Buried Money in Portland Oregon

[Idahodutch]

Here is a GE image of a different old road coming out of Portland.

The end of the line is a park now. Approx 2.2 miles

 

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[Idahodutch]

Here is a GE image of a different old road coming out of Portland.

The end of the line is a park now. Approx 2.2 miles
View attachment 2106843

The name of the park, is Creston Park, and the road’s name is Powell Blvd.

The park site , used to be the site of the original poor house for Portland. I think I read that it gained approval to build it … I think it was 1869.
Later in early 1900’s a new poor house was built at a completely different location, and the old location was made into a park.
Even the new poor house, was eventually done away with.

 

[Idahodutch]

Here is a snip on it

 

[Idahodutch]

One more snip about it.

 

[Crow]

Out of curiosity I searched through the archives available I came across 3 Sims that died in 1864 . But none of them could be considered 'old' by any means. And what connection if any to this alleged Sims of this treasure legend. There was wealthy family in Oregon by the name of sims that had land but no where near Portland.

Crow

 

[Idahodutch]

Crow,
I looked quite a while at early maps of Portland, Oregon. Powell Blvd, used to be called Powell Valley Road. It’s been there for a long time, however I did see an undated early map. Before any bridges were built, and had a ferry crossing at the road that goes to Sandy.
It may be possible that the Sandy Road heading out of Portland, was what was referred to in the story.

Here is the map with the ferry crossing.

 

[Idahodutch]

This says the first bridge crossing was built in 1887.

 

[Idahodutch]

The road to Sandy looks to be older than Powell Valley Road.
Both are pretty old roads, and can be seen easily on google earth, when zoomed out a little.

Here is a snip of Powell Blvd from the river, to Creston Park.

Here is a snip from the river out Sandy Blvd, going about the same distance.

 

[Idahodutch]

The main issue I see, provided the tale is true 🤓, is knowing where the edge of town was at in 1862. Portland grew extremely fast in a short period of time.

I looked at it from the river edge, but in reality, it was probably not an exact measurement of 2 miles, but a rough estimate, and was to be from edge of town. Also, it could have gone to the north, the south, or the west.
These are guesses for the road, ones that head out to the east.

Crow, thanks for sharing, I had fun looking 👍
Idahodutch

 

[Crow]

Good point .There a map dated around 1866

This might be of use?

Crow

 

[robertk]

I looked at it from the river edge, but in reality, it was probably not an exact measurement of 2 miles, but a rough estimate, and was to be from edge of town.

That's one of the problems with old time information - the distances are very seldom precise, and sometimes not even close. I've seen several descriptions of a local place that I know precisely where it is, and the old descriptions vary from "2 miles" to "5 miles" from town -- and "town" isn't nearly big enough to absorb that much variation.

 

[Idahodutch]

Good point .There a map dated around 1866View attachment 2107544 This might be of use?

Crow

Good job Crow,
Some names are the same. Certainty a nicer map than the undated one I found.
It’s hard to know what is planed, even surveyed, versus streets and lots in place. Homes and businesses would help to know what people considered to be the edge of town at the time.
For instance are there homes and or businesses at all the streets that are shown? Maybe, I don’t know, I wasn’t there.
My gut says no, but my gut isn’t always on target 😁.

Still, more information than a little while ago 👍

 

[Crow]

Some good points.

We have have key landmarks. A house, a barn, two graves?

There is one other key detail? The church in the map perhaps? Does the church has any significance as landmark to take the rough 2 miles from?

I did find a church that was built Well before the Civil war Its Portlands Oldest Church.

Oaks Pioneer Church, formerly known as St. John's Episcopal Church, in southeast Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon is a non-denominational one-story chapel listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1851, it was added to the register in 1974. It is the oldest intact church building in Oregon.

Located in Oaks Pioneer Park in the Sellwood neighborhood, the rectangular post and beam structure has a footprint of 18 by 42 feet (5.5 by 12.8 m). Fashioned from a partly completed house owned by pioneer Lot Whitcomb, it was the first Episcopal Church in Oregon.

Lot Whitcomb (1807–1857) was an American commercial entrepreneur and politician who established the city of Milwaukie Oregon After making a fortune milling and shipping lumber and timber for California gold miners, Whitcomb launched the first steamship in the U.S. state of Oregon Here is a picture Lot Whitcomb below.

Whitcomb was a steamboat operator who founded the community of Milwaukie, The church, originally sited on the outskirts of Milwaukie, was moved nearer the town's center in 1862. Modifications over the years included revisions to the Chancel in 1869 and the windows, siding, and belfry in 1888. The belfry contains a ship's bell that belonged to Whitcomb.

Supplanted by a new church building in 1948 (St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church in Milwaukie, Oregon) and scheduled for demolition in 1969, the church was saved by private interests that paid to float it down the Willamette River on a barge and install it in Oaks Pioneer Park.

Is this church above the church of crude rendition below?

Where The Church is today had no relevance to the map but where it was sited in 1862 does. It gives is an anchor point to work from?

Here is picture of the present church built in 1948 on site.

Is this the key point to work from.

Perhaps pike road evolved for the saw milling site and port at the time? This measurement has to be taken from this site. Portland name was given perhaps being the bigger city was just easier to find than Milwaukie?

Originally the port and grist mill was behind the church on the river. The port does not exist today as it was supplanted by the Portland down the river.

1 PIKES
2 PORT OF Milwaukie SAW MILL AND GRIST MILL
3 CHURCH SITE IN 1862.

+ Note it does not say on this part of map Portland just port? The alleged pike road was perhaps a description of pikes used to role loges over at the river of port? And thus PERHAPS the rough dirt road at the time was unofficially known as the pike road?

That said this is speculation just as everyone else? Millwakie is about 5 miles from Center of Portland.

Here is more information about Millwakie.

Although the plan showed orderly blocks surrounding a public square, the reality of Milwaukie in 1848 was somewhat different. According to local historian Charles Oluf Olsen, early Milwaukie was a generally unpleasant place:


“Houses and shacks were of raw lumber, unpainted and crude. Streets were narrow, muddy and full of stumps, with miry puddles in which hogs wallowed. Cattle roamed at large. But there was virile life in the primitive settlement, and its position as the future metropolis of the Oregon Country seemed assured.”


By the fall of 1850 Milwaukie had 500 residents, two hotels, a post office, a sheet iron and copper plate works, a shoe store, several general stores, several saloons, four mills, a waterfront warehouse and wharf, and a school. A free public ferry and Episcopal church followed a year later. The city even had its own newspaper, the Western Star, for a brief time in 1850.


Lot Whitcomb built and launched the steamer “Lot Whitcomb” in 1850. His intention was to protect Milwaukie’s growth and damage Portland’s by providing shipping services to Milwaukie while ignoring Portland, which had become a rival. Due in large part to the success of the “Lot Whitcomb,” Milwaukie became a Port of Delivery by Congressional Appointment in April, 1851, and a shipbuilding industry sprang up.


By 1851 Portland had edged ahead of Milwaukie in the shipping business, and the “Lot Whitcomb” was sold to buyers in California in 1854. Although Milwaukie was no longer dominant in shipping, it quickly became the center of fruit production in the region. The Llewelling brothers, Seth and Henderson, carried nursery stock from their homes in Iowa and planted their first nursery on the present site of the golf course at the Waverly Country Club.

Is this a clue? Llewelling brothers, Seth and Henderson had a fruit orchard? Here is picture of his property Below. He owned orchards

Any one of theorize that has been posted here has very good points. But fun all the same to speculate.

Crow

 

[Crow]

Here is a picture below in its original position of the church taken in 1947 one year before it was moved to its present location in 1948. Middle left hand side on the street corner.

Below The church in 1870 center of picture next to the flower mill. taken from across the river.

That would of been some 8 years after the alleged burial of the the allege money.

Crow

 

[Idahodutch]

Crow,
I think you are on the right track.
I had thought about graves by the church, but you may have found the church 👍😁

 

[markmar]

Here is a picture below in its original position of the church taken in 1947 one year before it was moved to its present location in 1948. Middle left hand side on the street corner.

View attachment 2107650

Below The church in 1870 center of picture next to the flower mill. taken from across the river.

View attachment 2107651
That would of been some 8 years after the alleged burial of the the allege money.

Crow

Crow, I believe the pioneer church ( depicted on the chart ) was moved in 1948 to its original place as a historical monument. After your intelligent research, we came to the same starting point from my theory. It's good when historical facts coincide with research results.

 

[Idahodutch]

Some good points.

We have have key landmarks. A house, a barn, two graves?

There is one other key detail? The church in the map perhaps? Does the church has any significance as landmark to take the rough 2 miles from?

I did find a church that was built Well before the Civil war Its Portlands Oldest Church.

Oaks Pioneer Church, formerly known as St. John's Episcopal Church, in southeast Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon is a non-denominational one-story chapel listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1851, it was added to the register in 1974. It is the oldest intact church building in Oregon.


View attachment 2107614

Located in Oaks Pioneer Park in the Sellwood neighborhood, the rectangular post and beam structure has a footprint of 18 by 42 feet (5.5 by 12.8 m). Fashioned from a partly completed house owned by pioneer Lot Whitcomb, it was the first Episcopal Church in Oregon.

Lot Whitcomb (1807–1857) was an American commercial entrepreneur and politician who established the city of Milwaukie Oregon After making a fortune milling and shipping lumber and timber for California gold miners, Whitcomb launched the first steamship in the U.S. state of Oregon Here is a picture Lot Whitcomb below.

View attachment 2107619

Whitcomb was a steamboat operator who founded the community of Milwaukie, The church, originally sited on the outskirts of Milwaukie, was moved nearer the town's center in 1862. Modifications over the years included revisions to the Chancel in 1869 and the windows, siding, and belfry in 1888. The belfry contains a ship's bell that belonged to Whitcomb.

Supplanted by a new church building in 1948 (St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church in Milwaukie, Oregon) and scheduled for demolition in 1969, the church was saved by private interests that paid to float it down the Willamette River on a barge and install it in Oaks Pioneer Park.

View attachment 2107615

Is this church above the church of crude rendition below?

View attachment 2107618

Where The Church is today had no relevance to the map but where it was sited in 1862 does. It gives is an anchor point to work from?

Here is picture of the present church built in 1948 on site.

View attachment 2107620

Is this the key point to work from.

Perhaps pike road evolved for the saw milling site and port at the time? This measurement has to be taken from this site. Portland name was given perhaps being the bigger city was just easier to find than Milwaukie?

Originally the port and grist mill was behind the church on the river. The port does not exist today as it was supplanted by the Portland down the river.

1 PIKES
2 PORT OF Milwaukie SAW MILL AND GRIST MILL
3 CHURCH SITE IN 1862.

View attachment 2107625

+ Note it does not say on this part of map Portland just port? The alleged pike road was perhaps a description of pikes used to role loges over at the river of port? And thus PERHAPS the rough dirt road at the time was unofficially known as the pike road?

That said this is speculation just as everyone else? Millwakie is about 5 miles from Center of Portland.

Here is more information about Millwakie.

Although the plan showed orderly blocks surrounding a public square, the reality of Milwaukie in 1848 was somewhat different. According to local historian Charles Oluf Olsen, early Milwaukie was a generally unpleasant place:


“Houses and shacks were of raw lumber, unpainted and crude. Streets were narrow, muddy and full of stumps, with miry puddles in which hogs wallowed. Cattle roamed at large. But there was virile life in the primitive settlement, and its position as the future metropolis of the Oregon Country seemed assured.”


By the fall of 1850 Milwaukie had 500 residents, two hotels, a post office, a sheet iron and copper plate works, a shoe store, several general stores, several saloons, four mills, a waterfront warehouse and wharf, and a school. A free public ferry and Episcopal church followed a year later. The city even had its own newspaper, the Western Star, for a brief time in 1850.


Lot Whitcomb built and launched the steamer “Lot Whitcomb” in 1850. His intention was to protect Milwaukie’s growth and damage Portland’s by providing shipping services to Milwaukie while ignoring Portland, which had become a rival. Due in large part to the success of the “Lot Whitcomb,” Milwaukie became a Port of Delivery by Congressional Appointment in April, 1851, and a shipbuilding industry sprang up.


By 1851 Portland had edged ahead of Milwaukie in the shipping business, and the “Lot Whitcomb” was sold to buyers in California in 1854. Although Milwaukie was no longer dominant in shipping, it quickly became the center of fruit production in the region. The Llewelling brothers, Seth and Henderson, carried nursery stock from their homes in Iowa and planted their first nursery on the present site of the golf course at the Waverly Country Club.

Is this a clue? Llewelling brothers, Seth and Henderson had a fruit orchard? Here is picture of his property Below. He owned orchards

View attachment 2107639
View attachment 2107640


Any one of theorize that has been posted here has very good points. But fun all the same to speculate.

Crow

Crow,
I like where you’re going with “port” being different than “Portland”. Both words are used. It would make sense.
The map is showing the road going from the church, towards the orchard, by the barn, and some graves.

Bear with me here. I’m hearing the directions actually starting at the port with the church, and then going towards the money… by the graves by the barn ….. 2 miles from Portland, Oregon.
These directions sure seem to be headed towards Portland. Not away from it. 😎👍
This is getting interesting 🤔

 

[Idahodutch]

I looked for a bit to see what it looks like these days, going from what looked like the approximate church site, near the old port, and measured along the main road to Portland. I measured out about 2.85 miles (it’s about 5.6 miles to ferry crossing.) my guess is that on the east side of the river, Portland edge of town maybe 1 mile from the ferry crossing, (IDK).
That makes distance of 2 miles from that, is approximately 2.6 miles from the church.

everything has been built on. There is a green belt, along the river.
Maybe there used to be a barn, and some graves close by, once upon a time … in that area of the green belt. 🥴
Maybe the workers that turned the road into a highway found a prize 🥳🥳🥳

 

[Crow]

In searching Sims from Oregon that was in the civil war Only two out of the 5 may or may not have been the Old Simes mentioned on the map? Note the other 3 joined union in 1861 so they left a year before the alleged burial.

It should be noted that none by name Simes was recorded being from Oregon and connected to Milwaukie, But there was Sims connected with Milwaukie.

There was a Thomas E Simes private joined March 26 1862 at Hillsboro in the 27th infantry.

The Second H H Sims private joined 4th of bursary 1863 at Hillboro thirteenth light infantry.

Was they related? they are found in US Confederation Solider Compiled Service Records. Are they or one of them connected to Simes mi-spelt on the map with and added E?

Keeping in mind this map we see a later copy 1870's -1880s?

Your guess is good as mine.

Crow

 

[Crow]

Gidday Idahodutch

We know Alfred Lewellyn below was involved in orchards you can see his property approximately 2 miles from Lot withcomb's property that eventual became the village or town of Milwaukie where he erected the church on the map below.

The good thing you can see the structures on this map at the time here is is blow up of the map.

Another interesting this the orogon historical socity tells of two graves?

Crow