The Lost Amargosa Placer Diggings

(Typical Death Valley terrain.)

Death Valley is No Stranger to Lost Mines

Southeastern California’s Death Valley region is no stranger to tales of lost mines. Some of the more prominent of these may already be familiar to you, but one that may not be is the legend of the Lost Amargosa Placer Diggings. The location of this tale of lost gold is in the Salt Spring Mining District at the southern end of Death Valley.

Treasure Hunting

Placer gold (including very rich surface deposits) was first discovered in the Salt Spring District as early as the 1820s but no major gold recovery efforts were made at that time. The placers were rediscovered by would-be ‘49ers during the Gold Rush days, but were quickly abandoned in favor of “greener pastures” on the other side of the Sierra Nevadas in California’s Motherlode Region.

A Late Arrival

It wasn’t until the 1860s that real gold mining began in the Salt Spring District. At that time miners began working the rich placers and eventually developed a number of lode or hard rock mines, including the famous Amargosa Mine. By the 1870s, however, mining activity in the District was on the wane.

One late arrival to the Salt Spring District was gold prospector John McCloskey. Unfortunately for McCloskey he had arrived too late to get in on the best gold diggings and soon found himself working borderline placer ground that barely paid enough to cover the cost of bacon, beans, and coffee.

The Magnetic Pull of Yellow Metal

After eking out a subsistence living in this manner for nearly a year, McCloskey grew weary of mining and decided to head east, where home, hearth, and his fiancée awaited him. After marrying his one true love, McCloskey once again felt the magnetic pull of California and the yellow metal that made the Golden State "golden."

Mining Equipment

With his bride in tow, McCloskey arrived near the Salt Spring District sometime in 1875. Although the newlyweds were on the way to the west side of the Sierra Nevadas, McCloskey couldn’t resist the temptation to show his wife a thing or two about prospecting and mining in the area he had once mined.

An Astonishing Find

It was during this little “show-and-tell” demonstration that McCloskey hiked up a small embankment that showed traces of placer gravels hidden between large, dark-colored boulders that littered the area. What he found astonished him and made his young wife’s eyes dance with joy.

Every pan of gravel taken from the embankment of dark boulders revealed coarse gold and lots of it, including no small number of nuggets. Even using dry panning techniques (Note: One of the most inefficient gold recovery methods there is. J.R.). McCloskey was recovering multiple troy ounces of gold per pan of gravel.

What To Do With All That Gold?

McCloskey wasted no time laying out claim boundary markers of piled stones and placing a hand-written claim notice in an empty tin can at one marker. Gathering up his goods and his wife, McCloskey headed for Los Angeles.

After settling his wife in a rented cottage, McCloskey purchased mules, food, and mining supplies and pressed hard and fast as he headed back into Death Valley, the Salt Spring District, and his mine. Along the way McCloskey was already considering what he’d do with all that gold.

Fate Has the Last Laugh

One thing was certain. Once he’d squeezed the last ounce of placer gold from his claim, McCloskey and his wife would be living lives of luxury and ease. The very thought made him laugh aloud.

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But it was fate and not John McCloskey who had the last laugh in this regard. You see, McCloskey was never able to find the location of his embankment of placer gold.

No matter how hard he tried or how many times he returned to the Salt Spring District, those rich diggings eluded him. Thus was born the legend of the Lost Amargosa Placer Diggings.

A Treasure Tale With Merit

What do I think? I think this treasure tale of lost gold has much merit.

There’s no disputing that the Salt Spring District of Death Valley was a big gold producer in the past. Moreover, there is extensive documentation on the richness of the early gold placers discovered there. So McCloskey’s lost diggings could still be out there somewhere between Salt Spring and the Amargosa River.

Good hunting out there.

(A word of caution. Death Valley is no place to be wandering around by yourself, especially in the summertime. The foolish and the unwary still die out there. Don’t you be one of these hapless souls who end up a statistic.)

If you liked this post, you may want to read: “Jesse James and the Knights of the Golden Circle: Treasure Signs and Symbols (Part 3)”

http://treasuretrovegold.blogspot.com/2009/11/jesse-james-and-knights-of-golden_24.html

© J.R. 2009

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

New Information on the Victorio Peak Treasure (Part 2)

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The following includes additional information and thoughts from "Mrs. A" concerning Tony Jolley and what may have happened to the Victorio Peak treasure trove. According to Tony, it was the U.S. Government and the President at the time who were responsible for removing (i.e., "stealing") the Victorio Peak treasure and leaving Ova Noss, the Ova Noss Family Partnership, and other claimants to the trove holding an empty bag.

Once again, "Mrs. A's" words are italicized and I have done some minor editorial changes for continuity/readability:

"Which President was Responsible..."

"I was talking to my Mom recently about what she remembered Tony Jolley saying (this interview was about 1990 or so...) which president he thought was responsible. My Mom was a very good friend of Tony's also and she was present during all the interviews."

"My Mom agreed that Tony believed that it was Lyndon Johnson who was responsible, how bad he was, and how LBJ would've done anything to get what he wanted. Since Tony was closer to the whole thing (a lot closer than I) I believe him and his theory. I don't know if Johnson could have swung this pre-1961 when he was Head of the Senate Armed Services Committee or if he had to wait until after President Kennedy was killed."

Spanish Armor and Gold Bars

"Tony Jolley also told us that Doc Noss had shown him a Spanish armor breastplate that Noss said had been taken from the mountain. Tony said that the gold bars he handled were very rough, not smooth and that they looked like bricks, not tapered up like you see them nowadays." (Note: This description is indicative of crudely cast ingots found in many old Spanish mine workings. J.R.)

Treasure Hunting

"After his interviews on TV's 'Unsolved Mysteries' with Robert Stack about this story, Tony said he became good friends with Mr. Stack and would occasionally visit him or the two would go hunting together. They were friends for the rest of their lives."

"My Mom and I also had interviewed Tony about a possible project on his WWII experience being shot down. But things got busy, Tony traveled alot, and I was never able to finish the project."

Treasure Found, Treasure Lost (or Stolen...)

So there you have it. Thanks to "Mrs. A" all of us who have a keen interest in New Mexico's biggest treasure legend now have additional information and a new perspective on Tony Jolley, one of the key players in this tale of treasure found and treasure lost (or stolen...).

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Myself? I personally tend to believe what Tony Jolley told "Mrs. A." As a Vietnam Veteran I have my own reasons for disliking (to put it mildly) Lyndon Johnson, so I have no problem with the premise that LBJ had the vast Victorio Peak treasure trove "removed." Just as, perhaps, he had John F. Kennedy "removed" from office (if you subscribe to certain conspiracy theories).

Good hunting out there.

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "New Information on the Victorio Peak Treasure (Part 1)"

http://treasuretrovegold.blogspot.com/2009/11/new-information-on-victorio-peak.html

(c) J.R. 2009

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

New Information on the Victorio Peak Treasure (Part 1)

A Key Figure in the Victorio Peak Legend

Treasure Hunting

Periodically I receive much appreciated messages from readers that provide additional information or details on one of the treasure legends I've written about here in "Treasure Trove Dreams." In this particular instance a reader I will call "Mrs. A" (to protect her identity and privacy) has provided some highly interesting background information on Tony Jolley, a key figure in the legend of New Mexico's Victorio Peak treasure.

In case you've forgotten, Tony Jolley was the cowboy who stated under oath (and who later passed polygraph tests) that he had personally helped Doc Noss bury a number of gold bars taken from the the Peak's "treasure room." "Mrs. A's" words are in italics:

"He Told Us About the Gold..."

"Tony died of old age about a year and a half ago in Nampa, Idaho, my hometown. He had been a good friend of my family for more than 30 years. I interviewed him several times during that time."

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"He told us about the gold, Mr. Noss (Note: Gold from Victorio Peak and Doc Noss. J.R.), the Government stepping in and taking the gold out from under Mrs. Noss (Ova Noss), and something about a mule coming out packing gold. He said he was worried for years about being the next one to 'git it in the back.'"

"Much More than Just a 'Cowboy'"

"Tony was a wonderful man, kind, always trying to help others. He was much more than just a 'cowboy' from Idaho."

"He was always adventurous...he rodeoed when he was younger with Ben Johnson (Note: The character actor who played roles in numerous Western movies including at least 3 with John Wayne. J.R.); was a pilot flying off the carrier Franklin during WWII and was shot down; he mined in South America and other places; raised elk (and cattle) in Bruneau, Idaho....what an exciting man."

"Mr. Noss' Story is True!"

"Not once did I ever find a story he ever told me to be untrue. He was a very honest person."

"I guess the point of my message is to say that Mr. Noss' story is true! If Tony Jolley said it happened, then it did. And I want to say, after his death, that Tony didn't lie....he was a good friend and a good man."

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I'll return to "Mrs. A's" comments and additional information concerning Tony Jolley and the Victorio Peak Treasure in a subsequent post. Meanwhile, good hunting out there!

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "Vermont's Lost 'Indian Joe' Mine (Conclusion)"

http://treasuretrovegold.blogspot.com/2009/11/vermonts-lost-indian-joe-mine_13.html

(c) J.R. 2009

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

Vermont's Lost "Indian Joe" Mine (Conclusion)

(A slice of terrain in Lamoille County, Vermont.)

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Gold Concentrators

An Ex-'49er Rekindles Interest

In my earlier post on Vermont's Lost "Indian Joe" Mine I spoke of how the good citizens of the Village of Stowe were unable to locate the source of the gold flakes and nuggets that Joe used as payment for goods and services. When Joe finally died, so did much of the interest in his gold.

It would take the practiced eye of an ex-'49er named Abial Slayton to rekindle interest in gold and gold mining in Lamoille County. Slayton was no slouch when it came to placer and lode gold mining....he had done plenty of both in the California goldfields.

A Flash of Yellow

One fine day in the summer of 1855 Slayton was fishing near his farm in a stream that at that time was still known to the locals as Hull Brook (Note: Now it is known as Gold Brook. J.R.) Fishing was slow that day and Slayton's mind began to wander.

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Taking a break he sat down near a stretch of shallow stream when his eye was caught by a flash of yellow. Reaching down into the cold water Slayton plucked a large flake of placer gold from the exposed bedrock. More were scattered about in the immediate area as well as a number of small nuggets.

Placer Gold in Paying Amounts

Slayton rushed home, grabbed a pick and shovel and his battered California gold pan, and went right to work using the knowledge and experience he had gained out West. What he found on that stretch of Gold Brook was placer gold in the form of fines, flakes, and nuggets.

It didn't take Slayton long to realize that placer gold in paying amounts lay at his feet. Keeping his discovery quiet Slayton arranged to buy Nathaniel Russell's farm which adjoined his and through which a good part of Gold Brook ran.

"Where the Supply is, I Have No Idea"

In later years residents of Stowe and Lamoille County verified that Slayton claimed not to know just how much gold he had washed from Gold Brook. However, most locals had seen Slayton on more than one occasion sporting a gold watch encrusted with placer nuggets, large gold rings on his fingers, and a propensity for paying his bills in gold.

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When interviewed by a local newspaper in 1897, Slayton was asked if he had ever found the source of all the gold he had recovered. Here's how he responded:

"Where the supply is, I have no idea. I have frequently followed small veins of quartz, but they have invariably ended soon, not running into large ones, but instead are soon spent. I believe those are surface formations and that these 'fisher' veins have come up from the bowels of the earth."

No Campfire Tall Tale

There is no doubt that Lamoille County, Vermont contains natural gold. But the real question to ask yourself is "where's the source of all this gold?" Abial Slayton never found the major lode or vein that produced all the placer gold he is documented as having recovered. But what about "Indian Joe?"

The legend of Vermont's Lost "Indian Joe" Mine is no campfire tall tale or mirage. Somewhere in Lamoille County, Vermont a rich ledge of gold awaits you...

Good hunting!

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "Jesse James and the Knights of the Golden Circle: Treasure Signs and Symbols (Part 1)"

http://treasuretrovegold.blogspot.com/2009/11/knights-of-golden-circle-treasure-signs.html

(c) J.R. 2009

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

Vermont's Lost "Indian Joe" Mine

(Red area shows the general location of Lamoille County, Vermont.)

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Gold in the "Green Mountain" State

This tale of lost gold comes to us from the "Green Mountain" state of Vermont where both placer and lode gold mining has been practiced on a small scale for nearly a century and a half. In case you were unaware of this fact, much of Vermont’s placer gold was derived from glacial deposits as well as narrow hard rock veins and ledges.

Information like this helps to substantiate the likelihood that the Lost “Indian Joe” Mine is not a treasure trove “will-o-the-wisp” but a lost mine legend that is based, in part, on factual and historical evidence. If so, this tale definitely requires additional scrutiny and research.

“Indian Joe’s” Gold Dust and Nuggets

Back in the early 1800s the Village of Stowe contained one of the few general stores in the area. Riverius Camp was the store’s owner and operator and one of his regular customers was an elderly Native American gentleman known locally as “Indian Joe.” However, it wasn’t Joe’s business that raised Riverius Camp’s eyebrows, it was the fact that the old man always payed for his goods in gold dust and nuggets.

Needless to say, curiosity (and no small amount of greed) got the better of Camp and the various and sundry “hangers on” sitting around the store’s wood stove. They started grilling Joe about the source of his gold but despite their threats, pleas, and entreaties the old Indian remained mum on the subject.

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The locals knew that Joe lived in a small cabin on Worcester Mountain not far from a sparkling stream named Hull Brook (the modern Gold Brook). So they set out to spy on Joe from the woods surrounding his cabin in the hope that Joe would inadvertently lead them to his gold stash.

However, Joe was onto the scheme from the very start and managed to lead the local busy bodies and erstwhile spies on a wild goose chase each and every time they tried their best to follow him. Frustrated and lacking further patience the earnest citizens of Stowe tired of the chase and left Joe to his own devices.

Not many years afterward Joe died and with him died the secret of his lost gold. Or so it seemed…

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I’ll conclude the story of Vermont’s Lost “Indian Joe” Mine in my next post. Until then be safe and, as always, good hunting to you.

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "Canada's Lost Lemon Mine (Part 2)"

http://treasuretrovegold.blogspot.com/2009/11/canadas-lost-lemon-mine-part-2.html

(c) J.R. 2009

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

Canada's Lost Lemon Mine (Part 2)

(Part of the Cascade River in southwestern Alberta.)

Treasure Hunting

I now continue with the story of the Lost Lemon Mine:

A Massive Ledge of Gold

By the time darkness had fallen one of the test pits Blackjack and Lemon had feverishly dug that day revealed an unbelievably rich vein of gold in quartz. This was no small vein that would pinch out quickly, but a massive ledge that gave every indication that it would prove richer than they had ever imagined in their wildest dreams.

As they sat around their campfire later, exhausted and overcome with "gold fever," the two men began to bicker about what to do about their find. Blackjack wanted to file a legal claim while Lemon argued instead for secrecy by amassing as much gold as they could and secreting it away from the prying eyes of others.

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"Gold Fever" Turns to Murder

Their anger and bitterness reached its climax when Lemon grabbed a nearby axe and used it to strike a blow to Blackjack's head, killing him instantly. Stricken by his impulsive act of murder and crazed with guilt, Lemon built a huge bonfire and spent the remainder of the night stalking around the campsite muttering to himself.

The following day Lemon gathered up as much gold as he could carry and headed for the nearest town (Note: This may have been Coleman or Crowsnest Pass, Alberta, although I am not certain of this. J.R.) leaving Blackjack's corpse where it lay. Lemon then told the locals that Blackfoot Indians had killed his "pard" while saying little to nothing about the strike the 2 men had made.

An Untimely Death for All Who Seek It

This is where the Lost Lemon Mine legend departs from the "norm" and tends to focus less on lost gold and more on the paranormal, especially the idea that the Lost Lemon Mine holds the curse of an untimely death for all who seek it. And surprisingly enough, a number of individuals have lost their lives searching for the Lost Lemon Mine, if the legend is to be believed.

One John McDougall set out for Alberta (ostensibly) to locate the campsite and bury Blackjack's body but he himself died of acute alcohol poisoning after a rest stop at Fort Kipp, Montana Territory. Next came a gentleman named Lafayette French who searched for the Lost Lemon Mine and told a friend he thought he had found it, but Mr. French died from burns suffered in a cabin fire before he could reveal the mine's location. And so it goes....

What of Mr. Lemon?

What of our protagonist and erstwhile murderer Mr. Lemon? Well, the story goes that he was never accused outright of Blackjack's death, but many suspected that a Blackfoot warrior was not the ultimate culprit.

Lemon supposedly set out numerous times in the company of others to relocate the mine and its riches, but each time he became disoriented and began babbling incoherently. Disgusted with this behavior (and Lemon's inability to deliver the "goods"), his traveling companions left him in the dust.

What ultimately became of Lemon is unknown although there is no doubt he met his end somewhere along the line. The specifics regarding his demise are sadly lacking however.

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That's the gist of it. Interested in visiting southwestern Alberta? If so, good hunting to you.

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "Canada's Lost Lemon Mine (Part 2)"

http://treasuretrovegold.blogspot.com/2009/10/canadas-lost-lemon-mine-part-1.html

(c) J.R. 2009

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