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Sunday, December 26, 2021

Utah Mound Builders? PART FOUR

 





Any one wanting to read a more detailed report and see the images associated with the discoveries can download a copy of 

Archeological Observations North of the Rio Colorado 1926 Judd
and 
Archeological investigations at Paragonah Utah with fifteen plates (1919 Judd

Utah Mound Builders? PART THREE


 

Utah Mound Builders? PART TWO

 



END OF PART TWO

GO TO PART THREE








Utah Mound Builders? PART ONE

 PART ONE

Mississippi Mound Builders in Utah?


Did you know that here in Utah there were dozens if not tens of dozens of mound cities very much like those of the Mississippi Mound Builders? Some nearly identical in design and apparent purpose.

Were these valleys filled with the same people as the Adena and Hopewell or are the the remains of some other unknown culture who has visited this land?...  I wonder...

The platform mound in Parowan although not as large, was very similar to the platform mound found at Cahokia Ruins East of St. Louis.



Monks Mound, Cahokia
I wish I could tell the significance of the Platform mound at Cahokia, but my critics are the very people who should already know, and I admit, I am not ready for the back lash I would receive from them.

Years ago I found a compilation of articles in a book written by two brothers; Mike and Steve Holmes, now my personal friends, entitled Sierra Madre West. 




Although the book does not deal specifically with the subject at hand, the two brothers through extensive research of old newspapers have gathered and resurrected much of the talked about earthworks that were apparently very well known in the early days here in Utah.

The sources for the information that they have gathered is primarily from and article which appeared in the Millard County Chronicle February 26, 1931. It would seem that of all the archaeologists roaming this country, that here in Utah we were being sorely neglected. It would seem that as they all seemed busy on such projects and recent finds of the times such as Casa Grande in Arizona and the like, Don Maguire suddenly takes interest and managed to document many of the sites. Maguire worked with John Wesley Powel for some time, no surprise, and it would seem that even Mr. Smithsonian, J. W. Powel paid visits to some of the sites with great interest, I wonder why... Maybe he was gathering information to try to get with Army Core of Engineers to figure out how to build enough dams to cover it all up... However as it would seem, it is clearly downplayed, reburied and eventually forgotten and plowed under by the farmers... did they treat the ruins of mounds in the Mississippi Valley like this? Most people living in these areas have no idea of the culture[s] whose remains are right under their feet.

In the following posts I will display snapshots of the original article as it appeared in the 1931 article written by Maguire no doubt under the careful eye of J.W. Powel. 

In the words of Mr. Maguire... "I can do no better than quote the words of Dr. Neil M. Judd in Bulletin 82 of the Bureau of American Ethnology of the Smithsonian Institution in his volume entitled Archeological Observation North of the Rio Colorado" Of course not, stick to the narrative, he didn't want to loose his funding....


END OF PART ONE OF SEVERAL PARTS ARTICLE

Saturday, December 18, 2021

The Jesse James Photo Games


The stories of Jesse James are many, just go to your favorite search browser and type the name Jesse James and you will see what I mean. The problem seems as though a majority have never started with truth. I have no personal motive in this Jesse James hunt for relationship which is clearly the motive of the majority. If I had any motive whatsoever it would be to unravel the true linage of Jesse and Frank. Apparently many are just not satisfied with who they are and who they come from and so they created their own linage based on nothing more than the need to be on the soap box, envy and “because I said so”. It is often the case where in someone finds an old sepia or grayscale photo of the past whether in some old shoe box from their recently dearly departed relative or their hobby of shopping ebay for old photos. The fact is, most couldn’t identify their own mother if they were given a photo of her they have never seen before. 

A brief example of this comes from personal experience, I met a little man some years ago having much to do with the Utah Rhoades mine saga, Thomas Rhoades and his son Caleb were like hero’s of the online treasure community that we both belonged to. And by hell if you could show you were somehow related to them, this gave you credibility even if you were full of shit. Just because you may be decent of someone famous or of great recognition, you can still have less intelligence than God gave a common crow bar. This individual just couldn’t handle being moderately connected to this treasure saga, sure his great great Grandfather rubbed elbows with the notable individuals of the Rhoades saga, but that just wasn’t good enough, he had to create his own “One Up” scenario and  to make the story short, he apparently read a story of one mans own tale of illegitimacy of some Emperor of the past and due to the fact that his Great G Grandfather was lacking a historic past, he placed his ancestor in the shoes of the former making his G G Grandfather the supposed illegitimate child of some Emperor of Prussia, but the most amazing thing to me is… many of the treasure book readers bought the story hook line and sinker, NEVER questioning it, his evidence being primarily tin type photos that I would later discover he stole from his own relatives, but the photos he used in his book as evidence, although having large and clear  photos in his possession, the author sized them in his book no larger than a business card? Why would you do that? Now because you couldn’t see the faces of the people in the photos due to their small size, he was open to create his own conceited claims as to who the individuals were in the photos giving his ancestor a very interesting past…  if it were true…  I am surprised he did not weave Jesse James into his photos… The photos in question would later be his undoing as he did not count on them ever falling into the hands of someone other than his egotistical self. As it all ended, his evidence of being the rightful heir to the throne of Prussia which I personally heard come out of his mouth… is all based on his evidence of…  It’s true Because I said so” I have got to give him credit where credit is due… it was a hell of a story… IF it were true.


Starting on the left and going to the right  we have, Adolph Hitler, Gandhi, John Younger, Queen Elizabeth. Jesse James, Sundance Kid, Napoleon, Pope John Paul, Henry Sinclair. Billy the Kid and Joe Bidden, no wait, the last one is just a wooden fence post,

All celebrating at the Lost Golden City of El Dorado, proving they found it, you can see the Golden Temple behind them on the left… no wait… ya can’t… that’s just a tent.

(Photo taken by my  Great Grandfather H.R. Pufnstuf,)

All because…  I said so….

 

But seriously now…. Unfortunately this is the same problem that is growing on the internet. Everyone is related to Jesse James, and if you don’t believe them just ask them… I mean, they have the photos to prove it! Right? SEE!!? I have seen the most ridiculous example of photos over the years but the most difficult thing is that the majority pulling photos out of their backside calling them Jesse, have already made up their minds. We even have DNA evidence! They say,,,  however what they won’t admit is DNA evidence is only possible of you are comparing to a legitimate source, are there any? If we could just find an authentic picture of Jesse and Frank we could set the record straight at least for those who want truth and not because I told you so. As it would seem, the only way to make sense out of all the blather is to apply good old fashion investigation with the aid of good old common sense which is getting less and less common. Just go to your favorite WIKI ditty and you will see that among the photos that is used for Frank and Jesse, a photo which not only has zero credibility but it absolutely is not Jesse and Frank, what? someone said so? Another with arbitrary tin types clearly borrowed from the never ending so called photos of Frank and Jesse in the cesspool of internet trash, is History, as in History Channel?

 

WIKI photo of two unknown men found on a Wiki dity on both Frank and Jesse’s Wiki write up. NOT Jesse and Frank, ain’t no way, no how…

 

The two most commonly used photos supposedly of Jesse, I have my high doubts that it is Jesse, but it is only because of the lack of Source information and because the internet says so…Where did these two photos come from? Who said they are Jesse? I admit they could be but where is the documentation?

  

Most common used photos of Jesse, Possible but I have my doubts especially the one on the right

Jesse did not have a receding hairline and I don’t think they had enough grease in them days to hold his natural hair cowlick down.

 

To attempt to end this madness lets start with just one photo, the only photo I know of which has sound credibility without some story to go with it to discern… but it isn’t a photo of Jesse, it is the only credible photo standing on it own, of Frank James. In the photo he isn’t hiding his identity trying to be one of his aliases of the past; it is simply Frank James in his latter years trying live out his life, no doubt trying to avoid stupid questions from media or would be book authors. Everyone of the day knew it was him. 

Identifying a photo is not the easiest thing for most, many compare eyebrows, noses and ears some even say, their hair doesn’t match when comparing two photos…  I have exercised many test comparisons knowing exactly who the two images are being compared and I am amazed at the perspective and reasoning some give as to why they are or are not the same person. The bottom line, no one seemed to know what Jesse looked like unless they knew him… He has been described from credible sources as about 5’ 10” some say 5’ 8” lean and with bright piercing blue eyes and sandy blonde colored hair parted on the left or his right when not trying to hide his identity and with a front cowlick.

With all that said, Lets take a look at the image of Frank James in order to find valid images of Jesse. This image is said to have been taken in about 1898 with Frank being about 56 years of age.

 


"Kentucky Born" Frank James (Dr. Sylvester Franklin James) in about 1898 With advanced receding hair line 

Using this photo it becomes clear to me that the two following images are Frank James and NOT Jesse as some have mistaken, Frank had darker eyes possibly hazel to a lighter brown, and dark hair with his hair part naturally on the right or his left when not trying to hide his identity.

 

Perhaps you see it differently but this is in my estimation without doubt Frank James left about 1883, middle 1895-6 and the right 1898 according to wiki, 

I would bet closer to 1905

 

The above photo assessment is the most crucial; if you do not see it then there is no point in going on. You may not see what I see and that doesn’t make you wrong, I could very well be wrong.

The reason the above is crucial is because of the next two photos  one of which has not been made public yet in its entirety, the other grayscale image was found in 1940 in an old cabin located in Bottomless Lake New Mexico which is in and of itself evidence. It is highly believed from many sources that it is definitely Frank James with his brother Jesse, and their mother. This photo links many other suspect photos.

 

Photo discovered in an old cabin at Bottomless lake New Mexico 1940

Jesse, his Mother and Frank

The reason the academics cannot accept this photo is because the woman in the photo is not Zerelda Cole James who was not Jesse and Franks Mother and this could upset their boat load of crap.

 

Many do not believe the story of J Frank Dalton who in 1946 made the announcement to the world, that he was the one true Jesse Woodsen James and that he could prove it, and prove it he did. Even with the overwhelming proof and affidavits that flowed in and many by very reputable people, the scars and bullet wound which matched perfectly, there was still some kicking of the pricks over his claim, These pricks are still out there…  He is said to have told his grandson “Damit! I just want to die under my real name!” Below is a newspaper article with a picture of J Frank Dalton claiming to be O’L Jesse, looking at a photo taken of him, his brother and mother danged near 70 years earlier.


Just to give the two previous images a little more credit, when J Frank Dalton announce himself as Jesse, there was many a gathering of spectators wanting to come see the legend, but more importantly many who knew Jesse personally and always knew Jesse had not been killed in 1882 came forward, but the one that stood out the most for me was the following.

Of all the people who came forward to swear in the form of an affidavit and of all the people who could swear positively that J Frank Dalton was without a doubt Jesse Woodsen James, it was the man who history has neglected to speak about but still it is a well known fact, John Trammell also known as the Black Cobra in his bare knuckle fighting days. John rode with Jesse James for some 24 years or more, he was Jesse’s most loyal friend and side kick, John is the one who pulled the trigger killing Charlie Bigalow’s brothers shortly before Jesse dispatched Charlie and passed him off as the murdered Jesse James. I think the reason why John Trammell has been neglect in history is because he was an escape slave when Jesse took him on, yes, John was a black man so it makes things a little difficult in explaining why the following black men would be fighting with the Confederacy… that is… if the story of the Civil war as told were true… but we won’t go into that in this article… Buy the book  Death of the Republic.

 

Some say John cooked for the James Gang members… I have never found any evidence to support that, John was one of the gang, not their cook… However Gene Robertson is known to have cooked for the Dalton Gang from time to time…  and Lucky Johnson was said to be one of Jesse most trusted “employee’s” John, Lucky, and Gene knew damned well in 1948 what J Frank Dalton was claiming… what possible motive could they have had to lie…

Now someone please explain to me why these 3 black men would come to support J Frank Dalton giving their testimony in the form of affidavits swearing under oath that he was in fact Jesse Woodsen James, a southerner of the Confederacy!?.. That is… If the story of the Civil War were true… I included this little tidbit just to give a bit more credibility to the photo above, of Jesse, Frank and their mother, and to the Claims of J Frank Dalton, and to give John Trammell, a hero of America although none will see it… credit where credit is due… 

Now let’s skip on for a partial appearance of a recent photo sent to me. In order for me to unveil the following photo I had to be absolutely certain the grayscale image of Frank Jesse and their Mother was authentic, even though I already knew it was. The new image was perfect as it was taken at nearly the same angle which makes photo matching so much easier… When I first got the image I was about to toss it aside as another of the many photos I have received from individuals claiming their grandpa was Jesse. Just as I was about the write the photo off as another imposter… I took a second look using an overall view and it caught my eye. Doing an overlay was a synch due to the almost exact angle of the two photos taken about 13 years apart. I overlaid the grey scale images over the sepia image, starting off with 10% opacity, I could already see it but I continued to 40% opacity which because of the exact likeness made no difference, it was definitely a match. What gives it all even more credibility was the story that came with it, this I will save until I have it from the horse’s mouth.

 

Photo believed to have been taken shortly after 1882

Using the Grayscale image above as an overlay, and using alignment dots, the picture below is the results. Again you may not see it but maybe your eyes are closed eh?

 

Original Photo Taken in 1895 or 96

If this photo can be authenticated, it is positive proof Jesse was not murdered in 1882

For those of you who participated in expressing your opinions of the photos in the previous post…. 

The first 3 photos in group A, are all Frank James… because I said so… ;-) 

Group B is as Follows…. SEE PHOTO Below

According to academics or internet claims,

Photo 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7 are all said to be or documented photos of Captain Harrison Trow, the very man who went down in history as identifying the dead body of Jesse James… what a coincident it is that he should look so much like Jesse himself…. You won’t understand how humorous that is until you read the account of what really happened according to J Frank Dalton, or should I just say Jesse, in THE BLACK BOOK. 

Photo # 3 is a charcoal drawing done by Anna Lee Dillenbeck known for her charcoal drawings often done from photos, however Anna grew up in Missouri and also know for charcoal drawings of many of Quantrills Raiders.

No photo has been found in which Anna could have made Captain Trow’s Charcoal Image. 

Photo 4 Jesse and 8 J Frank Dalton we have already covered…

I am of a 99% opinion that all of the images are Jesse Woodsen James.

 


Tuesday, December 14, 2021

Your Thoughts Please Just a Test

 

I would really appreciate your opinion please, there is no right or wrong answer, no one is going to say you are right or wrong, these experiments work much better the more that participate, please humor me in this, You CAN ALSO EMAIL your thoughts at tuscoro@gmail.com or even MESSAGE Me on FaceButt...  I am not looking for any particular comparison, just look at the photos and say what you have to say, if you think two people are the same person, GREAT! if you don't that's great to.... do they look like brothers? Same Person? One or more different people? Is one the Father of another...  I don't care what your answer is, only that it is your perspective and your opinion.... Don't worry about who they may be... I'm trying to tap into your abilities of overall first impression of facial recognition... forget the chin, eyes, nose, ears, eyebrows, and hair just look at the overall picture. BE WORDY if you must...

This is all in an effort to create future articles and to give you the best information I can based on sound research all in an effort to find truth.

Thanks You!


Picture A



Picture B



Wednesday, December 8, 2021

Modern, Spanish, Jesuit or Templar Cross?

 

Imagine, you’re deep in the Uinta Mountains on horse back hunting Elk, making your way down a draw you are not even sure its the draw you think you are in. You make your way through a thicket of trees and brush and stumble upon the magnificent ancient ruins of some unknown culture. What do you do? You have no camera, no GPS, only your wits about where you are based on your study of the USGS maps prior to the hunt.


image courtesy of "Judy"

This is not an image of some hidden ruins in the Uinta's

You have to tell some people... 

Regardless of what scenario you stumble upon possible ancient ruins, what do you do? How do you convince others of what you know to be true with barely any evidence?

What if through your studies investigating the formations or debris of a catastrophic event of the past, you come to the realization that the seeming natural formation before you, was created as a result of this event which is what caught your eye to begin with, and is in all likelihood because there is a city of the past under it…


How about wandering the vast lava fields in the deserts and stumbling upon a huge cross made out of rock? My first thoughts would be it is modern, but further investigation such as turning over of one of the main rocks shows heavy calcification on the bottom and the hole left upon removal being around 8 inches deep. Having seen and studied many monuments in the lava fields of Utah and Arizona. not to mention BLM markers from 100 years ago, I could see plainly the antiquity of the placement of rocks. However showing this information to a friend and professional in the field stated, “These rocks have not moved for a very long time,” just as suspected, “How long would you think?” I asked, “hundreds of years” he said… 


Who is responsible? Modern, Spanish? Jesuit? Templar?

Your thoughts?

With the amount of calcite, the depth of the hole left when the rock is rolled over and the fact that it is in a very difficult place to find, it seems obvious it is ancient, you cannot see it by any conventional method of the past or any vantage point, you have to walk upon it to find it... it definitely was not meant to be easily found even if there was no over growing brush semi hiding it, but when found, it sends a profound message.

Photos not available for release yet….

The cross is 12 feet long and about 8 feet wide, the average size rock is about the size of 12 inch blocks, the smaller surrounding rocks from ¼ the size of the bigger rocks to ¾ the size of. 

Have you ever came across something like this? If so I would like to hear about it.

Just trying to unravel the mystery of this oddly placed rock formation...

Tuesday, November 30, 2021

3 Pyramid Stacks of 10 Pound Gold Bars Near Fillmore Utah

 Now I wish to share what I can now call a family story... but I did not learn this until just a few years ago...


The high Uintas is not the only hot spot for Spanish lore in Utah, several other places have their stories as well, and some places you never knew… one such place in which I became familiar with. 150 years before I had been there I discovered my G G Grandfather had already walked this trail...

Borrowed from the Salt Lake Herald 1896-08-15


In 1854 Brigham Young sent out an expedition party of six men, one of those men was Daniel Buckly Funk, one of the pioneers of Millard county Utah.



Daniel Buckley Funk of Manti Utah
My G G Grand Pappy

The party of scouts made a careful examination of Millard County, and in the mountain about 20 miles South of where present day Scipio now stands they found a fresh and well used trail leading from the canyon up the mountain. The discovery of the trail was not surprising to these hardy men, but excitement ran high when it was found that the trail had been made by horses that had been shod, and the scouts had good reason to wonder at this discovery, as the Indians, then numerous in that portion of the country, never shod their horses or ponies.

Who then could have made the trail? Not white men certainly, for there were none in the country excepting themselves, and the Indians they knew could not have made it.
With curiosity arouse to the highest pitch they followed the well-worn path for several miles until at last they came to the bottom of a steep hill, and at this point they rested, being fearful of ascending, not knowing but that further on they might meet with a force that was larger than their own; and whether it would be friend or foe, they did not know.

Considering that “discretion was the better part of valor,” they began to retrace their steps, and on the way down the canyon they met an Indian, and as one of the party could converse in the Indian language, inquiries were made as to who had made the trail, and for what purpose.

The Indian who was well acquainted with that locality, informed the scouting party that the trail had been made by Spaniards, who were working a very rich gold mine just over the hill from where they were, and the red skin volunteered the further information that a few miles down the trail there could be found the spring where the Spanish miners crushed and washed the ore.
Acting on this knowledge the party followed the trail down the canyon and found the spring in the locality as described by the Indian, and also some pieces of quartz ore that was fairly lousy with the yellow metal.

The scouting party, upon their return home, described what they had found in their report to Brigham Young, who forbade them or anyone going their again, as trouble would surely ensue if they did, and so the discovery rested until it began to take the form of legend in the minds of the people of Utah.

In 1888 however Daniel Funk took his son young Dan, into the mountains told him the story of the Spanish mine and pointed out the mountain in which this long-lost bonanza was located.

The elder Funk has since passed into the great beyond, but his son, imbued with the idea of finding immense treasure in the deserted mine, has devoted nearly eight years in the endeavor to find it. He has prospected these mountains thoroughly but found nothing of value. This spring however he is determined to go over nearly every foot of the ground, and began to prospect the hill as closely as a field could be plowed.
( the Salt Lake Herald 1896-08-15)

Some 73 years later....


Just days ago I discovered the previous story and found that I have walked the same trail many times that my G G Grandfather walked, Daniel Buckley Funk.

The trail mentioned in the following story is the same trail mentioned in the previous story. Could the cave mentioned within be the same site the Spaniards were working that Daniel Funk almost came upon? The following story was first posted here in April of 2014.





The year was 1927 in central Utah when two cattle ranchers were making their last trip for the season to gather in their cattle which had been grazing in the mountains through the summer. The two men had rode their horses from their camp located lower in the mountains to the base of a well-known peak in the area where their cattle were last known to have grazed. They had gathered in all they could find and were making their last trip down the mountain to their base camp.

The weather was looking like a storm was coming and sure enough, when the cattle men were just a couple miles from base camp and turning into the main canyon from the north and heading west, the storm hit them with full force. The storm was quite heavy and the snow was hitting them in the face with a strong force which made it difficult to see. Even the horses were having troubles staying on the trail. The ranchers decided to let go of the reigns and let the horses instinctively seek cover. Immediately the horses turned around and proceeded back up the trail and turned north, where they had just came from. Not far past the turn northward the horses took off the main trail and began to climb an old steep trail, shortly after the trail went into a thicket of trees and the trail began to level out as they entered. They rode further into the grove and supposedly rode into a place where there was an overhanging ledge in a conglomerate rock formation.

The cave like overhang was said to be large enough the horse walk in with the riders still mounted. Once inside the cattlemen dismounted and began to gather whatever they could to start a fire. One of the cattlemen noticed in the back of this cave like overhang was a small hole large enough for a man to enter. Upon closer examination it was found to be a cave and large enough to further get away from the storm. The two men entered and began to build a fire. As the fire blazed they noticed a tunnel and making a make shift torch they decided to explore a little. One of the men making his way through the tunnel stumbled over something in the center of the tunnel, holding his torch closer it revealed a pyramid stack of what turned out to be fifteen pound gold bars. Further exploring, two more stacks were found.

In every case it seems when a story comes about such as this, it always seems that some one finds something and for whatever reasons they do not take anything and then cannot find it again. Well this story is a little different.

The two men hardly believing their luck and what they had found, gathered up as much as they could carry out. One man shoved a bar down his pants of which it slid down pant leg and broke his foot. Still the men managed to get out of there with enough to take care of their families for some years. When the storm lifted the men took careful notes of observations so they could return.

It wasn't a few years later and the great depression hit and anti-gold hoarding laws came into play. During these years of the depression it is recalled by some of the locals I have spoken to, that there was certain families in the area where the men lived, and being cattlemen none the less, it seemed they got through these depression years without want or need. It was 15 years later before the men attempted to return to their found cache site. It would seem even though they felt they had good reference points and the map, all they could do was argue about which hill they were on. The two men as far as the story goes, never found the right place again.


And again... some 70 plus years later....

Over 70 Years later the story would find its way to me by a friend who had contact with the original cattlemen's family and the Actor Clint Walker who also spent his fair share of time looking for this. Upon receiving the story in 2003, my wife and I decided that beings we had some good vantage points or things given as line of sight from the opening of the cave like overhang, that we could bring ourselves to a place between the two and for the most part backwards analyze it. This seemed to work quite well and knowing the other things used to triangulate the site we were able to find a target area.

We soon scheduled a trip into the area which isn't to terribly difficult to get into but takes a little hiking, the Actor Clint Walker spent time searching for this one which is in a way how the story came to me.... Clint Walker resident of Johnson Canyon near Kanab has since passed away.


May 30th 1927 - May 21st 2018


We had chosen what is supposed as being a forest service trail to make our way into this place, as we traveled along the wide and well defined trail we began to find things along the trail that made it very clear, this was no forest trail regardless of whether they claimed it or not. The first thing we found was a tree carving we never expected but well known from many years of being in the Uinta Mountains and actually dating the trees and the carvings where possible. This one was found carved on Mountain Mahogany.


When we found this right next to the trail it was clear that a likely employee of the Forest Service had attempted to carve over the trail marker in an effort to mask it from what it actually is or just better define what he thought was an old Forest Service trail marker. The glyph used to mark a forest service trail is the same as the glyph used by the Spaniard to lead to their mines and such. Many do not realize that the Forest service long ago adopted this glyph to hide the fact that someone such as Spaniards were coming here long ago. It is said by some that the way the glyph works is, that the dot above the line means the trail going in and the dot below the line means the trail going out, and that may be according to the Forest Service. But if the glyph proves to have been carved hundreds of years prior, who from the Forest Service was here to carve it? The true meaning of an authentic Spanish Trail Marker is, the dot being above the line means the intended mine it is leading to is ahead or up. If the dot is below the line as you face the tree, the mine is behind you and if you are traveling in the direction facing the tree, you are traveling away from the mine. This Glyph is identical in base meaning as the Native American Glyph.

Although we have never core sampled this tree nor the carving itself, knowing the Mountain Mahogany is a very slow grower, I called my Biologist friend and sent him photos for verification of the variety of the tree. He told me that it was more of a bush like a Juniper but that it was a slow grower like scrub oak and asked the depth of the over growth since it was marked of which is about 3 inches, astonished he asked what the diameter of the tree was and I told him 18 inches, again surprised he said you have a very old tree and a very old carving.

Continuing along the now very apparent old trail we found a fallen monument and not to much further up the trail we found another still standing but somewhat hidden in some Junipers.



Further up the trail are even more trees with the appropriate mark showing the mine is still ahead. This one is a Juniper.


An old Juniper with about 4 inches of overgrowth since it was cut.


In the same general area but further up the trail we found evidence of a silver vein crossing the trail, near anyone could see silver is present by the samples of stained rock crossing the old trail, If the image does not show it very well, there is a heavy blue-ish silver stained layer of rock crossing the old trail, a clear indication of silver. By this time we knew we were in the right area and we were certainly near to an old Spanish Mine and likely near the cache site.


Silver dark blue stained rock found crossing the old trail,
shining due to sunlight.


As the excitement built up due to the things we were finding, we just couldn't wait to continue. Rounding a corner further up the trail we find an unusual monument and past this point about 1/3 of a mile, we find no more trees with marks. The monument is built in an unusual fashion with an overhang built into it as if to say this is what you are looking for and from here you can see it. At the point of the monument however we could not see any conglomerate as was indicated in the story or so we thought. However a closer look and we found the conglomerate.



Author examining the Lichen Growth


This monument has since been destroyed and I have a theory on who it may have been and why, and this is one of the many reason why documentation is very important. To this day I can show you exactly where it sat, and this is important. Not far from this monument is the conglomerate we had hoped to find, whether we have the right deposit of conglomerate or not is not known. In sight from this monument is conglomerate ledges of which still to this day needs to be searched, but I suspect a lower location in order to fit the story. In more recent times I have discovered the conglomerate geological description is called Tintic Quartzite. 


We have returned a few times since, but nothing has been done to locate the overhanging ledge. The forest service has added a sign early in the trail which says no motorized vehicles past this point, at a point we use to be able to access long past this on four wheelers. It is a good thing our 4 wheelers don't have motors and instead have engines. ;-) It is now a much longer walk but not to much more difficulty. I’m not a miner, but I sure would like to get a geologist in there to find this silver vein.

I feel this story which began 160 years ago has been kept alive with witnesses for a reason... some 15 years ago I was all over this, a lot has happened since... Is there anyone with interest?