If I think I can do something, he says, Ill break my back trying. Over the next eight years he participated in events all over Ohio, until he earned membership in the International Pro Rodeo Association. WebThese could be popular with younger readers and may even be highly requested in areas specific to the various titles. During these forays he takes grainy photographs with the snake cam and collects a couple of artifacts: a .38 Special bullet, which could date back to the 1920s, and a bone fragment. In his ferocious dedication to proving his version of history, hes equally obsessive. Getler contends that this was Jamess way of indicating that he didnt die in 1882 at the hand of Robert Ford, as recorded in history books, but instead faked his death to secretly carry out missionsone of which was burying gold in a hillside in Ohio. Its early evening, and Getler announces that theyll finally dig in the morning. Of course it makes more sense to get a job, to take the safe and prescribed approach. And when Somers turned it to a north-south orientation, the notation From Nashville could appear to refer to nearby Zanesville. Mark Webber, a master arborist based in Dayton, Ohio, says that answering that question accurately would require drilling into the tree to extract a core sample, among other steps. His success and fame as a professional treasure hunter has led to appearances on televisions He contends that they provide a series of cluesa story in codeof Jamess activities there. Please try again. On his first visit several months earlier, Getler saw a faint inscription near the bottom of one tree that, to his eye, reads Jessie W. James and the year 1882. Im about 15 miles away, Mr. Getler, Somers said. Getler and others ask him not to risk exploring these crevices, but Somers cant help himself. Jameson is the creator of the Buried Treasures of America series. She told him to keep his eyes open, because Jesse James had buried gold there in the 1800s, and no one had found the treasure. It was an alluring story that in retrospect made no sense. Which begs the question: With a life of ease hidden away within easy reach, why travel all the way to Bolivia to start life over as bandits? Its never been found. But what has that ever done for him? Others claim the doctors party never found the site of the gold. By late summer, the rhetoric cools, and the principals agree that Somers will stay above ground while Getler looks for a funding sourceideally a TV project that will both underwrite and chronicle the rest of the dig. In April, with the Bowser family issues resolved, Getler hires an Ohio firm to run a test on the site using the Sensors & Software Noggin SmartCart system, which examines sites using ground-penetrating radar that scans for voids and buried metal objects. I mean, if I die with even $2 in my pocket, I did something wrong. There was so much gold that one man didnt believe it was real, but that didnt keep the other man from chipping away about ten pounds of gold and taking it with him and crudely marking the location of the discovery on a map. A confirmed 463 shipwrecks have been documented in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, but hundreds more are thought to be littering its dark and eerily quiet sea floor. Tom Scofield, a wondering railroad worker, was taking a long ride through the Clipper Mountains of northwest California. Pennisis logic wasnt unfounded: James Delgado, a shipwreck historian and archaeologist quoted in the article, estimates that at least 50 ships sank off of the Californian coast in the mid 1800s during the peak of the states Gold Rush. Occams razor is a problem-solving principle that dates back to medieval times. Hes investigated several sites purportedly connected to the Confederate organization, including one on public land in Pennsylvania where, Getler says, the FBI was allowed by a federal court to dig, largely based on his research. The group rules out other possibilities: There are no naturally occurring metals here, and its an unlikely location to bury scrap. With the whole gold mine theory, what I heard as a kid, holding them photographsit was like, I know where it is, he says. Getler is a journalist, geophysics enthusiast, and longtime student of KGC history, having coauthored Rebel Gold. Over the next few months, the project ticks slowly forward. The man who doubted the discovery died shortly after, as the journey continued, and the other became gravely ill with tuberculosis and sought treatment in San Francisco. Theres too much scientific evidence now in place to deny it. Hes so creative and ingenious, Getler says. Some of the maps symbols even aligned with what Somers had seen on the trees, including a turtle, a wolf, and the letters JJ.. Spurred on by his appearances on X-marks-the-spot reality shows, hopefuls with metal detectors regularly seek him out for guidance. Tom gathered as much gold as he could fit into his pockets, and took a train to Los Angeles. If Somers and Getler dont get deep enough into the ground this week, its not clear what will happen next. But the flip side of that is a real scarcity of resources. WebBuried Treasures of the Rocky Mountain West: Legends of Lost Mines, Train Robbery Gold, Caves of Forgotten Riches, and Indians' Buried Silver W. C. Jameson august house, 1993 - Theres no guarantee its gold, Richards points out. A duck-billed dinosaur adorned his townhouse window; he displayed a T-rex jaw in his living room and an ichthyosaurus on his mantel. This friction made it quite dangerous for travelers exiting and entering California. What Is Sargassum Seaweed and Why Is It a Problem? Located in northern Lake Michigan, approximately 10 miles west, of Beaver Island, west of the Straits of Mackinac. Free shipping for He wasnt yet thinking about why that might be the case, or how it all might fit together: the old yard-sale picture, the strange carvings on nearby beech trees, the weird gold-mine legend. Somers pulled up a Google Earth image of Bowsers property and laid it alongside the map: The way the features of the landscape form the shape of the letter J was a precise match. We must relieve you of your valuables.. In May, Getler recruits a television production company to shoot footage on site, with the goal of pitching a show. Common reasons for the mines being lost include: Its almost as if willing me to believe will make him right. He sees things that other people look at and dont see.. But long after his days of crime came to an end, rumors of buried caches of money, jewels, and gold spread around the American west. In the midst of this reverie, he looked over and saw Jesse James sitting next to himthe Jesse James of Old West lore, the notorious bank and train robber. All of this is alluring, but Somers alone, with no heavy equipment, can hardly push much deeper. Chances of finding it: Moderate. But I never had no dreams about being a treasure hunter. Yet he needed something to put his mind to. The idea is simple: If youre trying to sort through competing hypotheses, youre better off choosing the one with the fewest assumptions. After graduating from Princeton, Getler worked for the likes of the International Herald Tribune and Wall Street Journal. Hell cut a diagonal path, building an embankment on the downhill side as he goes. Picture Information. Jones, who was thought to be drunk during the robbery, was promptly killed when a guard returned fire and shot him. In another letter, in December 1948, Howk wrote, I do know that we are on the right track at W., There were also newspaper articles from the Zanesville Signal. He finally had to fire his .22 overhead to make it skitter away. There were other strange and unexplained occurrences. You know what it issandstone and shale.. Online, he located a hand-drawn map of unknown provenance that claims to identify the location of a large underground Confederate depository in Tennessee on an 186263 Battle Site. But Somers observed that the lettering of the world Battle was written in a way that it could be read as 13 oHiothe 13 perhaps referring to nearby Ohio Route 13 or a KGC symbol. His profile elevated, Getler became a kind of consigliere to a small but lively segment of the treasure-hunting community focused on the KGC. In his late teens he attended a rodeo and became fascinated with bull riding. There is something incredibly relaxing about stepping back in time and exploring a miners stomping ground. He They decide that Sheets will make an angular descent, transecting the hillside. True, Somers had done things backwardshed dug a hole first, then investigatedbut none of it seemed to matter. It was an era full of cowboys, gunslingers, outlaws, and wars. While theres no way to verify whether each story is true, theres enough proof to make the state a fascinating destination for treasure hunters searching for troves of riches hiding in plain sight. As a girl in the 1980s, Hope Bowser spent long and carefree days there, climbing trees, hopping rocks, picking mushrooms, and camping out. Bradley Richards carries a high-powered metal detector down the hillside. It appeared to be a shaft leading into the hillside. He spent countless days roaming the property, chittering with the squirrels, watching for bobcats, listening to the wild turkeys warn off coyotes at dusk. He peppers in implausible claims about the sites significance. He moves his few remaining possessions to his grandmothers house, and for a time lives in the crude tarp shelter that he and Bowser erected at the top of the dig site. WebBuried treasures of the Rocky Mountain West : legends of lost mines, train robbery gold, caves of forgotten riches, and Indians' buried silver by Jameson, W. C., 1942- On one occasion, the Indians slaughtered a train full of settlers in an area called Bloody Springs. Somers is deeply self-deprecating, but he is also prideful. by W.C. Jameson, High Plains Press, Glendo, Wyo., 2010, $15. As we wait, Bowser takes us to meet Levina Nethers, 86, a lifelong area resident. That was right across the road from Bowsers property. Since he had spent most of the day exploring the camp, he decided to stay for the night. 20th Century Timeline Of World History: What Happened? I wanna just write my name in that book, he says. But rather than give in to the urge to fight, he left. Sound interesting enough for you?, He continued: If you want the story exclusive we can talk Im about to show the world the end of a 200-year-old treasure hunt.. The European settlers driving the expansion into the west faced many hardships. I gotta get outta here. Between the early 1840s and the end of the 1860s, more than 400,000 settlers traversed the 2,170-mile Oregon, Come to think of it, Utah would be a great place to hide something. You know who these people are? he said. The day I meet him, hes wearing a Chicago Medical School long-sleeve T-shirt and dirt-smeared jeans riddled with holes. Hes like, I dug a hole 30 feet in the ground, and Im standing on a vault of Jesse Jamess gold, she says. The only upside when they scuffled back home was that Somers again had time for his Jesse James project. 3. The Spanish Pirate Gold of Neahkahnie Mountain. Something is down there. When he finally returned to the dig site, he found his hole partially collapsed. Somers recalled a specific episode from one such outing: His grandfather was operating his knuckle boom, and Chad was watching when a woman on a porch nearby called him over. If you read about this stuff, youll hear that these treasures are protected by spirits., Then theres the origin story of Somerss daydream, which led him to believe that this is his lifes mission. And Hope would roll her eyes and say that he was off chasing another one of his obsessive dreams. This book was released on 2009 with total page 190 pages. But an even bigger hurdle to contend with was the fact that the gold was located in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, a heavily protected area. WebLost Mines and Buried Treasures of Oklahoma (Lost Mines and Buried Treasures series) ISBN 9781930584457 1930584458 by Jameson, W.C. - buy, sell or rent this book for the best price. When he gets his mind on something, Hope Bowser says, thats all there is for a while.. There is a supernatural element to all this, Getler says. His grandfather had run a logging operation, and at times hed bring young Chad along. More evidence of an Ohio-James link turned up in about 20 letters from the likes of Jesse James III, also known as Orvus Lee Howk. Some machines cost millions of dollars money Pennisi didnt have. The blacktop eventually gives way to gravel; we pass a ROAD CLOSED sign and climb a steep dirt pitch before pulling into a field. Like, I asked for help and got it from I dont know where It doesnt make no sense. Somers went over and picked up the frame. Please try your request again later. 14 day loan required to access PDF files. Guernsey State Park Platte County This state park is home to the Guernsey Reservoir, a good spot for boating and fishing. Independently verifying their claims is a tricky proposition. N95 Vs. KN95 Masks: Whats the Difference? Lost Mines and Buried Treasures of Arizona (Paperback or Did the FBI Steal Treasure Hunters Gold? Today, he is planning to oversee a ground scan using geophysics equipment, to try to zero in further on the potential treasure. The possibility of finding treasure makes it worth the calculated risk, he says. She recalls being told that her husbands great-great-grandmother provided Jesse James with meals and laundry services when he passed through the area. He would spend all his money in taverns and saloons, and then run off into the wild when he ran out. WebFormer President of the Western Writers of America, he has twice won the Stirrup Award for best magazine article. Three gun-slinging cowboys guarded the wagon, which was carrying the ore from Nevada to Sacramento. People are like, Oh yeah, sure., But he kept finding intriguing clues. I walk the half mile back to my car, hoping for an early start. Her brothers often invited their friend Chad Somers along. Pennisi quickly realized hed face a huge set of challenges to recover what he believed were bricks of pure gold. WebLost Bonanzas by Harry Sinclair Drago Buried Treasure and Lost Mines in the West. When he woke up the next morning he tumbled into the Old Dutch oven, and a mound of sparkling gold nuggets came flushing out. WebLost Bonanzas by Harry Sinclair Drago Buried Treasure and Lost Mines in the West. A new job can seem like a step forward, but morph into disappointment. I think that thats what Im supposed to do., But he doesnt stop there. Patrick Michael McGuire is a writer, songwriter, and interviewer based in northern New Mexico. Not Chad. WebLost Mines and Buried Treasures of Oklahoma (Lost Mines and Buried Treasures series) ISBN 9781930584457 1930584458 by Jameson, W.C. - buy, sell or rent this book for the best price. His grandfather taught him to play Red River Valley, and he worked relentlessly until he could perform at open mics and shows. Many of the Wests most desperate outlaws have been credited with hiding the proceeds of their robberies. And he said, Dont worry about it, Ill take care of it. He came back the next morning and had the money for her foreclosure. She paid off the loan, Nethers says, and the next day, the bank was robbed. $35.97 + $3.65 shipping. Money matters. Sharp was later caught and escaped from jail multiple times until he wrote Wells Fargo a letter detailing numerous places hed thieved over the years. Then he abruptly stopped calling, and stiffed them. Brewer had decoded the organizations maps and ciphers to the point where, over the course of numerous hunts, hed dug up about $200,000 worth of gold and silver coins. This would be absolutely historic, beyond anything youve seen in your life.. 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