Among the most enduring graffiti in America is located deep inside Wind Cave, the namesake of Wind Cave National Park. Left behind by teenager and explorer Alvin McDonald, the candle soot memorializes the exploration of the cave after the Civil War. The cave does not have carvings or etchings from native people, and Alvin’s tag is one of the few in the cave from any era. The courage required to explore the cave with candlelight is evident and greatly surpasses my own limited sense of self that can occasionally be scared of the dark even in my well trod neighborhood.

The cave is known for being the having an extensive formation of box work:

To access the wonders of the cave, incredible infrastructure was built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corp, a workforce of thousands formed from unemployed men in the region. Elevators, a concrete walkway, and hundreds of stairs enable visitors to see the famous box work and different types of geology. The concrete paths are so well built, that it would be easy to compare the path through Wind Cave to a path through a manmade cave at an amusement park. The craftsmanship applied to the nearly century old infrastructure is obvious when examined, but so subtle as to blend into the environment. This infrastructure was built by hand, with concrete being carried into the cave using inner tubes. The contributions of our ancestors literally paved a smooth path for us to enjoy a natural wonder. This is true of all infrastructure, for which I am becoming more grateful.