Historical documents show that men under the command of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry discovered this limestone cave 40 feet underground during their occupation of the island in 1813. Perry used the underground stream in Perry’s Cave for drinking water during the hot summer prior to the “Battle of Lake Erie”, fought on September 10, 1813. This pivotal naval engagement was fought during the War of 1812. The water in the stream is a consistent 50 degrees year-round.
