J.D. Hackett and the Winter of 1917-1918

J.D. Hackett, otherwise known as Old Man Hackett or the Long Cave Hermit, is one of the most enigmatic characters in the history Cave Country.  Hackett was one of many “cave diggers” around Mammoth Cave in the early twentieth century.  These men tried to strike it rich by discovering other caves near the famous attraction that could be developed and promoted to the region’s many travelers.  Their ultimate goal, however, was to find or create a back door into Mammoth Cave.

J.D. Hackett

Old man Hackett spent years searching the ridges around Cave Country for any  lead that might somehow connect into  Mammoth Cave.  But cave promoter and developer J.D. Hackett is  best known not for his discoveries, but rather for his extremely long hair (which was rare in southern KY in the early twentieth century) and his unfortunate circumstances during the brutally cold winter of 1917-18.  

The winter of 2013-14 has  made headlines for its blistering cold temperatures and higher-than-usual snowfall accumulations, but it pales in comparison to the winter Hackett had to endure his first year in Kentucky.  Nearly one hundred years ago, the winter of 1917-18 was much worse.  That winter, the Ohio River froze over its entire length, allowing people to travel from shore to shore without the use of a boat.  While foot traffic across the river was suddenly possible, ice prevented ships from moving up and down the river and halted railroads across the country.  Later, when the ice broke, over a million dollars in damage occurred from icebergs crashing into steamboats on the river.  It was a far cry from the winters Hackett was accustomed to in Texas, and he unfortunately paid the price for being ill-prepared to face the cold.

The frozen Ohio River at Cincinnati damages a steamship.

J.D. Hackett was a businessman who owned a mineral water company in Texas, but moved to southern Kentucky in 1917 to pursue cave developments and search for rare minerals.  On arrival, Hackett stayed with his friend E.M. Doyel in Chaumont, near Mammoth Cave.  However, he was soon forced to find a place to stay on short notice.  Without anywhere else to turn, Hackett settled into Long Cave (an abandoned development once known as Grand Avenue Cave) for the upcoming winter.  

Despite the cave’s relatively constant temperature, Hackett was forced to face the blustery conditions on daily treks  to the  Chaumont post office for food and supplies.  On one of his journeys from Long Cave to Chaumont, J.D. Hackett suffered from terrible frostbite.  His legs were hit particularly hard.  Accounts say that his ankle was completely frozen – an injury he never recovered from.  Nevertheless, Hackett remained in Long Cave that winter and littered the cave with the tin cans from his meal of choice – canned oysters and condensed milk.

Later, Hackett  rented a house in Cave City then built his own home in “Hackett Hollow.”  He continued to dig and develop caves for many years, but was never particularly successful.  Although he continued to draw money from cavern rights and managed his cave investments from afar, in 1931 J.D. Hackett left Cave Country and returned to Texas.  Eight years later, at the age of 76, J.D. Hackett pulled out his pistol and ended his own life.

Some claim that his injured ankle might have contributed to his choice to “end it all” in 1937, but we can’t be sure.  He was an old man and there is no telling what played a role in his drastic decision.  It does, however, add to the mystique that has always surrounded him.  Although he never found his back door to Mammoth Cave and is best known for his strange looks and behavior, J.D. Hackett is one of the most interesting people in the history of Cave Country.   The Long Cave Hermit, J.D. Hackett, was a major contributor to the competitive climate that made the 1920s the climax of the Kentucky Cave Wars.