Dent's Run News: Geophysical Survey Released After Lawsuit

[BennyV]

The Lost Gold Ingot Treasure is the earliest documented version of the yarn. It was a factor of probable cause used in obtaining the Writ of Seizure.

It is a manuscript donated to the War College in Carlisle, PA and no sources could be cited as to who wrote it. The document is said to have been written at the centennial anniversary of the Civil War (1961?) The author includes the statement "There is no use looking for this one, for it has never been recorded".


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Maybe. Maybe not.

 

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[diamonddave]

A lot of resources were spent. They brought in heavy equipment didn’t they?

Yes, equipment and resources were used. Just as PennDot uses equipment and resources to pave highways. Many hands make light work!

 

[diamonddave]

Maybe. Maybe not.

Unitil proven otherwise, definitely is.

 

[BennyV]

Unitil proven otherwise, definitely is.

What kind of proof would suffice for you?

 

[Old Bookaroo]

Oak Island was a story, not involving theft of government $$$.
Dents Run was another story that stated it was government $$$.

That's pretty easy to figure out.
Oak Island was investor based.
Dents Run was simply a story told to the FBI.

pepperj:

The Oak Island yarn goes back a long way - "pre-investor," if you will.

That certainly doesn't mean there is a there there.

Good luck to all,

The Old Bookaroo

 

[Old Bookaroo]

Sounds like his family connections could have made something happen. If the right palms were greased.

BennyV:

Was there a court martial?

Good luck to all,

The Old Bookaroo

 

[BennyV]

BennyV:

Was there a court martial?

Good luck to all,

The Old Bookaroo

Maybe it was swept under the rug.

 

[Old Bookaroo]

The Lost Gold Ingot Treasure is the earliest documented version of the yarn. It was a factor of probable cause used in obtaining the Writ of Seizure.

It is a manuscript donated to the War College in Carlisle, PA and no sources could be cited as to who wrote it. The document is said to have been written at the centennial anniversary of the Civil War (1961?) The author includes the statement "There is no use looking for this one, for it has never been recorded".


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Thank you for posting that! "Documented version" is doing so pretty lifting right through there. If the earliest origin story is circa 1961 - pretty weak tea.

Good luck to all,

The Old Bookaroo

 

[Old Bookaroo]

Maybe it was swept under the rug.

Rather difficult to do with a military court martial, what with all those judges and witnesses and everything. How could the author of that magazine article know the outcome (such as it was) if there was no record of it a hundred years later?

Good luck to all,

The Old Bookaroo

 

[diamonddave]

What kind of proof would suffice for you?

I am willing to research any document or related document dating prior to 1961 pertaining to the story. Got any?

 

[Old Bookaroo]

I am willing to research any document or related document dating prior to 1961 pertaining to the story. Got any?

"Proof" is reaching for the stars here. How about we start with some evidence - such as an explanation of exactly what was lost in those woods?

Good luck to all,

The Old Bookaroo

 

[diamonddave]

So, a logical step would be to trace the yarn back to its beginning. What is the origin story - the initial version of the yarn? This can be a very useful technique when trying to run down the factual basis for a legend.

Sorry, I thought you were interested in finding the earliest documented origin of the story. Already you have moved on to "what" was lost?

 

[BennyV]

I am willing to research any document or related document dating prior to 1961 pertaining to the story. Got any?

Do your own research.

What do you have? You’re from PA.

 

[diamonddave]

Do your own research.

I must have misunderstood. I thought you were asking what kind of proof would suffice that the Lost Gold Ingot Treasure was not the earliest documented version of the story.

In that context, my offer to you was that I am willing to research any lead you have in attempt to prove on your behalf that there is in fact an earlier document of the story. If you have any leads, feel free to elaborate. Otherwise, the story posted above is definitely the earliest known document of the tale.

 

[diamonddave]

Rather difficult to do with a military court martial, what with all those judges and witnesses and everything. How could the author of that magazine article know the outcome (such as it was) if there was no record of it a hundred years later?

This went right over my head. It is a genius comment that speaks volumes as to the various stories penned.

 

[diamonddave]

What do you have? You’re from PA.

I have chased the origin of the document above to the source that donated it to the War College. The person is now deceased, was from Washington County but once owned property near Benezette. Images in the photocopied document pages depict historic structures from Ole Bull's Colony. I am of the opinion the document was part of a manuscript type, local history compiled around the time of the CW centennial (1960's) and including legends and lore of the region. It could be collecting dust on the shelves of some local library.

This is still a site to discuss facts and history, isn't it?

Do you have anything to share?

 

[BennyV]

I have chased the origin of the document above to the source that donated it to the War College. The person is now deceased, was from Washington County but once owned property near Benezette. Images in the photocopied document pages depict historic structures from Ole Bull's Colony. I am of the opinion the document was part of a manuscript type, local history compiled around the time of the CW centennial (1960's) and including legends and lore of the region. It could be collecting dust on the shelves of some local library.

This is still a site to discuss facts and history, isn't it?

Do you have anything to share?

That’s for the background on the document.

It used to be. Still some decent posts, but not many.

 

[Carl-NC]

I’m just saying the dude picked a spot to dig based on a psychic. That’s all.

Don't forget that dowsing rods were involved.

And I’m still waiting for someone to explain the large scale turnout of men and resources.

I find that to be about the only curious aspect of this whole saga. I have a theory that someone in the FBI was watching too many treasure shows on the History channel. When this fell in his lap, he saw his Andy Warhol moment and swallowed it whole. I expect the FBI spent no less than a half-million on this debacle and now they want to sweep it under the rug. Which explains their reluctance to share documentation.

I’m just saying. There maybe was something or maybe there was nothing. I find it hard to pass a judgement based on the information we currently have on hand.

I personally find it quite easy to pass judgement based on the available information. The story is almost certainly a complete fabrication. That's the case with the vast majority of treasure stories that originated in the 60s and 70s, when treasure and western magazines were paying money for treasure stories. When researching a treasure story, if you can't get past that magazine article, then that's probably where it started.

Besides the dead-end provenance, there's the problem that nothing has been found, compounded by the ever-morphing storyline that get wilder by the week. Now supposedly there are numerous gold caches buried in the area by the KGC, and a vast network of tunnels extending all the way to Lake Erie. It's as if... it's all made up.

 

[Old Bookaroo]

Sorry, I thought you were interested in finding the earliest documented origin of the story. Already you have moved on to "what" was lost?

2D: Nothing to be sorry about. I am definitely interested in the origin story - Genisus, if you will. When did it all begin?

"A Mad Hunt for Civil War Treasure" by Chris Heath (Atlantic Monthly, July/August 2022) is an excellent article on this topic. Mr. Heath asks the same question I have: "After leaving Dents Run, I found myself puzzling over the gold’s origin story, so I went searching for written accounts." That is the logical place to start.

The money shot appears to be the 29-page affidavit. I ploughed through parts of the FBI Dent's Run documentation available on the web and I didn't find it. But there are some thousand pages and photos here, so I easily could have missed it.

I don't want to steal from this excellent writer. The article makes it clear - there is no documentary evidence. The origin story is from circa 1861-1965. People can believe in the Dent's Run Gold, just as they can believe in Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny. "Belief" is the operative word here.

Good luck to all,

The Old Bookaroo