The initial impetus for the founding of an NSS grotto in southwestern Missouri was the direct result of conversations among Cheri Casper, Rocky Brougham and John Baz-Dresch at the Spring 1975 MVOR.

Most of the original members were students and former members of local student grottos -- Heart of the Ozarks Grotto at Southwest Missouri State University (SMSU) and School of the Ozarks Troglophiles at what is now College of the Ozarks.

Filled with enthusiasm for the creation of a responsible, active organization to pursue speleology in the Springfield area, they found a number of active cavers eager to lend their support. After an initial period of discussion, officers were elected, a name selected, and a charter was applied for from the NSS's internal office.

The first officers of OHG were as follows:

• President -- Robert L. Taylor
  
• Vice President -- David Neff
  
• Secretary -- Cheri Casper
  
• Treasurer -- Kenneth C. Thomson
  
• Underground Leader Editor -- Michael Warshauer
  
  

Meetings were held at varied locations on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month. The dues were $4.00 per year and included a subscription to the Underground Leader, a joint publication of OHG and the S of O Troglophiles. OHG became a grotto of the NSS in November 1975.

Many of the early efforts of OHG were directed towards existing projects involving mapping and exploration. Another important aspect was to provide guidance and responsible leadership to novice cavers already caving on their own.

Some of the initial mapping efforts included survey of Zoo Cave in Taney County, Moss Cave in Greene County, Rasmussen Cave in Christian County and Nesbitt's Cave mapped to about 1,030 feet. Some of the first club trips were to Big Hole and Janus Pit, Arkansas, and to the NSS Convention in California.

After the demise of the S of O Troglophiles in 1977, OHG was without a publication. In 1978, a small newsletter was begun (it finally acquired a name, Under the Highlands, in 1981) to keep members informed of meetings and cave trips, but it wasn't the same as the quality magazine members had become accustomed to receiving. In the spring of 1979, OHG began printing The Ozarks' Underground, a new publication primarily devoted to a recording of the exploration and study of the caves of southwestern Missouri and northwest Arkansas. The Ozarks' Underground is now in its 28th year (as of 2006) and going strong, due mostly to the talented editors and contributors through the years. The editors of the OU through the years have been:

• Robert L. Taylor (1979)
  
• Jonathan B. Beard (1980-1990)
  
• Thomas L. Morton, Richard Thompson, and Kirby Tiller (1991-1992)
  
• Robert L. Taylor (1993-1998)
  
• Jack Rosenkoetter and Terry Sherman (1999-2000)
  
• Jack Rosenkoetter (2001-Present)
  
  

In the late 1970s and early 1980s OHG hosted several Speleology Workshops, held on the campus of SMSU. The workshops were designed to teach cavers many basic and advanced concepts in the field of speleology and caving techniques. The last was held in 1992 (the fifth workshop).

Breakdown Cave, one of the longest cave systems in southwest Missouri, was introduced to OHG by members Brent Wilkins and Howard Tripp in late 1979, and since then has been a major project for OHG. The cave was suffering extensive vandalism, so OHG members, with the blessings of the owners, gated the cave in June of 1983. Since then, the cave has been cleaned of graffiti and trash, and several formations have been repaired. Today, OHG uses the cave as a restoration laboratory, as a classroom to educate the public about the importance of caves, and to promote conservation.

In 1985, a major cave discovery was made in Dade County. This cave is currently one of seven caves in the United States known to contain prehistoric human footprints. It was gated in 1986 by OHG to protect its contents. Lon Odell Memorial Cave, named after a deceased OHG caver, is the longest known cave in the county at slightly over 4,000 feet in length. OHG controls access to this cave and permits only "work" trips into the cave (i.e. surveying, photography, study, trail marking). It is not a recreational cave.

In 1995, OHG gated and controls access to three other caves. In Wright County, 1440 Cave was gated to protect a beautiful formation area called Silent Splendor. In the same county, Watterson Cave was gated to keep people and animals from falling into the cave and to protect the cave against vandalism. In Douglas County, Fox Creek Cave was gated to protect beautiful formation areas.

In 1996, another major discovery was made by OHG in Christian County. Garrison Cave #2 has had its depths pushed and the wet and difficult cave is now estimated to be two or three times as long as was previously known. This is currently our biggest mapping project and, as of yet, no end has been found. A cooperative landowner permitted us to clean and gate the cave, and scheduled survey trips work further into its depths about every month. Indeed, the past eleven trips there have discovered virgin passage, and at about 8000', it's going to be the longest cave in southwestern Missouri when it's all said and done.