Senator Kefauver was born July 26, 1903, son of Mr. and Mrs. Cooke Kefauver of Madisonville.

He was educated in the Public schools of Monroe County, University of Tennessee, 1924, and the Yale University Law Department in New Haven, Connecticut in 1927. He was admitted to the bar in 1926 and commenced practice in Chattanooga in 1927.

As U. S. Representative and Senator from Tennessee, he served during the most trying times in American history, the post-war, anti-communist hysteria period in the midst of the McCarthy era. His whole political career was fought against the wind -- in times of major change he was giant among men. He battled against monopoly by powerful corporations and fought against organized crime in the United States. The University of Tennessee Library at Knoxville also has a large collection of his work.

He married Scottish-born Nancy Pigott. Senator Kefauver's son, Dr. David Kefauver, a Veterinarian, now lives at the Kefauver farm and plans to restore the old home which was placed on the National Historic Register in 1976.

The Honorable Senator Kefauver died August 10, 1963, he was buried in the family cemetery in a grave marked by a cross. The Tennessee Historical Commission placed a plaque at the right entrance to the farm house located on the Tellico Road which leads southeast from Madisonville. [Monroe County History Vol.1 part 1]

What is the Oldest Attraction in Monroe County ?

The Lost Sea was first used by white settlers in the 1820's for storing all their vegetables, as the constant 58 degree temperature provided a natural refrigeration system.

During the Civil War the Confederate Army mined the cave for saltpeter for the manufacture of gunpowder.

Based on bones of a Pleistocene jaguar found there, the cave is at least 20,000 years old. The 4.5 acre lake was not discovered until 1905, but the extensive cave system called Craighead Caverns has been used by both man and animal for centuries.

From a tiny natural opening on the side of the mountain, the cave expands into a series of huge rooms, one of which is The Council Room, because of the Indian artifacts found there. Pottery, arrowheads, weapons and jewelry attest to the use of the room by the Cherokee.

More then 13 acres of water have been mapped so far and even modern sonar equipment has failed to find an end. The Lost Sea has been designated a Registered Natural Landmark and is the largest under ground lake in the U. S.

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