This EarthCache highlights a unique geological feature within the
Wayne National Forest’s Athens District. This EarthCache was
developed under special consideration from the Wayne National
Forest.
The Collection of Specimens, Either Biological,
Cultural, or Mineral is Strictly Prohibited.
Remember as always, Leave No Trace.
Parking (included as a child waypoints) is available at a
road pull-off at N39 32.729, W082 13.582 or the parking lot for the
nearby Shawnee Lookout Tower at N39 32.917, W082 13.632.
Tinker’s Cave
Formation:
Tinker’s Cave is not actually a cave, it is a rockshelter! It is
formed at the head of the Brush Fork valley. Rockshelters form
because of the process of differential weathering on the rock
stratum. Over time, Brush Fork slowly eroded the Blackhand
sandstone forming a cliff or bluff above the valley (Stage 1). The
upper sandstone stratum was more resistant than the lower stratum
which lies just below. Thus, the lower stratum more quickly eroded
allowing the upper stratum to be undercut (Stages 2-5). This
undercut forms the rockshelter. Weathering will continually
undercut the less resistant stratum while also eroding the other
resistant strata. Eventually portions of the roof will begin to
collapse and fall to litter the floor of the rockshelter (Stages
6-8). The final phase or the death of a rockshelter will be when
the roof has a total collapse and there is no longer an alcove
present (Stage 9).
Rockshelter Stages of Formation
History:
Tinker’s Cave is named after Seth Tinker. Tinker was a local horse
thief who began stealing horses and hiding them in the cave in the
1850s. Rumors at the time claimed that Tinker, at any given time,
could have up to 20 horses stabled in the cave with others in the
nearby pastures. Tinker’s method-of-operation was to herd the
horses he had stolen and take them to auctions in northern Ohio.
After cashing in at the auctions, Tinker would steal horses in
northern Ohio and herd to southern Ohio and sell them to the
locals.
This practice was very lucrative for Tinker, then came along the
Civil War. Given the slumping economic condition of the county
during this war time, Tinker turned this into a great opportunity
for profit. He continued to rustle up horses and hocking them both
to Union and Confederate troops. One of his most famous customers
was reportedly Confederate General John Morgan. General Morgan is
best known for Morgan's Raid, when he led 2,460 Confederate troops
into Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky in July 1863. This would be the
farthest north incursion any uniformed Confederate troops
penetrated during the war.
Tinker had many close calls but his most legendary one was with
Dr. James Dew. Around dusk one October evening, Tinker rustled one
of Dr. Dew’s horses, Dr. Dew immediately noticed and leaped on a
fresh horse and gave chase. As the sun dipped below the horizon and
it became darker, Tinker realized his pursuer whom was on a fresh
horse was narrowing the gap. In an attempt to out fox his pursuer,
Tinker wrapped the nose of the stolen horse in white cloth. He then
turned the tired horse around and headed back down the road toward
the oncoming Dr. Dew. When the two met in the shadows of the dark
road the doctor did not recognize his own horse with its white
camouflaged nose. Instead, Dr. Dew asked if Tinker seen a rider
heading west on a solid black horse. Tinker acknowledged that he
had indeed, and that the rider was going "lickety-split" down the
road in the other direction. Dr. Dew thanked Tinker and hurried
on.
Being very clever, Tinker always escaped prosecution. However
shortly after the Civil War Tinker disappeared. Local rumor has it
that an irate horse owner caught Tinker in process the stealing his
horses and killed him on the spot.
To claim a find, please email me the answers
to the questions below. Also you will need to upload a
picture of yourself holding your GPSr with Tinker’s Cave in the
background with your find log. Logs that do not follow the
finding requirements will be deleted.
Question 1: Using the nine stages of rockshelter formation
described and illustrated above in, at what stage is Tinker’s Cave?
Please provide a brief statement to support your conclusion.
Question 2: In your opinion what is the floor area (approximate
square feet) of the rockshelter and do you think 20 horses could
have been stabled?
Sources:
Camp, Mark J.
2006 Roadside Geology of Ohio.Mountain Publishing Company,
Montana.
Hansen, Michael C.
1988 Natural Bridges in Ohio, Ohio Geology.