It was on Sept. 1, 1885, that Walter J. Mercer would, just by chance, make a discovery that would forever change his life. After spending most of that hot summer day having no luck prospecting for gold, Walter discovered a subterranean wonderland that is known today as Mercer Caverns.

After the initial exploration of the caverns, Emile Stevenot proposed that the formation now known as the “Cave Twins” be used as touching stones so that visitors would be able to actually touch and feel a cave formation and also so that visitors would not be tempted to touch other fragile and delicate formations in the caverns.