Dr. John Croghan

With his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania, John began his practice in Louisville in 1814 with a primary interest in tuberculosis research. He had many business interests beyond medicine; in 1829 he struck Kentucky’s first oil in Cumberland County. He owned Locust Grove from 1834 to his death in 1849. Croghan acquired Mammoth Cave in 1839 theorizing that it might have value as a tuberculosis sanatorium, while also operating it as a tourist attraction. John’s 1849 will emancipated the slaves at Locust Grove and Mammoth Cave.