Inside the Abandoned Dwelling of “The Hermit of Beaton Cave” – Rockland, Michigan

His name was Melvin Beaton, born on June 22, 1911, a resident of Rockland. His formative years were rather normal, but his adult life became a far cry from those younger times.

Progress crept into Rockland, bringing modernization, communications.....and the outside world. It was the outside world that eventually freaked him out.

News of the cold war between the United States and Russia during the 1950s and 60s made Melvin more and more paranoid of some kind of nuclear holocaust. He was certain that a nuclear war would take place and proceeded to take precautionary measures.

During the 1950s, there were bomb shelter salesmen that went door-to-door pushing their shelters. However, his funds weren't going to allow him to have one built. Melvin lived with his mother in Murphey's Hotel, which he believed was nothing more than a death trap, once the bombs started falling.

The terrain was tough to dig through thanks to the bedrock that was so prevalent in that area. So he went into the wilderness where there were so many abandoned mines and found himself a cave....actually, an abandoned mine shaft that was eight feet wide and six feet high, snaking back into the rock for 100 feet. Melvin then decided to make this tunnel his home.

And that's exactly what it was: just an old mine shaft tunnel: no rooms, no open space, just a dark tunnel. Melvin lived here for an undetermined amount of time; how he stayed alive, warm, and comfortable during harsh winters is unknown. Over time, residents of Rockland seemed to forget about the demented man in the cave outside of town.

No nuclear holocaust occurred.

When Melvin emerged from his mountainside tomb is unknown, but he lived the rest of his life in a nursing home and died there in 1990 at the age of 79. Melvin's 'bomb shelter', now known as Beaton's Cave, still exists, wide open and hard to find.

According to Up North Michigan, “take the road out of Rockland that goes to Old Victoria. Park at the rail trail where the railroad used to come through. Head south keeping to the trail for a half mile or so where you will come to the railroad again. Continue down the railroad. On your right will be a major power line supported by enormous metal structures. When you reach the fifth powerline support turn left into the forest and make your way to the distant cliffs.”

The cave will be nearby.

Be aware there are plenty of bats inside, it's so dark, you can't see your hand in front of your face, and it can be very dangerous.

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