I picked up a copy of the late Mammoth Cave guide/author Colleen O'Connor Olson's "Nine Miles to Mammoth Cave". I realized it was the only book of hers I did not have in my collection. AND, it is a book that is pricey online (I assume thanks to bots).
This is a nice, small book that gives some quality info on the development (and end) of the railroad to Mammoth Cave. It is under 70 pages, and is written in a way that it can be appreciated and understood by young readers, or mature readers wanting to know the basics about the railroads at Mammoth Cave. It is a quick read, but you will get a lot out of it.
I thought it was interesting reading about how Glasgow Junction (now Park City) had a train that stopped by. Tourists wanting to see Mammoth Cave could get off there, but they still had a ways to go (9 miles) to get to Mammoth Cave. A bumpy stage coach was available to make the three hour trip... but a group finally put in a train system to make the ride better- and it would make the 9 mile trip to the cave only an hour. Of course the automobile would eventually put an end to all of that.... but the steps to get there were fascinating.
There are some other great nuggets of info scattered in the book, and the author brings up trivia connecting Bette Midler and even Mussolini to the area!
If you care about Mammoth Cave, you need to make sure you pick up all of the books that Colleen O'Connor Olson put out.
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