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Rockcastle County · Early commonwealth · 1812 – 1815

Great Saltpetre Cave

South of Mount Vernon in Rockcastle County, Great Saltpetre Cave was mined hard for calcium nitrate during the War of 1812, when British blockades cut off imported saltpeter for gunpowder.

Dozens of workers (many enslaved) leached cave earth in wooden vats and shipped crystals to powder mills until trade reopened after 1815. The Rockcastle Karst Conservancy keeps the preserve today.

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Published . Last revised .

Chicago

Snowden, Shannon. "Great Saltpetre Cave." Kentucky History Drive. Published September 12, 2026. Last revised September 15, 2026. https://kyhistorydrive.com/stories/great-saltpetre-cave/.

MLA

Snowden, Shannon. "Great Saltpetre Cave." Kentucky History Drive, published 12 Sept. 2026, last revised 15 Sept. 2026, https://kyhistorydrive.com/stories/great-saltpetre-cave/.

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