Bishop, Stephen

Description

Map of Mammoth Cave drawn from memory by an early African American guide, Stephen Bishop. It shows the labyrinth of passages that made up the Mammoth Cave system, now considered the world's longest, as it was known in the early 19th century. It assigns colorful names to various passages, chambers and famous spots along the route. The "Rotundo" is shown, where saltpeter from the cave was processed by enslaved individuals into gunpowder for use by American troops during the War of 1812. Underground rivers are shaded and named.Stephen Bishop was born enslaved around 1821. His owner, Franklin Gorin, purchased Mammoth Cave in 1838 and used Bishop as a guide in order to monetize his purchase. In 1839, Gorin sold the estate, Bishop included, to Dr. John Croghan. Bishop was the first known person to cross the "Bottomless Pit" and thus explore the cave beyond that point. In 1842, Croghan had Bishop draw a map of Mammoth Cave, which was eventually published in 1844. Bishop was freed in 1856, one year before his death from tuberculosis.

Record Contributed By

Tennessee State Library & Archives

Record Harvested From

Digital Library of Tennessee