Abijah Long

Abijah Long was a Texas-born writer remembered for his role in the early history of the cave once known simply as the "Big Cave," later famous as Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. Available records identify him as having been born in 1869 and dying on February 22, 1934.

His published legacy is The Big Cave, a family-backed memoir later issued with material by his son, Joe N. Long. In the foreword, his family explains that he wrote down his recollections before his death, especially about moving to Carlsbad in 1901 and the cave's earliest years, because they felt later histories had become confused about how those events unfolded.

That gives his writing its lasting appeal: it reads less like polished history and more like a direct witness account from someone who lived the story. For listeners interested in the American Southwest, exploration, or the origins of Carlsbad Caverns, his work preserves a rare voice from the beginning of that history.