Dutch Oven of Gold

Tiredman

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Oct 15, 2016
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Well it is said to be pretty close to full and buried near the base of a pine tree. But that was back around 1898 or so. If the tree is gone which I guess it well be, there was claimed to have been a old trail leading to the mine. The three prospectors are buried closeby too. Chief MT map.jpg I will try to add more to this story from work. Not many roads to get to the location.
 

Our story starts with three prospectors stopping at a local ranch and claiming they were headed to Chief Mountain. This came to be the last time they were seen alive. A Mexican named Peter Laird enters into the picture ( strange Mexican name, but then further south it could be rather common).
 

Now this Laird fellow was with a few Pend d orilles Indians when a group of Peigan Indians came upon them. They told them they killed 3 whites up on the mountain and they better go bury them or they will get the blame for it. So Laird and his group went in search of the dead.
 

In time the group finds the dead miners and buries them. The Pend d orilles spot a Dutch oven and excitedly expected to feast on some biskets, but are disappointed to find it contains gold. Laird finds a gold pan with amalgam and adds that to the Dutch oven. He finds a trail and follows it to a small mine they were working. Thinking he can return later he buries the Dutch oven near a tree. He leaves the region and it is years before he decides to return to dig it up. But fate had other plans.....
 

That could unfortunately be smack dab either in the Blackfoot reservation, or Glacier park. My family owns land on the res, but it would a miracle if we happened to own the land that could be on lol! Our land is closer to Mad Wolf mountain. When I was a kid, I did find an old still from the 30's or so, that may have belonged to my great grandfather, but not much else...... Curious to find out more!
 

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This was an interesting story to run across since it had not been covered before that I am aware of.
 

I do believe we have run across another article where a group from the Dakota's heads to this region trying to find the placer site of two dead brothers
 

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