Springfield, MO. — Today, the Greene County Commission joins our community and the nation in solemn remembrance of the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001.
A quarter-century later, Greene County continues to honor the 2,977 innocent lives taken in New York City, Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and the Pentagon. We remember the selfless bravery of first responders who ran toward danger, and we express enduring gratitude to the military service members and families who sacrificed during the subsequent Global War on Terror to protect our freedoms.
As our community shared in the national grief on that Tuesday morning in 2001, an unexpected chapter in Greene County history was simultaneously unfolding along a local road project.
County highway crews were working on the southward extension of Cox Road just south of Springfield. When word arrived of the attacks, an immediate order was issued to halt all blasting operations. However, explosive charges had already been drilled and set in the ground and could not be safely left or extracted. Special permission was granted to detonate only those primed charges to secure the site.
When the dust settled, the blast opened a small breach into an ancient, sealed subterranean chamber. It would later become known as the Riverbluff Cave. Sealed away for tens of thousands of years, Riverbluff Cave proved to be the oldest known Ice Age fossil cave in North America. Inside, researchers uncovered exceptionally preserved tracks, mammoth remains, and the distinctive claw marks of the extinct giant short-faced bear.
Recognizing its significance, Greene County acted quickly to secure the site and later acquired surrounding land to preserve it permanently. Today, officially designated a County Historic Site, Riverbluff Cave stands alongside the Missouri Institute of Natural Science as a place of scientific study, education, and stewardship.
“25 years later, September 11th remains a day of deep reverence for our county and nation, and the promise to never forget is still ours to keep.” — Commissioner John Russell.
“Today we remember those taken from us, we honor those who answered the call, and we are grateful to all who serve.”
— Commissioner Rusty MacLachlan.
“As we pause to honor the lives taken, given and protected, we also recall the enduring resilience of the human spirit and how unexpected light can emerge even on history’s darkest days.”
— Presiding Commissioner Bob Dixon.
“As we pause to reflect on September 11th, it is gratifying to also remember the discovery of the cave that day and what its preservation would mean for the county and the nation.”
— Former Commissioner Harold Bengsch.
“On what was a tragic day for our country, the discovery of Riverbluff Cave revealed a treasure trove of evidence detailing prehistoric life going back 1.3 million years.”
— Former Presiding Commissioner Dave Coonrod.
“Because of the extremely fragile condition of the cave environment, it is closed to visitors, however the Missouri Institute of Natural Science has thousands of specimens from the cave on display. We welcome individual guests and interested groups.”
— Matt Forir, Greene County Geologist and Director, Missouri Institute of Natural Science.
For more information on the Missouri Institute of Natural Science and Riverbluff Cave, visit www.monatsci.org