But now, instead of enlarging the cavern, the mineral-rich fluid began filling it once again. Drop by drop, over centuries, seemingly insignificant trickles worked wonders in stone. The result is a rich display of cave formations, or as scientists call them, speleothems. Lehman Caves contains familiar structures such as stalactites, stalagmites, columns, draperies, and flow stone, along with some interesting and delicate rarities. Lehman Caves is most famous for the rare and mysterious structures called shields.
Shields consist of two roughly circular halves, almost like flattened clam shells.
How they are formed remains a subject of controversy another of the pleasant mysteries to be found in the underground world. The discovery of Lehman Caves is credited to Absalom Lehman, a local rancher. He made his discovery in the spring of 1885. Lehman's curiosity and experience as a miner prompted his investigation of the mysterious opening near his ranch. Although Native Americans knew of the cave, Lehman was the first person to explore the underground world.