Driscol Cave is located near the intersection of 250th street and Highway 99. You can stand on Highway 99 and see the cave if you know what to look for.

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Photos: Herb Price

A book, Country Living 1835-1976 Huron Township by Mrs B. Frank Hedges, mentions a natural cave "in the rock bluff along the Bottom Road at Swanks' Corner." The year was about 1860 and the family who used the site "lived on the bottom." One source quoted in the book says the family name was "Driscol." An earlier paragraph in the book says "Driscol and Hudson family members were buried together on the Chuck Hutchcroft farm. According to clippings from the Oakville Sentinel the size of the vault was 20 feet by 10 feet by 6 feet in height.

The book goes on to say that when wild animals disturbed the burials, the remains were moved to Hawkeye Cemetery. One story says a skull recovered from the Driscol Cave burial site was reburied at Driskell Family Plot.

We think "Driscol" is an alternative spelling of the family name Driskell or Driskel. Driskell Family Plot, not far from the "Driscol" Cave Burial site, has stone grave markers with both Driskel and Driskell on them. This family name is spelled Driskill on the in the 1850 census and "Driskell" in the 1860 census.

Sandy Hedges, from one of the only remaining pioneer families in Huron township, confirms the cave was the burial site of Driskells: Elisha Driskell; Elizabeth (Betsey) Boston Driskell, his wife; and Isaac Newton Driskell, their son. Elisha and Betsey married in Kentucky, 11 Feb 1810, moved to Indiana and then to Iowa. Isaac had ailments so did not live a long life. Elisha died in 1857. He asked the owners of the property if he could be buried there so he could have a beautiful view of the river valley. Eventually wild pigs rooted around the cave and got to the bones. Some boy mushrooming found the skull.

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