Bruce Walker: Fun facts of Monte Sano Mountain
By BRUCE WALKER Columnist
You may not have considered that we have Mountain Folk living amongst us. Usually, you think of the hills and hollers of WV, KY, or NC. In keeping with our rocket city image, our mountain folks drive Teslas, listen to WLRH, and drink Starbucks Frappuccino, which does not mean they are backward; they are simply different.
Three Caves is a remnant of a limestone quarry that operated from 1947 until 1952: the rock was used for road construction and buildings. The Three Caves was designated a fallout shelter during the 1960s Cuban missile crisis. Monte Sano is a MESA like the ones in New Mexico and Arizona; it is not connected to the Appalachian foothills; it stands 1621’ tall, a huge limestone rock. Only seven states have Mesas; ours is the only one east of the Mississippi! There are twenty-three documented caves on and around Monte Sano. Before Huntsville was dubbed “Rocket City,” we were known as “Cave City.” The National Spelunking Society, which is considered the gold standard for worldwide caving enthusiasts, is headquartered in Pulaski Pike. One well-known cave, Natural Well, just off Trough Springs trail on the Southeast side of Monte Sano, is a vertical shaft over 150’ deep. The Landtrust manages over twenty- four miles of trails on the mountain and is free to use. Monte Sano State Park manages thirty-eight miles of trails; there is an entrance fee.
Over fifty species of wildlife call Monte Sano home; fifty-three, if you count a few of the residents, I believe, would qualify.
(Do you stay up at night thinking about things?) Like, where does all the dog doo go? You can thank the Dung Beetle for their sanitation skills. I have personally witnessed them rolling dung into little balls. I could tell you how they make nests out of it and eat it, but I will stop there.
A traveling raptor show from Chattanooga put on a
4B615157- demonstration of Peregrine falcons for school kids. One Peregrine falcon liked Monte Sano so well that he did not return to his handler’s glove. For several days, you could see the falcon flying around, trailing a streamer that read, “See Rock City.”
In 1835, Dr. Thomas Fearn founded a colony on Monte Sano for those recovering from cholera, malaria, and yellow fever. He is credited with discovering quinine as an effective treatment for malaria. He named this mountain Monte Sano, Spanish for Mountain of Health.
1887 Michael and James O’Shaughnessy built the Monte Sano Hotel as a health resort and spa, comprising 233 rooms. It attracted the elite of its day, including the Astors, Carnegie, and Mellons, and notable celebrities, including Helen Keller. Their private railroad cars, equivalent to today’s private jets, brought them to Huntsville. Guests of the resort were ferried from Roundhouse Depot by a dedicated train that delivered them to the Monte Sano Hotel.
The numerous mineral springs drew them to the cool mountain air and beautiful valley views. From the overlook, you can see parts of several states and five towns.
In the 1960s, Boy Scouts cleaned up the sides of Monte Sano, which were used as dumping grounds for trash. Halfway down the east side of the mountain, a 1932 Packard was found with the skeletonized driver still in his seat. After investigating, the sheriff was called and determined that this was a long-lost Doctor from Chattanooga who had come to Huntsville for nefarious reasons. He was last seen alive at the Bloody Bucket, a notorious roadhouse operated at the eastern base of Monte Sano from the 1930s until the 1940s.
Lillie Flagg, yes, that Lillie Flagg, a world champion butter producer, entered the Chicago World Fair in 1893 and won the world record for producing the most butter in a single year (1048 lbs.) A Gala was thrown in her honor at W.E. Matthews’s home, the owner, in Twickenham. He repainted his house bright yellow in her honor. Over 1,000 people attended. Even though she was famous worldwide, Monte Sano Dairy remained her home.
Monte Sano, indeed, is a special place.
Bruce Walker chooses to see the humor in life’s situations and he speaks to a wide spectrum of organizations. To contact him, email: bruce.walker2@ gmail.com.
