Jeffreys Cliffs Conservation & Recreation Area

08/22/2026

Video courtesy WNIN, PBS Evansville, IN

04/27/2026

The most frequently visited destination along the Jeffreys Cliffs trails is the large rock shelter known as Morgan’s Cave. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, when I was a member of Boy Scout Troop 36, this impressive “cave” served as the setting for many of our outdoor adventures. The troop was led by George Bassinger, Donn Wimmer, and Sam Roberts, who organized hikes—both during the day and at night—as well as camping trips, and taught us how to cook over open fires in the woods. We communicated across the cliffs using Morse Code with flashlights, and on one occasion, used semaphore flags to send messages between rock outcroppings. At that time, technologies such as computers, cell phones, texting, and the internet were not even imagined.

The rock shelter had already been called Morgan’s Cave many years before our Boy Scout troop visited, and none of us knew how the name originated. During my recent research conducted before opening the area to the public, many local residents told me that the cave was named for the legendary Confederate general, John Hunt Morgan, and claimed that he and his men camped there during the Civil War. I have studied General Morgan’s life and death extensively but have not found any evidence that he ever visited Hancock County. I have developed an alternative theory regarding the origin of the name “Morgan’s Cave,” which is included in the information accessible by scanning the QR code at the start of the trail leading down to the cave.

As a postscript to my research on the Civil War, I discovered a personal connection to events in the area during that turbulent time in our nation’s history. My second great-grandfather, Stephen Parker, is buried adjacent to the Christmas Lake Golf Course in Spencer County, Indiana. He served as a Civil War veteran in Company “F” of the 1st Indiana Cavalry, a unit assigned to guard the southern Indiana border along the Ohio River. On September 19, 1862, his unit crossed the Ohio River to drive out a group of Confederate soldiers who had taken control of Owensboro, Kentucky. They pursued the rebels to their encampment south of town along a local creek. On the morning of September 20, 1862, the Battle of Panther Creek resulted in a Union victory, with the rebels suffering 36 killed and 70 wounded, compared to Union losses of 3 killed and 35 wounded. Private Stephen Parker was among the Union wounded.

3/27/2026 SLC

MORGANS CAVE, HISTORY, GEOLOGY & LEGEND
Morgans Cave
The Jeffreys Cliffs Conservation & Recreation Area features a remarkable rock shelter known as Morgans Cave, reputed to be one of the largest of its kind in Kentucky. The cave measures approximately 240 feet in width, 180 feet in height, and 160 feet in depth. Its name is linked to Civil War history, specifically to the southern general, John Hunt Morgan.

Geology of Morgans Cave
Geologically, Morgans Cave and the entire Jeffreys Cliffs formation are part of the Caseyville Hills ecoregion. This region consists of Lower Pennsylvanian-Age sedimentary rocks that are predominantly found in the Illinois Basin, which includes western Kentucky, southern Illinois, and southwestern Indiana. The Caseyville Hills region is distinguished by its resistant, thick beds of sandstone and conglomerate, which create prominent cliffs and major escarpments.

The Lower Pennsylvanian rock was formed approximately 323.6 to 299.05 million years ago. The sandstone in this area is notable for being hard, white to light gray, and quartzose, often containing rounded granules and small pebbles of white quartz—characteristics of conglomerate. The rocks of Morgans Cave are composed of thousands of layers of sediment that accumulated on the bottom of an ancient inland sea. Ripple marks, which shaped the rounded k***s of the cliffs, were formed as waves moved swiftly over the rocks during the sea's recession.

General John Hunt Morgan
At the outset of the Civil War in 1861, Kentucky was a southern slave state. However, the state chose not to secede from the Union, resulting in a population divided in its loyalties more than any other state involved in the conflict. John Hunt Morgan, a former soldier who fought in the Mexican War, was a successful businessman from Lexington, Kentucky. He joined the southern cause and recruited troops for the Confederacy, serving as a general officer under Confederate General Braxton Bragg.

General Morgan became legendary for his “Great Raid” in the summer of 1863. During this period, the South faced difficult times, particularly following Union victories at Vicksburg, Mississippi, and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, which lowered southern morale. The South needed a hero, and Morgan was determined to fill that role. With approval from General Bragg, Morgan began a raid from Tennessee into Kentucky, his home state. Participants in the raid included men from Hancock County, Kentucky, and the surrounding area. The raid’s objectives were to distract Union forces from the main Confederate army and to recruit additional soldiers for the South. Although Morgan was ordered not to leave Kentucky or cross the Ohio River, he eventually disregarded these orders. After weeks of raiding in Kentucky, he crossed the Ohio River into Indiana and then Ohio.

Ultimately, Morgan and the remnants of his force were captured by Union troops in Ohio before they could retreat south. He and his officers were imprisoned, but they escaped and returned to Confederate territory. Morgan’s popularity grew as a result of his successful incursion into the North, and General Bragg, instead of reprimanding him for disobeying orders, promoted Morgan to command all partisan and irregular forces in Kentucky.

The Legend of Morgans Cave
Local legend has it that General Morgan and his raiders used the large rock shelter in the cliffs as a rendezvous point and campsite. While this may be partly true, there is no evidence that General John Morgan ever visited Hancock County, Kentucky. Historical records of his raid indicate that he came no closer than Brandenburg, Kentucky, in Meade County, where his raiders crossed the Ohio River in 1863. The name Morgans Cave likely originates from the fact that Hancock County men associated with Morgan’s raid or those later considered under his command did use the cave and its surroundings as a rendezvous and hideout.

Final Note
General John Hunt Morgan was killed by Union forces in Greenville, Tennessee, on September 4, 1864, while attempting another raid into northern-held territory. That morning, he was surprised by Federal cavalry and shot while trying to get to his horse and escape. He is buried in the Lexington Kentucky Cemetery.

12/1/2025 SLC

03/27/2026

03/27/2026

This is the second in the series about the Jeffreys Cliffs Conservation Area and the history of some of the persons associated with cliffs and the destinations found along the hiking trails. The Heritage Commission had wanted to preserve and share what was known about the area and recently placed QR Code signs at various spots to help answer questions visitors have. One advantage the facility has is that there is reasonably good cell phone signal throughout the property. This allows hikers to now scan the QR Codes with their smart phones to access information about the locations.
One often asked question was about how the Jeffreys Cliffs got their name. That information goes back to the late 1800’s and an eccentric English immigrant named John Augustus Jeffreys and his family.

Steve Canepari
President, Hancock County Heritage Commission, Inc.
3/10/2026

JOHN AUGUSTUS JEFFREYS

EARLY LIFE & INFLUENCES
These cliffs were named after the man and his family who lived on top the sandstone structure in the late 1800’s. John Augustus Jeffreys was born on November 26, 1827, in Carlyle, Cumberland County, England. From a young age, he was fascinated by stories of the American West, especially the adventures of Daniel Boone and the novels written by James Fenimore Cooper. At that time, the American West was considered to be the territory stretching from the Allegheny Mountains through the Ohio River valley to the Mississippi River, including regions such as Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, and Illinois.

EMIGRATION TO AMERICA & FAMILY
Although the specifics of when Jeffreys emigrated to the United States and details of his early life remain unclear, it is known that he married Elizabeth Boone, a relative of Daniel Boone in Harrison County, Indiana on March 10th, 1859. Together, John and Elizabeth eventually settled in Hancock County, Kentucky. The 1860 census stated John’s occupation as a druggist or pharmacist with his drug store located in Cannelton, Perry County, Indiana. He was known for selling various medicines and cures, and those who knew him noted his eccentric personality.

LIVING ON TOP THE CLIFFS
In 1874, John Jeffreys acquired the property locally known as "The Big Cliffs." While the reasons for choosing to live atop the sandstone structure remain speculative, his life there became notable. Immediately after his purchase, neighboring landowners denied him access to his property through their lands. Jeffreys pursued legal action, and the court ruled in his favor, granting him access via a thirty-foot-wide strip of land included in his original deed. He constructed a two-mile wagon road from the old Hawesville and Cloverport road up to the clifftop, which included a section he blasted out of the sandstone at the cliffs' northern end. On the summit, Jeffreys built a home, outbuildings, a cistern, and a pond. He farmed crops, planted an orchard, kept livestock, and raised his family on top the cliffs.

JOHN JEFFREYS LEGACY
John and Elizabeth Boone Jeffreys were the parents of at least twelve children, but only six—four daughters and two sons—survived to adulthood. Although there were rumors that John Jeffreys did not get along with his neighbors, later records indicate that his four surviving daughters married into local families. Today, those connected to the Richie, King, Shearn, or Newman families may find ties to John and Elizabeth Boone Jeffreys in their ancestry.

LATER YEARS
After John Jeffreys passed away on December 13, 1889, and after his wife Elizabeth died on April 8th, 1901, the property passed to their surviving children and then to their daughter Lula Newman. Over the years, ownership transferred through Lula Newman's descendants and other owners until Mr. Jerry R. Harris purchased the cliffs in 1977. The Harris family's subsequent donation of the cliffs marked the beginning of the Jeffreys Cliffs Conservation & Recreation Area.

FINAL RESTING PLACE
John Jeffreys, also sometimes spelled Jefferys, was buried in the Old Cliff Cemetery in Cannelton, Indiana. The family plot is marked by a single obelisk-style monument, which bears his name on one side and the names and dates of five daughters who died before the age of five are engraved on the other. Today, little physical evidence remains of the Jeffreys family's residence atop the cliffs. The wagon road cut through the cliff, the pond, the cistern, and a few squared foundation stones can still be seen. Most traces of other structures were likely destroyed in a fire that burned the clifftop for more than a week in November 1999.

SPELLING NOTE & RECENT DISCOVERY

It is worth noting that public records from the era, such as deeds and newspaper articles, show various spellings of the surname, with "Jeffreys" being the most common. This is the spelling used for the conservation area. It was only in the fall of 2024 that we found the location of John Jeffreys final resting place in Cannelton, Indiana. The tomb marker bears the spelling "Jefferys". Along with the discovery of John Jeffreys gravesite, another interesting and sad discovery also came to light. On the stone obelisk on one side is carved the information regarding John Jeffreys birth and death. On the opposite side are carved the names of five little girls born to the family and buried with him. None of whom lived to adulthood.

SLC 3/10/2026

03/07/2026

Hancock County has every reason to be proud of the Jeffreys Cliffs Conservation and Recreation Area. Since opening to the public in the summer of 2020, thousands of visitors have come to the county to hike the trails and experience the unique beauty of this natural wonder. There is nothing quite like Jeffreys Cliffs in the western part of the state. Along with being a great place to live, Hancock County has also become an exciting place to visit.

I have personally hosted many hikes and guided tours for groups, sharing what I learned about the destinations along the trails, the geology of the rock formations, and the individuals who played important roles in the area’s history. The Hancock County Heritage Commission has wanted to record this information so it could be preserved and used to educate future visitors.

Recently, QR codes were installed along the trails at Jeffreys Cliffs. Visitors can scan the codes with their smart phones to access information about each destination. We started with five locations, selected based on visitor feedback from social media posts and videos. These locations are:

1. The plaque and bench atop the cliffs, recognizing Jerry Harris’s donation of the cliffs property to the public and sharing his story.
2. The Jeffreys family homesite, located on top of the cliffs, with information about John Jeffreys, the man and family that gave the cliffs their name.
3. Morgan’s Cave, one of the largest rock shelters in the state, describing the geology and the origin of the name.
4. To***co Cave, another large rock shelter, featuring an explanation of the wooden structure beneath the cliffs and how early farming families grew one of their most important cash crops.
5. The temporary grave site of William Hardin Davison, a local resident and guerrilla band leader during the later years of the Civil War, telling the story of his life and legacy.

I will post the historical write ups of the information that visitors can access while exploring the cliffs. The first in this series is the story of Jerry Harris and how his long held dream of preserving Jeffreys Cliffs for public enjoyment finally became a reality.
Steve Canepari
President
Hancock County Heritage Commission, Inc.

SLC/slc 3/7/2026

JEFFREYS CLIFFS THE BEGINNING
Jerry R. Harris and the Cliffs

The story of Jeffreys Cliffs being opened to the public really begins in1977 when Jerry R. Harris purchased the 100 plus acre cliffs property from G. Newman, descendant of the cliff’s namesake John A. Jeffreys. Newman and other previous owners had considered transforming the cliffs into a park, but none of their ideas ever materialized. Jerry’s acquisition marked a turning point in the efforts to make the area accessible for public enjoyment.
JERRY HARRIS, ROOTS AND LIFE
Jerry Harris was born in Hancock County on July 8, 1928. The eldest son of Raymond and Lucille Harris, he and his eight siblings lived on a farm in the Dukes community in Hancock County. His formative years unfolded during the hardships of the Great Depression, prior to World War II. Despite these challenges, Jerry graduated from high school at age 16. Due to his youth, he initially found work only as a bellhop at a hotel in Cannelton, Indiana.
A CAREER IN SURVEYING
While working at the hotel, Jerry met a group of surveyors from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) who were guests there. They offered him a job assisting them, which marked the beginning of his career in surveying. Jerry worked for the USGS for several years, gaining valuable experience, although his advancement was limited by his lack of a college degree.
NEW OPPORTUNITIES IN ALASKA
This changed in 1959, when Alaska became the 49th state on January 3, 1959. Federal lands became state lands and required extensive surveying. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) was assigned this task and waived the college degree requirement to attract workers to Alaska. Jerry applied for and received a transfer to the BLM. By this time, Jerry was married, and he, his wife Martha, and their young daughters Linda and Carol moved to Alaska. After a number of years working for the BLM, Jerry started his own survey business and achieved considerable success in the new state of Alaska.
BUYING THE CLIFFS
In 1977, Jerry had returned to Hancock County to visit family. While there he learned that the Jeffreys Cliffs property was for sale, and he decided to buy it. With help from his younger brother, Wally Harris, Jerry tried to generate interest in turning the area into a state park, but, as with earlier efforts, nothing came of it.
A VISION FOR THE PUBLIC
Jerry Harris passed away on September 21st, 2012. Before his passing, he expressed to his daughters his wish not to sell the cliffs but to continue seeking ways to allow access for the public. In 2013, his daughters offered to donate the property to Hancock County. At that time, access to the cliff tops was extremely limited with only two narrow, overgrown, and impassable strips of land available. Both were unsuitable for public use. The property was totally surrounded by private land and additional land below the cliffs was needed if it were to open to the public.
NAKING THE DREAM A REALITY
The offer to donate the property by Jerry Harris’s daughters in 2013 initiated a seven-year project to realize Jerry’s dream of making the area open to everyone. This effort involved applying for grants to purchase additional property. In 2018, Hancock County purchased the Henning farm on Kentucky Hwy 1406. This became the location of the main parking lot and the lower hiking trails.

The organizations that collaborated to develop the Jeffreys Cliffs Conservation and Recreation Area include the Hancock County Heritage Commission, Inc., the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves, and the Kentucky Heritage Conservation Fund. Their combined efforts culminated in the opening of the area in June 2020.

SLC 12/21/2025