I’ve triapsed through the Wichita Mountains many times myself and always found the refuge peaceful and beautiful. I had no idea that one of the most sought-after cave finds in the Refuge is believed to have had such a tragic story behind it..
Have you heard about the mummy cave in the Wichita Mountains?
It isn’t well-known that the Spanish Cave in the Wichitas served as a tomb when it was first discovered because, well, it was never documented.
But, according to Buford Morgan’s 1973 The Wichita Mountains: Ancient Oasis of the Prairies, locals knew and spoke about the tragic past hidden in this cave.
In 1902, Spanish explorers or settlers were said to have found a mummified body of a young boy, who could’ve possibly been a son of Chief or someone of high importance. They believed this because of the leather dress and moccasins he was wearing beneath the Navajo blankets, which were supposedly a lot nicer than what most other Native Americans were wearing.
The child was also found with coins, an ellaborated carved bracelet, beads, a pearl talisman and other items, according to the recounting from Go Wild History…