by garrett woodrum
DEEPER THAN ROOTS
Lewis Cutliff, a 94-year-old man reflects on a homecoming to the land he was once displaced from - Mammoth Cave National Park. Despite being an ever-changing governmental entity, Cutliff lived a life that ensured his place in the park's history.
Lewis Cutliff first experienced displacement when he was 5-years-old. 90-years later, his connection to the park remains eminent and his influence substantial. From photographs of tour groups to guiding them himself, Cutliff returned to his home to ensure that it was protected and remains preserved.
"It's not your park, or my park. It's a peoples park"
-Bobby Bunnell
2025 marked the 100-year anniversary of the Park Association at Mammoth Cave National Park. Originally created to protect and preserve the park, their intentions remain the same in establishing the park, but have since evolved into also creating a park that can be enjoyed on a national level. According to the National Park Service Report (2024), Mammoth Cave averages between 500,000-750,000 visitors per year. The influx of tourism here has brought new challenges to Bobby Bunnell, the current Park Association President. As the president, Bunnell feels in conflict in his role, “My family was one of the 600 displaced”.  
A map showing the 50,000 acres of land that was obtained by the National Park Service.

Kentucky Legislature appropriated $1.5 million to purchase lands and cover expenses of condemnation. House by house, parcel by parcel, land acquisition occurred from the late 1920s into the late 1930s.
a Unique Return
While families were forced off their land, many later returned in a different role—as laborers and stewards of the very park that replaced their homes. Through the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), both local and non-local workers reshaped the terrain, building trails, planting over a million trees, and constructing enduring stonework that still defines the park today.

Displacement did not fully sever ties to place, but instead allowed former residents to become contributors to Mammoth Cave’s preservation and public legacy.