Anatomy of a treasure legend

[KANACKI]

Hola amigos from what I can gather from the excellent info posted here. A real lesson for me in plowing and tilling.the plowing most likely had no effect depth wise to can 2 feet buried below the surface.

But even if you narrow down the location to 40 acre block it is still a large area to search?





It would be interesting to see if there was some descendants of Kirkpatrick. On the 1914 map there was several areas leased by Kirkpatrick.

Kanacki

 

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[Crow]

Hola amigos from what I can gather from the excellent info posted here. A real lesson for me in plowing and tilling.the plowing most likely had no effect depth wise to can 2 feet buried below the surface.

But even if you narrow down the location to 40 acre block it is still a large area to search?

View attachment 1935904

View attachment 1935905

It would be interesting to see if there was some descendants of Kirkpatrick. On the 1914 map there was several areas leased by Kirkpatrick.

Kanacki

Gidday kanacki

I have not gone further as yet with the decendants of Kirkpatrick. Definitely an avenue of further research.

Crow

 

[Phil]

The picture of the teepees with a train in the background has trees. The area around Pendleton is flat with no trees, so I would research land leased by Kirkpatrick East of Pendleton. There are also mountains with trees to the South, but I do not recall any trains going through there.

 

[Crow]

The picture of the teepees with a train in the background has trees. The area around Pendleton is flat with no trees, so I would research land leased by Kirkpatrick East of Pendleton. There are also mountains with trees to the South, but I do not recall any trains going through there.

Gidday Phil

Good point. Here is google earth image and there is an area to be east of Pendleton known as Kirkpatick I wonder if it was named after the Kirkpatrick family who farmed there? Was this the area in question??

Crow

 

[Phil]

Hi Crow,

I sent you a PM.

 

[crashbandicoot]

Great research Crow!That,s how it should be done.

 

[Crow]

Great research Crow!That,s how it should be done.

Thank you My contribution is to show some methodology in how to research. But its also in part a team effort here when people contribute together they can uncover amazing things.

Phil Posted some excellent comment in regards to the location of the location of picture of the typees and railway line.

It is highly likely the town of Kirkpatrick is named after the the Kirkpatrick family, so that helps narrow the area down considerably.

After looking at the picture closer, it appears there is a river behind the train. If so, that is probably the Umatilla River, and the train runs next to the Umatilla until it turns and goes up Meacham Creek.

We can narrow the area down even further because there are hills behind the train. The area around Kirkpatrick is flat, so it is not in that immediate vicinity. However, if you go a few miles East, the terrain in the picture closely matches the area between Cayuse and Gibbon.

We can narrow it down even further because there are hills in the background. Thus, we can conclude the camera was facing East. And because we know the river is behind the train, that means it is on the West side of the river. IF it is the Umatilla River, the only area that matches is from the bridge that crosses the river just outside Cayuse (Which puts the train on the West side of the river), and runs 3 1/2 miles up the Umatilla until the train crosses another bridge (Putting it back on the East side of the river).

And lastly, in the picture, the river appears to take a sharp dogleg to the right, and away from the train tracks. Also, the area between the teepees and the train appears to be fairly flat with a slight incline up towards the teepees. The river takes three sharp turns in that area, but there is only one area that is relatively flat on the West side of the river.

45 41 10 N
118 30 06 W

That is where I would start looking.

In the context of picture I posted You may indeed be on the money in regards to the picture. However I am not a hundred percent sure the context of picture is related directly Indian in question other than other members of Indian tribe in 1893. However I do agree It is highly likely the town of Kirkpatrick is named after the Kirkpatrick family and they had land there? Quite possible land there was once owned by the mother John Michell?

And there is some thing else that might confirm that assumption that might be the actual area where this alleged gold buried?

To be continued...


Crow

 

[Crow]

Gidday Amigos

Some more information on the Umatilla rerservation itself.

The reservation has a land area of 271.047 square miles (702.01 km[SUP]2[/SUP]) and a tribal population of 2,927 as of the 2000 census. In addition, some 300 Native Americans from other regional tribes and 1,500 non-natives live on the reservation.The largest community is Mission, which is the site of the tribal headquarters as well as the Umatilla Agency of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Now if we recall comments from the second newspaper story that clams the site of this alleged treasure was A mile and a half above the Agency?

Is that referring to Umatilla Agency of the Bureau of Indian Affairs based in Mission?

If so the location of this alleged site of buried gold is 1.5 miles from the agency in Mission?

Crow

 

[KANACKI]

Hola Crow

In context to the 1915 newspaper is where was the Umatilla Agency of the Bureau of Indian Affairs based in the same office all the time ? Pendleton or Mission. 106 years is long time for an office to be at the same location?

One website gives the mailing address Pendleton. Wikipedia which gives mission as the address. Which one was the 1915 newspaper article referring too?

Kanacki

 

[Phil]

The Indian agency was established in 1851 on the Umatilla River opposite the present town of Echo (20 miles West of Pendleton).

The article says she lived 1.5 miles "above" the agency. Question now is what does "above" mean?

 

[KANACKI]

The Indian agency was established in 1851 on the Umatilla River opposite the present town of Echo (20 miles West of Pendleton).

The article says she lived 1.5 miles "above" the agency. Question now is what does "above" mean?

If we look at sayings people never say way down North? They always say way up North! In contrast when we refer south? We say way down South! No one says way up south. That is because our orientation has been North south east west mentality.

So for me that would be 1.5 miles North of the agency? But it could also mean 1.5 miles on a hill above the agency?

The Indian agency was established in 1851 on the Umatilla River opposite the present town of Echo is interesting as it appears several agencies later merged. We have question ourselves where in 1915 was the agency?

So perhaps we have to put both hypothesis to test once we locate the location of agency in 1915? As Phil has rightly pointed out another location that suggests in the 100 odd years of agency existence its location shifted about at bit. Where it was in 1851, 1861, 1891, 1901 and 1915 might be entirely different locations where it is today? So we have to find the location closest to 1915.

kanacki

 

[KANACKI]

Hola Amigos

Sailing in the southern hemisphere the compass needle actually points south although the back of the needle is painted red to always show north even if its actually pointing south. Even in the southern hemisphere we still orientate ourselves under north south east west basis.

Most maps are orientated top of page is north bottom south and east on the right west on the left. But reality there is no top or bottom of a sphere like the earth. Such as Crow tell you with the term Down under commonly used for Australia? Its a term up there down are just slang terns referring to North South.

Kanacki

 

[Crow]

Gidday amigos

In San Francisco Call. volume
77, number 90'10 March 1895 tells of Oregon Indians Restless.

The above gives two possible scenario 1:The Indian lady buried her gold under the fear of unrest within the reservation and possible conflict with the cavalry?

2nd most important Pendleton, Or., March 0. — Two companies of the Second Cavalry from Fort Walla Walla arrived here at 8 o'clock on a special train, and will be taken without delay to Mission station on the Umatilla Indian reservation, from which point they will proceed to the agency near the station.

So we know for sure that Agency was near the Mission train station?

Crow

 

[Crow]

Gidday Amigos

Here is google earth area 1.5 miles radius

This gives us a rough perimeter of search area to find the land what was once owned by the Indian Women and was rented by farmer R E Kirkpatrick in 1914.

Crow

 

[Crow]

Gidday Amigos

Robert Finnis Kirkpatrick was born in 1862 and died in 1946.

He is buried in cemetery in Pendleton, Oregon Block 1, Lot 17, Grave.

Crow

 

[Crow]

Kathleen Purchase was the daughter of Robert and Mary Kirckpatrick

Here is her 0bituary where it says in 1914 she worked on the Kirckpatrick family farm homestead cooking for 77 men. At Kirkpatrick.

Crow

 

[Phil]

Hey Crow,

The agency across the river from Echo burned down in 1863, so you are on the right track looking at the Mission area. Have you found any records pertaining to land Kirkpatrick leased?

 

[Crow]

Hey Crow,

The agency across the river from Echo burned down in 1863, so you are on the right track looking at the Mission area. Have you found any records pertaining to land Kirkpatrick leased?

Gidday Phil

Indeed I have Amigo. It appears R F Kirckpatrick have several lots all over the place the nearest is two places that might be a contender within 1.5 miles of the Agency.

But please be patient amigo I have my 5 year old son nagging me for bike ride I promised him as I type.

So I will post later tonight....

Family duties amigo.

Crow

 

[Crow]

Gidday All

Here is land map of land R F Kirkpatrick leased from an Indian. Now at first the term in Newspaper as it gave the impression above meaning north but in fact it as Phil alluded to that it might of been topography. 1.5 mile above Mission agency was the land was higher up and 1.5 miles away. This 1914 map below shows the Mission railway station and we know the Agency was near the railway station as per 1895 newspaper story.

So below the property outlined in read was leased by R F Kirkpatrick. Mission railway station is underlined in red.

This is approximately 1.5 miles from the Agency which was near mission railway station. It was the only property leased by R F Kirkpatrick in the context of being 1.5 mile away and above the agency in Mission.

Crow

 

[Crow]

If that is so it is still a proverbial needle in haystack as you can see below 320 acres plus.

Crow