Legends of Lost Gold: the Victorio Peak Treasure (Part 2)

At the end of my previous post on New Mexico's Victorio Peak Treasure ("Legends of Lost Gold: the Victorio Peak Treasure [Part 1]" http://treasuretrovegold.blogspot.com/2009/01/legends-of-lost-gold-victorio-peak.html) I mentioned that I'd continue with the legend's history and significant events in the next post. So here goes (please note that all quotes by the parties involved are in italics):

"Something Unusual"

In 1937 the protagonist of our story, Milton "Doc" Noss, was illegally practicing foot medicine as a podiatrist in Hot Springs, New Mexico (now Truth or Consequences). In November of that same year he, his wife Ova "Babe" Noss, and another couple (who remain unnamed) were on a combined hunting and camping excursion in the Hembrillo Basin, not far from Victorio Peak.

At some point Doc slipped away from the others to hunt deer on his own. He returned to the campsite quite late in the evening and pulled Babe aside in their tent, swearing her to secrecy and whispering to her that he had "found something unusual" near the top of the mountain that included a small opening covered by a rock that led into a "cave-like" room.

"That Was the First of the Treasure"

To ensure that no undue suspicions regarding their activities were raised, Doc and Babe waited for a month or two before to returning to Victorio Peak with lengths of rope, digging tools, lanterns, and other supplies. Over the course of 3 or 4 visits, Doc expanded his initial discovery by venturing deeper and deeper into the mountain, squeezing himself through narrow passages and at one point, crossing an underground stream.

Finally, one fateful evening, after being inside the bowels of Victorio Peak for hours, Doc climbed his way back to the surface to confront a very worried Babe. Without saying a word Doc motioned Babe over to the campfire she had built and with shaking hands reached inside his vest and pulled out an old leather bag.

"It looked like a horse's feed bag" and was filled with "old foreign money" quoted Babe in later years. "That was the first of the treasure," said Babe. Over the next few months Doc would recover a number of other treasure items from inside Victorio Peak, including jewels, an old sword, and a gold crown.

"The Treasure Room"

Doc told Babe that the interior of the mountain was riddled with tunnels and caverns including a huge central chamber that Doc called "the treasure room." According to Doc inside this large, central cavern were several large stacks of "pig iron" which later turned out to be various-sized bars of gold (again, according to Doc) with a black oxidation coating on them. Also in the treasure room were wooden crates filled to the brim with jewels, old weapons and armor, trunks filled with lace and velvet, religious statues, gold crosses, and even old documents and letters.

To prove his point Doc handed Babe a gold crown. Later, while they were at home, Babe cleaned the crown at her kitchen sink, still unable to fully comprehend the treasure trove that Doc had found inside Victorio Peak. In later years Babe stated that "I took it to a jewelerman in El Paso and when he seen it he starting talking to us real polite. The crown had 243 diamonds and one big pigeon-blood ruby."

We'll continue with this fascinating treasure legend in my next post on the Victorio Peak Treasure. Until then be safe and good hunting to you!

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "$230,000 in Buried Gold"

http://treasuretrovegold.blogspot.com/2009/01/230000-in-buried-gold.html

(c) J.R. 2009

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

Legends of Lost Gold: the Victorio Peak Treasure (Part 1)

(Victorio Peak.)

100 Tons of Gold?Along with the legend of the Lost Dutchman Mine, one of the most famous and persistent buried treasure legends in the United States is the Victorio Peak Treasure. In some circles it is estimated that this trove contains (or contained...we'll talk about this use of the past tense in a later post) nearly 100 tons of gold as well as numerous other valuable artifacts, coins, and jewelry.. But before you pack your bags and go flying out the door metal detector in hand, you need to know that Victorio Peak is now part of the U.S. Government's White Sands Missile Range and is essentially off limits to gawkers, hikers, and yes, treasure hunters.

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The Treasure

I've already alluded to the fact that the Victorio Peak Treasure is said to contain over 100 tons of gold but it may help to note that included in this broad generalization are:

Over 16,000 bars of gold of various types (including some stamped "Wells Fargo") and sizes (averaging 60%-70% gold with the remaining metal copper).

Large amounts of silver coins of foreign denomination.

Chests of jewelry, including at least one gold crown.

Swords, Spanish armor, and old artifacts including religious statues.

Enough treasure for you? I know it would be plenty for me.

The Major Players

Who are the major players in this fantastic treasure tale? An interesting bunch to put it mildly, including :

Milton "Doc" Noss: A self-proclaimed podiatrist who was run out of Texas for practicing foot medicine without a license in the 1930s, Doc Noss was the finder of the Victorio Peak Treasure. Doc had a reputation as a con man in some circles and many think his "discovery" of untold wealth inside Victorio Peak was, in the end, just another hustle.

Ova "Babe" Noss: Doc's wife and co-conspirator in trying to keep the initial discovery secret. Later on, Babe would aggressively take on all comers (including the Federal Government) to try and ensure that she, other Noss family members, and investors in the Noss claim to the treasure would receive their fair share of the loot.

Charley Ryan: The Texas oil man who ended up shooting Doc Noss in the temple after a deal by Noss to sell Ryan bars of gold from Victorio Peak went sour. Some say that Doc attempted to perpetrate another con by hoodwinking Ryan with fakes. Others say the deal was legitimate. Either way, Doc ended up deader than a doornail.

Leonard Fiege: A former Air Force officer who, with 3 other airmen, said he found stacks of gold bars hidden in a Victorio Peak cavern in 1958 while stationed at White Sands.

Violet Boles: Doc Noss's second wife and a claimant for the Victorio Peak Treasure.

Tony Jolley: A local cowboy who said he helped Doc Noss move and bury some Victorio Peak gold bars the night before Doc was shot and killed. After Doc's death, Jolley said he recovered some of those bars of gold.

Padre LaRue: the priest of treasure legend (Lost Padre Mine, the LaRue Treasure, etc.). Some think that the Victorio Peak treasure trove came from LaRue and his followers.

Terry Delonas: Babe's grandson who kept up the Noss family fight with the Feds in the 1980s and early 1990s for the right to search Victorio Peak for "their" treasure.

Norman Scott: Professional treasure hunter who worked for Babe before her death and who headed up "Operation Goldfinder" at Victorio Peak in 1978.

These are just a few of the interesting characters who populate this famous treasure legend. There are many other secondary players as well.

In my next post on the Victorio Peak Treasure I'll continue with the legend's history and significant events.
Until then, good hunting out there.

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "Bandit Gold in Idaho"

(c)  Jim Rocha (J.R.)  2009

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

Bandit Gold in Idaho

Idaho Has Seen its Share of Desperadoes

Like most other Western states, Idaho has seen its fair share of desperadoes, bandits, horse thieves, and various and sundry other types of old-West criminal "ne'r-do-wells." Most, if not all, of these misguided souls eventually ended up dangling from a rope, often leaving their ill-gotten gains buried in secret spots that remain secret to this day.




So here are 3 unrecovered Idaho bandit gold treasure trove legends for you to peruse. Each of these tales contains verifiable elements that can be expanded upon by a savvy and research-oriented treasure hunter (something we should all aspire to be, by the way):

Lost Gold of "Robber's Roost"

Way back in 1865 a gang of enterprising bandits held up a stagecoach near McCammon in Bannock County, Idaho. Their take? Over 3,600 troy ounces (that's 12 troy pounds, my friend!) of placer gold nuggets and dust from some of Idaho's famed gold fields. Unfortunately for the desperadoes, their score was short and sweet. A posse was soon hot on their trail, forcing the bandits to bury their loot at a spot near McCammon known locally as "Robber's Roost." Eventually each of the gang members was caught, jailed, tried, convicted, and hung. Not a single one of them revealed the location of the gold stash before the hangman's noose ended their respective careers.

The "Brown's Bench" Strongbox

A solitary bandit robbed the Jarbridge stage in 1888 near modern Salmon Dam. This brave but foolhardy criminal made off with a strongbox filled with gold specie of varying denominations, which he managed to hide before the inevitable posse caught up with him and shot him dead. Legend states that the bandit's gold was buried (or otherwise hidden very well) somewhere on the east side of "Brown's Bench," a distinctive mesa-like geologic formation some 10-15 miles out of Rogerson, Idaho.

"Lost Cave" Gold

Known as the "Lost Cave" Gold, there is a small fortune (over $40,000 face value) in newly-minted gold coins buried in an "above ground" cave near the Nevada state line somewhere in Boise County, Idaho. The gold, nestled in a small strongbox, was part of the loot taken by a small group of bandits who meant to return for the loot later, after avoiding "John Law." They were unsuccessful in this latter enterprise and went to their graves without revealing the location of their gold-filled cave.

So there you have it. Three potential treasure troves requiring additional research that may "flesh" things out some and provide salient information on the viability of their recovery. Remember, there is an element of truth to each and every treasure trove legend.

Good hunting!

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "4 'Classic' Treasure Hunting Books"

http://treasuretrovegold.blogspot.com/2009/01/4-classic-treasure-hunting-books.html

(c) J.R. 2009

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

4 "Classic" Treasure Hunting Books

Whether you're just starting out as a treasure hunter or are an "old pro," here are some good books about our hobby/avocation that I consider to be true "classics":

"Buried Treasures You Can Find," by Robert Marx.

Robert Marx has been treasure hunting for a long, long time and has developed a sterling reputation over the years as a diver, treasure hunter, and marine archaeologist. There are literally thousands of good treasure hunting tips and basic leads in this book for those who aren't afraid to get out there and do some research of their own. "Buried Treasures You Can Find" is a fun read as well, and I highly recommend it.

"100 Tons of Gold: the Incredible Story Behind the Biggest Buried Treasure in the U.S.," by David Leon Chandler.

One of the best (if not the best) books on New Mexico's Victorio Peak treasure which supposedly contained (or still contains, depending on your point of view) over 100 tons of gold, silver, and valuable artifacts. Chandler does a great job chronicling the history of the treasure, the various players involved, and the U.S. government's intrusion into the realm of treasure hunting. What happened to all this loot? Read Chandler's fascinating book, if you can find a copy at a reasonable price ("100 Tons.." was first published in 1978 and has since gone out of print). This book is a must for anyone seriously interested in treasure hunting.

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"The Money Pit," by D'Arcy O'Connor

O'Connor does an admirable job chronicling the events and some of the treasure hunters who became central figures in Nova Scotia's Oak Island mystery. Though 30-years old now, this book still remains one of the best on the "Money Pit" treasure mystery and should be in every treasure hunter's library. Another classic, no doubt about it.

"Gold in the Blue Ridge: the True Story of the Beale Treasure," by Pauline and Walter Innis

Still one of the best primers on Virginia's Beale treasure trove, "Gold in the Blue Ridge" should be part of any treasure hunter's library. Folks with an avid interest in codes and ciphers will love this book (and the Beale treasure legend as a whole) since this treasure legend has a complex set of codes or ciphers at its core. I actually searched for this one back in the late 1970s, by the way (nope I didn't find it!). At any rate, I recommend this book...it too is a treasure hunting classic.

So up for some interesting, enjoyable, and thought-provoking reading? Try one (or all) of these treasure hunting classics. You won't be disappointed.

Good hunting.

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "Indiana's 'Gangster' Treasures"

http://treasuretrovegold.blogspot.com/2009/01/indianas-gangster-treasures.html

(c) J.R. 2009

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

Buried Treasures in New York and New Jersey

Some Treasure Tales are Detailed, Others are Not

Every state of the Union has its own unique list of lost treasure tales and New York and New Jersey are no exceptions. And, while some of these lost treasure legends can be quite extensive in terms of details (names, places, players, etc.), others offer only the barest of potential treasure leads.

The latter provides the mill grist for the following list of buried treasures in New York and New Jersey. I make no claims about the veracity of these legends (NOTE: further research is both warranted and needed here):

New York

1) There are numerous tales of pirate treasure troves (including one or two belonging to the notorious Captain Kidd) buried along coastal areas at Gardiner's Island, near Manhattan in or close to the East River, the Hudson River, and the New York harbor district. Additionally, Long Island beaches would be a good place to search for coins of the pirate era after large storms have chewed up the sand and uncovered new items.

2) An early resident of Grand Island, New York (near Lake Erie) is said to have buried a large fortune in gold and silver coin somewhere in the area.

3) A gang of criminals buried a number of caches of stolen loot in the Montezuma Swamp area near Seneca Falls.

4) Numerous old coins have been recovered by treasure hunters using metal detectors along the western shore of Lake Champlain. A pre-Colonial or Revolutionary War treasure trove (or troves) may exist nearby or in the water itself.

5) A large treasure trove was supposedly buried at or near the site of the historical Jeffery Amherst Fort in Essex County.

New Jersey

1) There are legends of numerous buried treasure troves in the state's pine barrens. Two large caches involving loot stolen by criminals are said to be buried in 2 separate locations, one near Colt's Neck and the other near Farmingdale, both in Monmouth County.

2) New Jersey's extensive shoreline areas are the basis for many buried pirate treasure legends. There may be truth to this premise as many old Spanish and English (and American) coins have been recovered in these areas, particularly after large storms combined with extremely high tides have exposed new treasure material. Beaches near Asbury Park, Stone Harbor, and Beach Haven have been the most productive in this regard.

3) A number of pirate treasure caches may be buried near Cape May and Perth Amboy.

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There you are. If you have some extra time on your hands, why not get online or scoot down to your local library and see if you can track one of these treasure troves down. Who knows? You may hit something good that others have missed.

Good hunting out there!

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "Fort Dodge Treasure a Myth?"

http://treasuretrovegold.blogspot.com/2009/01/fort-dodge-treasure-myth.html

(c) J.R. 2009

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

Civil War Treasure Caches in Georgia

Georgia Paid Dearly for Her "Rebellion"

The State of Georgia played a prominent role in the Confederacy during the U.S. Civil War and ultimately paid dearly for her "rebellion" against the Union. Nowhere is this sad fact better illustrated than in a brutal military campaign known as "Sherman's March to the Sea."

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Union General William Sherman began his "march" in the Fall of 1864 after Confederate General John Bell Hood abandoned his defensive positions around Atlanta to pursue a disastrous offensive in Tennessee. Sherman's army was then free to cut a swath of destruction west-to-east across Georgia all the way to the sea near Savannah.

Adept at Hiding Their Valuables

Georgia's civilian population endured the brunt of Sherman's March, suffering every depredation imaginable as Sherman vowed to "make Georgia stand up and howl" as punishment for her participation in the Confederacy. And punish Georgia his troops did, carrying on a campaign of terror and destruction that involved rape, looting, murder, and the burning of countless homes, plantations, and public buildings.

Georgia residents in the path of Sherman's March learned very quickly to protect their possessions, including livestock and food, since Sherman's army was under orders to "live off the countryside." More importantly, Georgians became quite adept at hiding their valuables (gold, silver, coins, jewelry, silverware, heirlooms, etc.) since these possessions were often the first items stolen from them.

A Proliferation of Treasure Caches

All of this depredation resulted in a proliferation of treasure caches along the route of Sherman's March. These included small caches on the order of what we know today as "posthole banks" to medium-sized troves containing hundreds of dollars in silver and gold coin, to large treasures buried by wealthy land or plantation owners. Some of the latter contained the equivalent of thousands to tens of thousands of dollars.

Granted, many of these treasure caches were recovered by those who buried them after the passing of Sherman's columns of "bummers." But conversely, many of these hurriedly buried troves were never recovered for any number of reasons, some of which should come readily to mind considering the overall circumstances of the time.

Detailed Research Will Pay Off

Any perceptive and earnest treasure hunter who is interested in locating and recovering one or more of these Civil War treasure caches in Georgia knows that the first step he or she must take is pursuing a path involving detailed research. Without detailed research even the best treasure hunter in the world will only be "stabbing in the dark" when it comes to realizing a pay off from one of these caches.




Where do you start? Why at the beginning, of course! Read historical and first-hand accounts of Sherman's March from both the Union and Rebel points of view, paying close attention to details that may provide a starting point. Then narrow your research down to state or county records, or better yet, diaries or family histories. Something is bound to turn up for you if you are persistent and thorough in this regard.

How do I know this? I am personally acquainted with a treasure hunter who did his research on Sherman's March and actually located and recovered a medium-sized cache. He worked a deal beforehand with the landowner whose property contained the trove and they split 50-50 after the recovery. What was the cache worth? A dollar value of over $10,000 for both parties. Enough said.....

Good hunting for those hidden valuables!

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "3 Key Tips for Successful Treasure Hunters"

(c) J.R. 2009

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

Fort Dodge Treasure a Myth?

(Fort Dodge in the late 1800s.)

Fort Dodge, Kansas

Kansas is not only famous for sunflowers and wheat fields, but is also quite well-known for a number of unrecovered treasure caches along portions of the old Santa Fe Trail that, at one time, was a major Old West artery for pioneers, settlers, miners, hunters, and the military. In 1865 Fort Dodge was established at a location just east of present-day Dodge City, Kansas as one of many forts in the upper plains that were meant to establish a military presence against Indian attacks and to help protect wagon trains, settlers, and even the U.S. Mail.

A Persistent Treasure Tale

There is a persistent treasure tale that involves Fort Dodge and it goes something likes this:

In 1853 a wagon train departed Independence, Missouri for points west. Some 21 bags of silver coin with a face value of $1,000 per bag were part of the cargo being carried. The wagon train was attacked by hostile Indians a few miles east of Fort Dodge and everyone was killed in the attack except one of the drivers, a certain Jesus Martinez.

Martinez hid and watched in terror as the Indians did their thing, including burning the wagons. After the marauders departed, Martinez buried the 21 bags of coins since he was unable to transport them without wagons and assistance. He headed west on foot and eventually turned up in Santa Fe, New Mexico where he told no one about the treasure cache. No one that is, except his sons.

After Martinez's death in 1876, his sons returned to the area described by their late father as the location of the $21,000 in silver coins, but they were unable to locate the treasure. Subsequently, they told others about the cache and many other treasure hunting expeditions set out to find the buried silver. None were successful and the Fort Dodge Treasure legend was born.

What's Wrong With This Treasure Tale?

What's wrong with this treasure tale? Plenty, my friend, plenty. Let me explain:

Strike 1: The entire story involves Fort Dodge as a key player in terms of location. Fort Dodge was NOT even established until 1865, as I correctly state in the first paragraph of this post. So how the heck could it factor in as an important part of a treasure tale that takes place (supposedly) in 1853?

Strike 2: Although the Plains Indians were upset by the ever-increasing numbers of wagon trains criss-crossing their territory, very few groups or tribes attacked or otherwise interfered with those using the Santa Fe Trail in the late 1840s or 1850s. So it is very unlikely that Jesus Martinez and his fellow drivers were attacked in 1853. Ten or 20 years later, however, all bets were off in this regard (Custer and his 7th Cavalry met their fates in 1876, for example).

Strike 3: Coincidentally, the Fort Dodge Treasure legend states that Martinez's sons headed out to the Fort Dodge area in 1876! Yikes! If they did so, they were totally out of their minds and had a very strong death wish. Most of the Plains Indians (including Sitting Bull) were on the so-called "warpath" at the time and fighting for what they believed was their survival as a people. Anyone, including the arrogant George Custer, made their lives forfeit by traveling this region at the time. So it's extremely unlikely anyone (including Martinez's sons) were stumbling around on the plains looking for buried treasure in 1876.

Fort Dodge Treasure a Myth?

Is the Fort Dodge Treasure a myth, one of those unproven, unresearched "will-o'-the-wisps" that makes quite a yarn to spin around the campfire but is otherwise hollow? I believe so. Is this treasure tale riddled with inconsistencies and obvious factual disconnects? Yes, no doubt about it. Is the "meat" of this treasure tale enough for a would-be treasure hunter to want to pack his or her bags and head for the area just east of Fort Dodge.? Absolutely not. Save your money and your time, my friends.

Verdict? This tale is, in my opinion, a myth. Nothing more, nothing less.

Good hunting in your other treasure searches though...

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "Florida Getting Tougher for Treasure Hunters"

http://treasuretrovegold.blogspot.com/2008/11/florida-getting-tougher-for-treasure.html

(c) J.R. 2009

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

$230,000 in Buried Gold

(Perry County, Mississippi and the New Augusta area.)

The Southern "Land Pirate"

James Copeland, often called the Southern "Land Pirate," and his gang of criminal associates plagued Perry County (now Lamar County), Mississippi for nearly 18 years from 1839-1857. Copeland began his criminal career as a small-time thief and hog rustler, but after aligning himself with other local "ne'r do wells" like Gale Wages and Charles McGrath, his depredations and crimes increased both in number and in significance.

The Copeland Gang ranged far and wide in Perry County (and outside the county's environs as well) stealing anything that wasn't tied down, including stock and tools. During numerous home intrusions Copeland and his boys also absconded with silver and gold coin, jewelry, and family heirlooms including silver flatware. After Copeland was actually jailed for a brief period in 1843, he and the gang retaliated by burning down the Perry County courthouse.

Murder, Buried Loot, and Nearly a Quarter Million in Gold

In the early years of its reign of terror the Copeland Gang ran wild because local law enforcement was essentially non-existent and the vigilantes who tried to bring the gang to justice early on were disorganized and incompetent. This allowed Copeland and his minions to increase their criminal activities to the point they actually committed murder. The 2 unfortunates in question were Robbert Lott and Thomas Sumrall, well-respected Perry County citizens.

(Get Rugged. Visit OutdoorPros.com Today!)

The murders were the turning point for the Copeland Gang as the vigilantes grew both in numbers and in proficiency. Since Copeland was always on the move and literally "one step ahead of the law," he began burying caches of his stolen loot in various parts of Perry County. According to one of his men who was later captured, one of Copeland's caches which was buried in or near Catahoula Swamp contained nearly $230,000 in gold coin and jewelry. This informant, after disclosing the nature and size of the treasure cache, refused to cough up its exact location and was subsequently hung by vigilantes.

Copeland and His Gang Meet Justice

By 1857 all of the "Land Pirate's" gang of thieves, murderers, and thugs had met their fate, most by hanging at the hands of vigilante groups who had hunted each and every one of them down with dogged persistence and vengeful hearts. Copeland himself was hung on October 30, 1857. Here are a few of his final words:

"It is often I have meditated upon this subject since my imprisonment and often now I remember my father's advice to me when I was young, and repented a thousand times over with sorrow and regret that I failed to receive his good advice. Much I have suffered, but after tomorrow (his execution date, J.R.) my troubles will be over or worse than at present. I bid you a long farewell."

A Treasure Tale of Substance and Credibility

Copeland went to the gallows without revealing a single location of any of his buried treasure caches, including the big one containing nearly a quarter million dollars worth of gold. Although many have searched for Copeland Gang treasure caches over the intervening years, I can find no record of any of them being located or recovered.

Since the Copeland Gang and its movements and depredations in today's Lamar County, Mississippi are reasonably well documented, this tale of lost treasure contains a great deal of substance and credibility. If anyone out there decides to get down to it and perform additional research on the Copeland Gang treasures, remember that the historical records concern Perry County, not Lamar County (which did not exist at the time).

Good luck to you!

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "5 Famous Lost Mines and Treasures"

http://treasuretrovegold.blogspot.com/2008/11/5-famous-lost-mines-and-treasures.html

(c) J.R. 2009

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

Utah's Lost Sheepherder Placers

(Typical House Range terrain.)

Not a Major Gold Producer

Prospectors and miners (including the early Spanish) have searched and mined the House Range for nearly 200 years. These rugged mountains and associated high-desert terrain are located in west-central Utah's Millard County, which interestingly enough, has never been noted as a major gold producer in the state.

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In fact, historical mining records indicate that only 500 ounces of placer gold were ever produced in the county. These particular gold placers were located primarily in North and Miller Canyons, where hundreds of "down-and-outers" tried their hand at gold mining during the Depression Era of the 1930s.

Many Troy Pounds of Gold

All of this is what makes the tale of the Lost Sheepherder Placers all the more interesting. Why? Because a certain Mexican sheepherder tending a large flock in the House Range in the 1930s began showing up in the small town of Delta with placer gold to sell. In fact, lots of placer gold. One one occasion alone, the sheepherder arrived in town with over 300 troy ounces of placer gold to sell.

Now let's stop and think here for a moment. If the gold production of the entire county was only 500 ounces, then it should be obvious the sheepherder was on to something good. A small patch of virgin ground, an extremely rich placer streak or pocket, who knows for sure? Whatever he had found, the Mexican sheepherder had hit it big.

By the time he dropped out of sight from his duties in the House Range and from the town of Delta itself, the sheepherder had sold many troy pounds of placer gold (including 25 pounds troy to a doctor in town), most of it in the form of fine gold. To this day, no one knows where the Mexican was getting all this gold. Thus, the legend of the Lost Sheepherder Placers was born.

This Legend Deserves a Second Look

This lost mine or treasure legend deserves a second look. It has many positives going for it, including:

well-documented placer production in the area, and

it occurred in a time period where decent records (newspapers, town and county documents, etc.) were maintained.

I doubt that the sheepherder was able to exhaust his personal treaure trove since most gold placers cannot be worked out by a single individual. So, an astute treasure hunter or placer gold miner adept at research and placer sampling techniques may be just the ticket for locating the Lost Sheepherder Placers.

Maybe you're that treasure hunter or miner. If so, good hunting out there my friend!

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "Brother XII's Buried Treasure"

http://treasuretrovegold.blogspot.com/2008/11/brother-xiis-buried-treasure.html

(c) J.R. 2009

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

Indiana's "Gangster" Treasures

Gangsters, Guns, and Buried Loot

Like its neighbor Illinois, the Hoosier State became a haven of sorts for quite a few gangsters of the Prohibition Era. It goes without saying that the presence of mobsters like Al Capone's gang in Chicago helped Indiana along this path of notoriety.

Illegal trafficking in booze, guns, women, and whatever else the "underground" market demanded became commonplace, particularly in the northern part of Indiana as gangsters slipped back and forth across state lines. In many instances the bootleggers and their criminal associates were on the run from John Law and were forced to hide or bury all or part of their loot.

Treasure Hunting

So here are a few gangster-related treasure troves in Indiana that may prove interesting:

1. An anonymous Prohibition gangster is said to have buried a very large sum of cash between the communities of Berne and Geneva in Adams County, Indiana. What form this "cash" is in is anyone's guess, but if it preliminary research indicates the lost loot is paper currency, forget it. (If you don't understand why I say this, e-mail me and I will explain myself.)

2. Members of Al Capone's gang stashed over 2,000 cases of illegal whiskey in a cave along the shoreline of Lake Michigan near Michigan City, Indiana. They then sealed up the cave and camouflaged the site, failing to return to recover the hidden booze. What 2,000 cases of Prohibition-era whiskey would be worth today I couldn't venture to guess. However, rest assured that the Feds (IRS and ATF) would be hot on the finder's trail.

Al Capone and His Gang (Famous Dead People)

3. Jim Colosimo, a well-known gangster of the 1920s, supposedly buried a cache of diamonds worth millions near Crown Point, Indiana in Lake County. Colosimo was an actual person and his nefarious activities are fairly well documented, so further research is warranted. One thing is for certain in all this. A trove of diamonds worth millions in the 1920s would make the finder a very, very wealthy man (or woman) today.

4. The infamous criminal and bank robber, John Dillinger is said to have buried $25,000 somewhere on his dad's farm near Mooresville, Indiana. Again, if this trove is in paper currency I doubt whether it would be worth tracking down, especially since I suspect the old Dillinger Farm is someone else's property today.

Morgan County, Indiana: Martinsville, Indiana, Bethany, Indiana, Mooresville, Indiana, Morgantown, Indiana, Monrovia, Indiana, Brooklyn

5. During the 1920s a bank employee with embezzlement on his mind buried nearly $100,000 in paper currency somewhere along State Road 42 outside Terre Haute, Indiana. When confronted with evidence of the theft, the embezzler committed suicide, thereby ensuring this lost treasure trove would remain unfound.

Look for Researchable Details

Undoubtedly, many other caches were buried or hidden in Indiana during the Prohibition Era. I believe treasure hunters in Indiana should focus on some of the smaller, less well-known treasure tales involving gangsters and buried loot. I would pay particular attention to those stories that provide researchable details and involve gold or silver coins and bullion, or jewels as opposed to paper currency.

Good hunting to you either way.

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "Ohio's Lost French Gold Hoard"

(c) J.R. 2009

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

Oregon's Lost "Blue Bucket" Mine

(Part of the John Day River region.)

One of the Richest "Undiscovered" Gold Placers?

Oregon's Lost "Blue Bucket" Mine is one of the Beaver State's more persistent lost treasure legends. Although not a mine per se (since this one, like most lost mine tales, involves a discovery and not mining activities), the "Blue Bucket" could be one of the richest gold placers ever left "undiscovered" in the northwestern United States. Yet, to this day, no one has been able to locate the Lost "Blue Bucket" Mine.

Gold Pans
Gold Panning Kits
Mining Equipment

A Shortcut Leads to "Shiny Little Rocks"

Many new settlers and homesteaders headed west to the Oregon Territory in the 1840s seeking a better life or a new start. In 1845 Joe Meeks, a member of a small group of these intrepid souls, suggested leaving the main trail for a shortcut he'd been told about back East. After some discussion on the subject, the rest of the would-be settlers agreed and, following Meeks' instructions, proceeded in a westerly direction along eastern Oregon's Malheur River.

In late August (the usual date given is August 25th....how this specific date was derived I do not know) three men from the party went to bucket up water from a small stream nearby. As they did so, one of them noticed "shiny little rocks" scattered about the stream's shallow bedrock. Many of these were packed tightly into cracks and crevices or resting in small piles behind larger rocks and boulders. They gathered up a few handfuls of these pretty rocks, tossed them into a large blue water bucket, and headed back to camp.

Mrs. Fisher's "Souvenir"

The shiny rocks in the blue bucket created quite a stir when the men returned to camp and showed the rest of the group. After much study and debate it was decided that the shiny little rocks were copper nuggets. Since no one else in the party could prove differently, this premise was accepted, things calmed down, and the party headed west again.

Not long after the blue bucket was needed for its true purpose. Since by this time the "copper" nuggets had lost their initial "luster" as curiosities, they were unceremoniously dumped alongside the trail. But not before one of the party, a Mrs. Fisher, kept one of the larger nuggets as a "souvenir." It wasn't until 1848 and the beginning of the California Gold Rush and subsequent placer gold strikes in Oregon that Mrs. Fisher realized her "copper" nugget was, in fact, gold.

A Compelling Fact

One fact I do find compelling about this lost treasure legend is that prior to the Gold Rush of 1848, most Americans could not have identified placer gold if it hit them on the rear end. So it would have been quite easy for a party like Mrs. Fisher's to stumble across a rich placer area and not have a clue as to what riches surrounded them. Even recently arrived '49ers in the California goldfields had to be "schooled up" on how to identify and recover placer gold by more experienced miners from Virginia, Georgia, the Carolinas and other parts of the world.

This, in my view, lends credence to this lost mine legend. Also remember that not every piece of rich placer ground has to cover large tracts of territory (like California's Motherlode). Many smaller, rich placers were often bypassed by the oldtimers in favor of "greener grass" on the other side of the hill. Could the Lost "Blue Bucket" Mine be one of these?

The Search Continues

Either way, the search continues in Oregon for the Lost "Blue Bucket" Mine. By the way, most treasure hunters and prospectors have focused their search activities along tributary or "feeder" streams in the John Day River region.

Costplustools

This is one treasure tale that deserves further investigation and research by someone out there. Perhaps yourself?

Good hunting!

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "California's Lost Cement Mine, Part 1"

http://treasuretrovegold.blogspot.com/2008/12/californias-lost-cement-mine-part-1.html

(c) J.R. 2009

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com