NSS Convention 2026

It will come as a shock to many cavers that Ohio has had an active cave survey – albeit in many guises – with a history tracing back over 130 years. Academics and students, state geologists and county agricultural agents, weekend cavers and cello players all contributed to the rich 130-year history of the Ohio Cave Survey. How did this disorganized mélange achieve success?

In a presentation based on the 2025 Spelean History Series book The 130-Year History of the Ohio Cave Survey, this talk will strive to answer that question. It will quickly review the many phases of the Ohio Survey from its origin in 1895 through the World Wars into the mid-twentieth century and on to its push to expand into considerations beyond simply tagging caves to investigation of cave geology and biota. Most recently the job has been formalized under an Ohio non-profit corporation called the Ohio Cave Survey, Inc.

Many are the historic personalities driving the Survey's work. As the baton got passed from generation to generation, the focus changed. Each iteration built on previous work. These contributions were driven by big-name cavers from Roger Brucker to Horton H. Hobbs and Marion O. Smith to former NSS officers like Mike Hood and Curt Harler.

Today's Survey focus is to bring that accumulated data into the modern era. One goal is to confirm compass-and-tape surveys with lasers and Distos. Another is to pinpoint cave locations with GPS technology. During bad weather, work moves inside as the Survey develops a searchable historic database which is backed up on SSDs held by several Ohio grottoes and the state Department of Natural Resources.