Family Treasure Help.

[lostworm]

There was a gold mine in my family around 150 years ago. The gold mine was subdivided off the farm and the property it was on was sold around 130 years ago. I'm the current owner of the farm. About 18 months ago my dad died and found the maps I have been told about for years in his safety deposit box. Growing up I was always told about the treasure and was shown 3 spots that he thought was points on the map, but I only thing 1 of the points was right. I slightly remember seeing the map a few times at a supper young age. There was never any talk about what the treasure or any other details.

I overlaid the hand drawn map over old maps. After 6 months of looking I found 5 of the 6 points on the map on my property. The point I was not able to find is on the mine property and did not try to find it. Over laying the map and using GPS 1 of the points I found was about 28' off and the other points are with about 6'.

Over the last 11 months I cut, spilt, hauled, stacked, chipped, and de stumped around 350 trees. Where the X is on the map I cleared out a 50' by 50' box, but did not grind down these stumps yet. The road is wood chips so I'm limited by weather.

I have a Bobcat with a stump grinder attachment and a 75 HP tractor with a front end loader.

I'm at a loss on what to do next. I'm only 95% sure I'm at the right spot. I have no idea what I might find. I have no idea how deep I will need to go. I do have $40,000 that I'm willing to buy the "right equipment".

What would you do if you were in my shoes?

 

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[Gare]

There was a gold mine in my family around 150 years ago. The gold mine was subdivided off the farm and the property it was on was sold around 130 years ago. I'm the current owner of the farm. About 18 months ago my dad died and found the maps I have been told about for years in his safety deposit box. Growing up I was always told about the treasure and was shown 3 spots that he thought was points on the map, but I only thing 1 of the points was right. I slightly remember seeing the map a few times at a supper young age. There was never any talk about what the treasure or any other details.

I overlaid the hand drawn map over old maps. After 6 months of looking I found 5 of the 6 points on the map on my property. The point I was not able to find is on the mine property and did not try to find it. Over laying the map and using GPS 1 of the points I found was about 28' off and the other points are with about 6'.

Over the last 11 months I cut, spilt, hauled, stacked, chipped, and de stumped around 350 trees. Where the X is on the map I cleared out a 50' by 50' box, but did not grind down these stumps yet. The road is wood chips so I'm limited by weather.

I have a Bobcat with a stump grinder attachment and a 75 HP tractor with a front end loader.

I'm at a loss on what to do next. I'm only 95% sure I'm at the right spot. I have no idea what I might find. I have no idea how deep I will need to go. I do have $40,000 that I'm willing to buy the "right equipment".

What would you do if you were in my shoes?

Thats sure is a tough much gold came out of the mine ? WHat did they use to mine it .Where was the gold sold ? Who bought it ?Some place might have a record of how much gold was purchased., Now mind you I am A INEXPERIENCED GOLD PERSON !! So my thoughts are probably not in the orninary. I do hope you keep us posetd and NOT WHERE your mine is bujt how you are proceeding !!

Good LUCK !!!!

 

[releventchair]

I'd secure a written permission to be on the mine site. Then legal contract /agreement to dig.
And recover.

Mines play out. Perhaps that's why it was let go. Unless a premium was paid for the land it's on.

A study of why gold was found there might arrive at other potential in similar conditions.

Depending on terrain and the why of where gold was found. Stumps might not be in reach/ range.

Was it mineral soil and gold dust from it being extracted? Quartz or other ore?
A vein or lode? Or just well worn tumbled placer nuggets from a prior cause of travel?
The type place /condition it laid in during prior mining might help you know if you're close.
More so with depth per soil/rock in relation to make up of earth there.

 

[lostworm]

Now mind you I am A INEXPERIENCED GOLD PERSON !! So my thoughts are probably not in the orninary.

It was a hard rock mine going into the side of a hill and down around 75' or so. from what I can find the mine produced gold and silver for about 50 years. I have no idea about how much was sold. I do not own the mine and the property it is on.

 

[lostworm]

Depending on terrain and the why of where gold was found. Stumps might not be in reach/ range.

Was it mineral soil and gold dust from it being extracted? Quartz or other ore?
A vein or lode?

The mine is hard rock quartz from what I can tell. I do not think any other gold has been found for 150 miles.
I want nothing to do with the mine.

 

[traveller777]

Reading this we all assume the treasure is gold. If it is buried and was done by hand I seriously doubt if too deep for GPR, ground penetrating radar. Have you considered that option?

So why did no one go retrieve the treasure?

 

[Gare]

Reading this we all assume the treasure is gold. If it is buried and was done by hand I seriously doubt if too deep for GPR, ground penetrating radar. Have you considered that option?

So why did no one go retrieve the treasure?

I think he is talking about a RAW Natural mine. Not A BURIED TREASURE
Lost worm am I correct ?

 

[lostworm]

Reading this we all assume the treasure is gold. If it is buried and was done by hand I seriously doubt if too deep for GPR, ground penetrating radar. Have you considered that option?

So why did no one go retrieve the treasure?

Yes I think someone hand dug and placed something in the ground.

My dad thought he found 3 of the 6 points and could not get anything else to line up. I only think one of the points he found was right. My grandfather died when I was 3 so never knew him. My great grandfather would of been the one to sell the mine and my understanding is he would of been the one to draw the map and possibly burry something. Who knows how long the money lasted?

I think he is talking about a RAW Natural mine. Not A BURIED TREASURE
Lost worm am I correct ?

I think it's buried treasure of some kind, but think it's gold or the part of the money from selling the gold mine.

If there was a some kind of a mine there would be something above the ground and my dad would of found it over the years.

 

[traveller777]

Good thought, Gare. But is it is a buried gold treasure then I go back to GPR.

 

[lostworm]

Good thought, Gare. But is it is a buried gold treasure then I go back to GPR.

Will GPR work with tree roots?

 

[traveller777]

Will GPR work with tree roots?

Great question. I am fairly certain the tree roots will show up, but not sure how much of a problem that would be. Maybe a big problem. I believe what you are looking for is an anomaly, so it may still work with roots, but the roots may mask it. The roots were a really good question.
But I am no expert on GPR. I do believe there are some experts on the TNet site and they can give you advise more than me on it. I am just trying to sort some way for you to cover a lot of ground. Would love to see you find a fortune. Will watch to see how you decide to proceed.

 

[lostworm]

Great question. I am fairly certain the tree roots will show up, but not sure how much of a problem that would be. Maybe a big problem. I believe what you are looking for is an anomaly, so it may still work with roots, but the roots may mask it. The roots were a really good question.
But I am no expert on GPR. I do believe there are some experts on the TNet site and they can give you advise more than me on it. I am just trying to sort some way for you to cover a lot of ground. Would love to see you find a fortune. Will watch to see how you decide to proceed.

I just did some basic research on GPR. I think it would work If I know there was something of size as in 1' by 1' or I know there was a metal mass.

I kind of feel that I need something that can rip out 5 to 8" stumps and will ne able to dig, but I'm not sure.

I pulled out the map and all my dads old paperwork looking through it all again.
I will send an email to a GPR contractor near me in the morning.

 

[lostworm]

This morning my wife has talked me into contacting the owner of the land next to us (where the mine is). He agreed to spend around 90 minutes with us to drive around the woods in our side by side this after noon.

I never tried to find the last point on GPS coordinates as I never thought I would get to find the last point. I have to go back and relayer the maps and stich them back together properly.

What would the best sub form for asking questions about GPR?

 

[releventchair]

Ahh. You're looking for a cache. Not gold bearing ground or the mine....

Maybe look at a two box detector.

Have you aged the trees you are removing?
Where were they in relation (age ) to Gramps time afield?

 

[GoDeep]

Looking at the circumstantial evidence, that your dad died just 18 months ago, meant he lived to a ripe old age (and his father before him and his father before him), giving them plenty of time to recover and/or reveal the "treasure" to you. Based on Occams Razor , "The simplest explanation is usually the correct one", likely means there is no treasure left to be found. Post up some pics of the map (block off anything that'll give away the state and exact location it's in of course), it'd be cool to look at.

 

[lostworm]

Ahh. You're looking for a cache. Not gold bearing ground or the mine....

Maybe look at a two box detector.

Have you aged the trees you are removing?
Where were they in relation (age ) to Gramps time afield?

The trees in the I cleared out in the 50 by 50' are all soft wood with 5 to 6" stumps and were thinking there less than 90 years old. There was 1 oak tree that was around 110 years old. Everything around the my clearing looks just like normal forest land to me. The forest is about 80% hard woods.

The land stayed in the family through the generations. I know my grandfather was 89 and my dad was 95. I have the land records going back to 1830. I know at 1 point my sister looked into the family tree and was told and all the names looked at matched up to the names I gave her from the property records.

Looking at the circumstantial evidence, that your dad died just 18 months ago, meant he lived to a ripe old age, giving him plenty of time to recover and/or reveal the "treasure" to you. Based on Occams Razor , "The simplest explanation is usually the correct one", likely means there is no treasure left to be found. Post up some pics of the map (block off anything that'll give away the state and exact location it's in of course), it'd be cool to look at.

The map is just an odd shaped Jewish star with an X in the center. At this point I do not want to upload any pics.

My theory is that they cleared out the 50 by 50' box. Something was buried and was not found. I can see no other reason for this anomaly in the forest. I feel that is my dad or grand dad would of found something my dad wound not of spent is free time all his life looking.

 

[releventchair]

Ahh. You're looking for a cache. Not gold bearing ground or the mine....

The trees in the I cleared out in the 50 by 50' are all soft wood with 5 to 6" stumps and were thinking there less than 90 years old. There was 1 oak tree that was around 110 years old. Everything around the my clearing looks just like normal forest land to me. The forest is about 80% hard woods.

The land stayed in the family through the generations. I know my grandfather was 89 and my dad was 95. I have the land records going back to 1830. I know at 1 point my sister looked into the family tree and was told and all the names looked at matched up to the names I gave her from the property records.

The map is just an odd shaped Jewish star with an X in the center. At this point I do not want to upload any pics.

My theory is that they cleared out the 50 by 50' box. Something was buried and was not found. I can see no other reason for this anomaly in the forest. I feel that is my dad or grand dad would of found something my dad wound not of spent is free time all his life looking.

The oak would be my only tree interest then.
(Any similar or older age stumps that existed prior to your work also.)
Post sized stumps of softwood don't take that long around my area , though conditions certainly vary by soil , P.H. , water and region..

 

[lostworm]

The 6th point was off by by about 4' from where I thought it would be.

 

[lostworm]

The GPR told me his units would not work well at this time. Did talk about what to do to make it work at a latter date if I wanted to give it a try.

I'm built a frame for pulling stumps and should be able to get most of them out this weekend.

 

[releventchair]

The GPR told me his units would not work well at this time. Did talk about what to do to make it work at a latter date if I wanted to give it a try.

I'm built a frame for pulling stumps and should be able to get most of them out this weekend.

Be danged careful.
Load below drawbar height. Preferably to front axel when pulling forward.
And something to absorb energy if something comes loose , instead of flying towards you..