with Carlsbad Caverns National Park--first as a National
Monument--in serving the visitors with various needs.
By the late 1920's they served visitors out of tent facilities
at the Natural Entrance. Later Cavern Supply constructed
a store across the parking lot and near the Park Service
ticket office.
Cavern Supply provided lunches for sale for tour groups
and later constructed an underground lunchroom. In the
late 1950's they added a number of facilities to the park's
visitor center which had been constructed in the early
1950s (food services on the surface, gift shop, nursery,
and kennels) The Coffee Shop Soda Fountain was
finished in February 1958; the Cavern Supply surface
Gift Shop, a month later.
A incredibly significant labor-saving device for both the
surface/cavern logistics of both the Cavern Supply Company
and the National Park Service was the installation in 1932
of two 75 story (750 ") shafts and elevators. Prior to that
pivotal event, all supplies in and trash out required human
transportation.
Think of that.
Bob Hoff
10/30/11
