave, such as musicians, writers and others. Several of these musicians played, sang and heard the echoes of their music in the cave.

Stephen Bishop’s Death

He passed away on June 15, 1859, and at first, they buried Stephen Bishop at the front of the cave, but later they decided to move his body to the woodlands above the cave.

“Stephen Bishop, First Guide and Explorer of Mammoth Cave. Died June 15, 1859, in his 37th Year.”

After Stephen Bishop’s death, his great nephew, Ed Bishop, became a guide for the cave in the 1900s. Because of Stephen Bishop, Mammoth Cave enjoys thousands of visitors each year. Visit Mammoth Cave & Echo River here.

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Source:

• The Courier-Journal, Louisville, Kentucky · Sunday, October 18, 1908
• The Glasgow Daily Times, Thu, Aug 26, 1937 ·Page 6