Murdered by renegades

[Tiredman]

This one is about that fellow named Hayes getting killed by renegade Nez Perce. He got jumped by a bunch that killed 2 miners earlier. He knew of the early murders but didn't realize they were in his area. His gold is said to have never been recovered. A brief treasure story covered by Terry. But there is more to add, which I will.....

 

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[Tiredman]

The killing of John Hays occurred on July 12, 1878. Hays worked a placer claim to the west of Philipsburg. The claim was on a stream in a gulch that emptied into Rock Creek. After the majority of the prospectors in the area left, believing that the gold was played out, a few, like Amos Elliot, William Joy, John Jones, and Jack Hays, stayed on. They hoped to find pockets of gold that were missed earlier.

 

[Tiredman]

Now the above was all the info for location. But we have old newspaper articles which provide stream name and mountain name, which are no longer used.....but I think one clue does still exist a marshy area......

 

[Tiredman]

Ok found the mountain name, but too far west, disregarding newspaper accounts and using historical accounts, the Nez Perce moved south on Willow Creek then south on Rock Creek and moved into the West Fork of Rock Creek. Now still searching for McKay Gulch to pin down the location, needing the right maps to zero in on location.

 

[Tiredman]

Ok got it now Mount Baldy was an old name for Mount Ermine where one survivor escaped to and his claims of seeing different creeks such as Ross Fork helped. Location is just south of where the West Fork of Rock Creek flows into the main channel of Rock Creek. McKay Gulch in old reports is now known as Maukey Gulch. Hay's cabin and claim and buried gold are located here.

 

[Tpmetal]

GO find it!!!

 

[Tiredman]

I got some folks in Billings that are planning on the Yerdon Cache on Beaver Creek. This one is only estimated at a couple thousand at the price of gold around 1970. Gold as everyone knows isn't worth looking for unless a bigger pot. ��

 

[Tiredman]

GO find it!!!

a picture of the gulch would be worth much more in the book in the long run.

 

[Tiredman]

This section of the state has alot of stuff to cover. There is that tin can of gold south of Phillipsburg, but no supporting evidence. So rather than have crappy coverage we decided to give the reader something for their money. We included 4 old articles of people discovering other folk's hidden money here in Montana!