Joseph Potts was one of the earliest in southern Indiana. He came to this territory not later than 1806 and settled in Harrison Co on the east fork of Buck Creek about 6 miles west of the Ohio River, near where Rogers Camp Ground Cemetery now stands. As a young man, in his early 20's, Joseph, with his young wife and child, lived in KY and with others made trips across the river into Indiana territory hunting and exploring. The hunting was better on the Indiana side where bear, deer, and wild turkey abounded, and there too was a desire to push westward. These trips were full of daring for this territory was Indian hunting ground and the Indians resented the intrusion of the white man. Also, there were rattlesnakes, copperheads, wolves and panthers in this district. On one of these trips, Joseph came upon a cave on the east fork of Buck Creek about 6 miles from the Ohio River in what is now Posey Township near where Rogers Camp Church now stands. Down the creek from this cave was a place where Potts thought would be a good site for a mill and it pleased him so well, he planned to move at once, but he encountered many difficulties. His wife feared the Indians and at first would not move. But at a later date when the Indian boundary was established across Indiana, about where the north line of Harrison Co now is and the Indians had agreed not to hunt south of this line, then she was willing to move. But when Potts prepared to move, there were other difficulties; he had no road to the river and no ferry boat nor house to move to. The road which he had was a blazed trail made by chopping the bark from one side of the trees so they could find their route to the river. Therefore, Joseph and his brother, Andrew, came over to the cave in Indiana and built a "three faced camp" as a three-sided log house was called. The one side was left open to enable them to drag up logs and built a fire to keep the house warm. This house was located on the south side of Buck Creek about 1/3 mile west of the cave spring which Potts discovered near a small spring and branch of water. Joseph and Andrew then went back to KY and built a raft with which they moved across the river. They crossed at a place which afterwards was called "The Ferry" and later "The Allen Landing" and then "The Henry Stewart Sr. Farm". The first trip across the river they swam the cow behind the raft and tied her on the bank while they went back for another load. While they were gone some bears ate the cow. But they succeeded in moving a pack of good dogs and a pig to their new home in IN. Joseph Potts at this time had a wife and one child.

One night they heard a noise at the pig-pen and the pig was gone for a bear had been there. The dogs were off throughout the woods and the men followed with torches, knives and a gun trailing through the snow by the blood. They followed about a mile and the bear had taken refuge in a cave which is located in the bottom of a sink hole. The cave is entered through the bottom of this sink hole and is a room about 15-20 feet square with a ceiling about the height of an average man. The opening through which they went down was about 2 feet square and like going down into a well ten or 15 feet deep. They shone a light into the bear's eyes with the torch and shot him in the shoulder as he crouched in a corner. When the gun fired that was the signal for the dogs to take hold, but the bear was only crippled and squeezed the lead dog with a hug when he yelped. Joseph Potts ran forward, reached over the bear's neck and stabbed him in the juggular vein. He stabbed him on the far side so if the bear snapped he would snap away from him. Then they held the bear till he bled to death, dressed him and quartered him and carried him home.

In those days a pack of hunting dogs meant much to their owner. This cave is known as "The Bear Cave." It is located in Posey Township, Harrison Co, near the No. 8 S.H. on a farm that was owned by John Stafford and now by Maggie Johnson, wife of Sidney Johnson. The cave's walls are covered with names and dates - one is 1816.