As the glaciers finally began retreating to the north for the last time, tons of melting ice altered the courses of streams and rivers.

When this fresh ground water came in contact with the salt deposits left by the seas which covered everything millions of years ago, it dissolved the salt and carried it to the surface of the ground.

This is what happened in Boone County, Kentucky where there were large deposits of salt brought to the surface by sulphur springs. The land around these natural springs was marshy and soft.

Drawn by their need for salt, mammoths and mastodons, giant ground sloths, bison, musk ox, elks, and other prehistoric mammals came in huge packs and herds to the salt licks in northern Kentucky where animals had gathered for centuries.

In 1739, Major Charles LeMoyne de Longueil, a French soldier from Fort Niagara, became the first white man to see Big Bone Lick. He and his men were on their way down the Ohio River Valley to make a survey of the territory.

Major Longueil found many large bones and teeth in the swamp around the springs at Big Bone Lick. He gathered some of these fossils and took them out of the area.

Word of the discovery of Big Bone Lick soon spread to other explorers and their fascination with the big bones found lying on top of the ground drew many people to see the sight in person.

For some time, around 1756, a salt-making industry was attempted at Big Bone Lick. Since it took 600 gallons of water to produce one bushel of salt and cost $4.00 per hundredweight, the venture proved too expensive to continue.

Gradually it died out and was replaced by a more glamorous attraction. In the years right before the Civil War, the Clay Hotel (named for Henry Clay) was built and the area became a health resort. It was a secluded but fashionable spot to visit for people who "ate too much and exercised too little," or persons who had "gone into declines."

The salt water around the lick was said to heal all kinds of illnesses, and many people visited there hoping to be cured. Water from the springs was bottled and sold, and fees were charged to visit the wells, drink the sulphur water, and take baths in the springs.

Big Bone Lick enjoyed immense popularity from 1815 to 1845. It was known as one of the best watering places west of the Allegheny Mountains. The atmosphere was one of love, adventure, and romance typical of the Old South.

As other archeological discoveries took place around the country and settlers became interested in more modern adventures, Big Bone Lick's popularity declined. By 1847 the place was deserted. The Clay Hotel disappeared. Another was built nearby, but it burned before Big Bone Lick became a state park.

• Big Bone Lick Before Man
• Prehistoric Man at Big Bone Lick
• Pioneer Era Discovery and Exploration
• Big Bone Lick's Popularity as a Health Resort
• Recent Scientific Excavations
• Present-Day Big Bone Lick State Park