Oregons Lost Blue Bucket Diggins - A Scarce Pioneer Account of the Legend

Re: Oregon's Lost Blue Bucket Diggins - A Scarce Pioneer Account of the Legend

Any areas near Salem to be on the lookout for?
 

Re: Oregon's Lost Blue Bucket Diggins - A Scarce Pioneer Account of the Legend

I'm looking through my complete Terry collection for some locations near Salem, will let you know what I find, currently working on one here in Washington.
 

Re: Oregon's Lost Blue Bucket Diggins - A Scarce Pioneer Account of the Legend

Sweet! Gonna check it out! Thanks
 

Re: Oregon's Lost Blue Bucket Diggins - A Scarce Pioneer Account of the Legend

That is some good reading. I wish I didn't live in Texas! I like Texas, but all the treasures/gold mines are out west.

I NEED TO MOVE!

So on average, (according to the diaries), by loaded wagon, land terrain, etc, and uncomfortness of riding in a wagon, and walking, pioneers averaged about 10 miles a day. Only could figure that if one is on a flat plane, no hazards, they could travel 15-20 miles in a days ride/walk.
 

Re: Oregon's Lost Blue Bucket Diggins - A Scarce Pioneer Account of the Legend

It's under prineville res.
 

Re: Oregon's Lost Blue Bucket Diggins - A Scarce Pioneer Account of the Legend

WELCOME TO TREASURENET Oregonau! :hello2: :thumbsup:

Why do you say that it is under Pineville reservoir? Thank you in advance,
Oroblanco

:coffee2: :coffee2: :coffee2:
 

I was delivered by Dr. Herron in Lebanon, Oregon. Dr. Herron was a descendant of Daniel Herron, who was on the Lost Meek Cut-Off of 1845. Samuel Parker kept a diary of the trail. Parker's diary was the most accurate in terms of distances travelled each day, according to Keith Clark and Lowell Tiller, who wrote "Terrible Trail: The Lost Meek Cut-Off of 1845".

The term "up" in pioneer days often referred to "north". In early September, 1845 the train camped at a small spring, because they were almost completely out of water and food. Most of the train stayed to regain strength. Two to three days after scouting the surrounding countryside, a party brought news from the north that they had found a small creek (North Fork Crooked River) near G.I. Ranch.

I have read almost all of Ruby el Hult's references, as well as references from Tiller and Lowell. I disagree with el Hult's assumptions, and believe the only location of the so-called Blue Bucket Mine (it was NEVER a mine per se) would be within 10 miles of a direct line north of Glass Butte and near the headwaters of the North Fork of the Crooked River. This area is mostly volcanic in origin, although the Strawberry Mountains do have gold nearby. Portions of the wagon trail could still be found in 1980. A single gold nugget was found in a butte near the North Fork of the Crooked River.

There are many early references to the "Blue Bucket" in Oregon newspapers.

There are also references to California's Blue Bucket, which arise from a separate portion of the Meek Wagon Train of 1845, which headed south to California from Ft. Boise. This group also found gold in California, and placed it in their generic wooden water buckets, most of which were painted blue. The alliteration "blue bucket" is too colorful for people searching for gold. Therefore the name Blue Bucket Mine stuck. But the find was never a mine. A girl of this party found gold in California, and (ironically) reported it at Sutter's Mill. She (and her parents) were told not to say anything further, as it would jeapardize talks of California becoming a state. Ergo the news of gold in CA didn't become major news until 1848. Just as ironically, she went to the site she found gold with her new husband in 1848, and mined placer gold there for several years, before moving to Oregon.
 

Here is another diary, it's of the group that stayed on the NW part of the trail.
The Transcribed Diary of


I beleive that the "BBM" was Discovered by the Blue Military Train that went south from about past Harney Lake to what is now Plush. There they Dug for water to bedrock and the kids found the nuggets in the dirt that was thrown up in the process. I beleive that the Desert Mag Expidition with the Peppers and E.S. Gardner in the early 60's was the Closest Anyone got to the BBM besides the Original Military Train Discovers.
There is a Gold Placer in the Plush/Paisley area that would account for the Gold being found there. The Graves that the Desert Mag Expidition found confirms that the Blue Military Train got that far south. From there it travelled BACK North to rejoin the Other Trains at just north of Glass Buttes.
Here is additional Links to Documented Sources. I DO NOT consider News Papers a Documented Source. They were and Still are given to Sensationalism and Bias Reporting of the TRUE Facts. It just depends on what your political and echonomic point of view is and HOW Much Money/Copies can you get Sold. They Justify it by CLAIMING Writers Liscence.
Follows are some more Research links you may find helpfull.
THE OREGON TERRITORY AND ITS PIONEERS
Oregon In 1845


I can't seem to find the links on THIS Laptop for the other stuff I have researched on for the last 40 years on this one, it must be on my other older laptop or on the CD's 3.5" floppies or the 5.25" floppies. I'm too busy to hunt it down now, but will try and find it later on the old Dell Inspiron 9100 in the kitchen.

I first got hooked on this while looking in the Locked Glass Bookcase in the Wasco Co Library in The Dalles Oregon. It had all the OLD books that were donated by the pioneers when they passed away. I was just back from Viet Nam and spent a lot of time in there researching Gold and Geology.
Found it on the net; http://gesswhoto.com/bluebucket.html
Sincerely
Bill
 

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well I like this lost treasure story, and have read the storys, I have come to a think that this lost gold stream is north of drewsey, I hope to go up that way someday, maybe next summer and take my four wheeler and go and look around, hoping that their is alot of blm land out there, so I wont get in trouble for trespassing, I do believe alot of that land out there is just that, blm. Anyway if anybody wants to join in the adventure, send me a message and we can spend winter doing research, and getting something set up, plan on a two or three day stay out there just to make it worthwhile. I think it will be fun to go out and search. I can share the story that best discribes the facts about the lost blue bucket mine, I just need to find it again lol, Oh and metal detectors are a must if we go out, I have a Whites Eagle ll SL. Oldie but a goodie. Hope to hear from someone on this. I am open to texting or chatting on the phone, send me a private message if thats what you would like to do, and I will send you my number. Thanks.
 

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