Rock House Caverns

The Rock House Caverns were an alleged burial site of giant skeletons that were speculated to have been situated in the caverns beneath Rock House, a property owned by Levi Friend, in Hocking Valley (Hocking Hills), Ohio during 1859. However, this was likely to have been purely a marketing ploy to draw interest to the hotel in the area, no further evidence having been forthcoming regarding such discoveries.

Press Coverage

• "The Hocking Valley", American Lancaster Gazette (Lancaster, OH): 3, 9 June 1859, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85026105/1859-06-09/ed-1/seq-3/, "The principle cavern was certainly inhabited by aborigines, the proprietor having ancient instruments found in it. There is a mystery connected with it, which will soon be solved. By sounding it is evident that there is a vast apartment beneath the principle cavern, the entrance to which had been stopped for some purpose by large stones plainly brought from a distance by the ancients, who were strong enough to do it as they were nine feet in hight as proved by skeletons found in the mounds. It is supposed that that closed cavern was used as a cemetery, and thus left when the aborigines were forced by some cause to leave the country. If so thousands of skeletons, perhaps treasure and implements, will be found there, throwing light on the history of the mysterious nation who inhabited that region. — Instead of removing the stone, Mr. Friend will make a circular excavation from the upper to the lower cavern."