Dead Man's Hole
Marble Falls, Burnet County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Entomologist Ferdinand Lueders made the earliest recorded discovery of this cave in 1821. Notorious in the Civil War era, the hole is believed to have been the dumping ground for up to 17 bodies, including those of pro-Union Judge John R. Scott and settler Adolph Hoppe, several Reconstruction-era county government officials, and Ben McKeever, who had a conflict with local freedmen. An oak tree which once stood over the cave was said to have rope marks caused by hangings. Powerful gases prevented thorough exploration of the site until 1951. The hole was platted in 1968 by the Texas Speleological Society and was found to be 155 feet deep and 50 feet long. (1998)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
First recorded by a naturalist in 1821, this deep natural shaft earned a dark reputation during the Civil War and Reconstruction, when it is believed as many as seventeen bodies were dumped into it. Among the victims were pro-Union Judge John R. Scott, settler Adolph Hoppe, several Reconstruction-era officials, and Ben McKeever, killed amid conflict with local freedmen; an oak that once stood over the hole reportedly bore rope marks from hangings. Poisonous gases kept the shaft unexplored until 1951.
Why it matters
Dead Man's Hole is a stark record of the vigilante violence that convulsed Texas during the Civil War and Reconstruction, when Unionists, officials, and freedpeople were murdered in the settling of scores.
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Related people
- · John R. Scott
- · Adolph Hoppe
- · Ben McKeever
Themes & tags
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