Iron Guano Mining Bucket

The early 1900s in the park area were a period of extensive guano mining. Miners removed thousands of tons of fertilizer from several of the caves for use as fertilizer in places like the California fruit orchards. The history of guano mining in this region is superbly illustrated by well preserved historic artifacts and features such as a partially completed mine tunnel and machinery found in one cave complex. A significant extensive historic archeological site of the guano mining industry surrounds one entrance to one cave.

One of the early guano companies dug a shaft to make a more direct route to the guano deposits in Bat Cave. It was serviced by a large iron bucket operated by a gasoline winch which allowed miners to haul bags of guano out of the cave. Jim White used the guano bucket to transport the cavern's earliest visitors and explorers into and out of the cave. This included visitors such as Willis T. Lee and Ray V. Davis. It symbolizes the connection between people and the cavern environment, and is emblematic of the events that led to the place becoming a national park and a world heritage site.