Swamp Gold

[Kentucky Kache]

Hey KK it looks like you got your wish. LRL Dowsing and Paranormal does no longer have to be put in a special forum. Isnt that what you wanted?

Man, where do you come up with this stuff? It's you and others like you who start hemorrhaging at the very mention of LRLs. On BBD's thread, you just couldn't let the issue rest, even when you were told that it wasn't about dowsing and LRLs, but that was simply the method used to search for the treasure. And you want to say it's ME doing that? No, I won't allow you to do that to me. Sorry.

And just look at you. You're continuing it here. You're continuing it all, while at the same time trying to accuse me of doing that. Man, you are a piece of work.

 

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[Bigcypresshunter]

Please go back to some other thread and find someone else to talk to. Have a good day sir.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Maybe the proverb "two wrongs dont make a right" would apply here.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I dont know if anybody is reading this but I am going to try to get back on subject.

I have business in the area that Ovid dowsed. I may drive out 1-75 Saturday and talk to a few freinds, snoop around and take a few pics. If I have anything of interest to report without revealing the location of course Ill post it online. I may be very opinionated but I never turn down a clue. It may help me determine if there is any merit to the dowsed location tip provided.


Opposing views are welcome---No petty bickering please.

 

[ECS]

I dont know if anybody is reading this but I am going to try to get back on subject.

I have FWC business in the area that Ovid dowsed. I may drive out 1-75 Saturday and talk to a few freinds, snoop around and take a few pics. If I have anything of interest to report without revealing the location of course Ill post it online. I may be very opinionated but I never turn down a clue. It may help me determine if there is any merit to the dowsed location tip provided.


Opposing views are welcome---No petty bickering please.

Good Hunting! Remember,he whoose name will not be mentioned on this thread,said it was the highest hill in the Everglades on I-75. A good topo map may be of use.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I have topo maps there is nothing that high. Must be a man made elevation. He told me the location in an email and its 1000 feet of the roadway. There is only one exit. Im not out to steal anybodys claim but I might as well take a look around if Im in the area.. It cant hurt.

Im trying to reach the other man that told me he saw a map that pointed to gold 1000 feet off the roadway a few years back. What map and where did it come from?. How did this 1000 foot rumor get started? Is is based on any factual event?

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Since the Confederate gold topic is somewhat dead, there is another interesting ongoing project of mine to find the long lost Seminole War Fort Harrel. Its not a rumor or a legend and its on all the mid to latter 19th century maps however it remains completey lost in the swamp. I have made several attempts to reach it by foot in 2010 but I was unsuccessful. My buddy told me his friend found the coral rock fortification and carried back a rusted flintlock rifle in the 60s or 70s but was never able to find it again. (His swamp buggy broke down and he stumbled upon it trying to walk out).


Why am I discussing this? I dunno nothing else to talk about. The fort exists, its real and its untouched. Fort Westcott is another. There are a few more but Fort Harrel is the most promising and if I find it, it will make the news if I chose to tell them. I would just like to be the first to set foot on it since the 60s..

Land baron Collier erected a monument on what he thought was the fort site in the 40s but even Colliers monument is lost to this day. Swallowed up by the swamp. I cant wait til September or better yet November when the water recedes and the weather is cooler to get back to hiking, canoeing and Python hunting. Its not long now. I filled out my reinstatement papers with the State and Im going back to work. yippee.

Spelled on this map with 2 LLs- Fort Harrell. Five lost US Army forts circled.

 

[Jon Phillips]

Did you have a post about this fort a few years ago?

I remember finding an old post about one of the forts in the Big Cypress...I have the location of some of them from the guys that located many of the sites for the state back in the 60's and 70's. (no map dowsing or psychic powers involved...just research and field investigations!) They are on state land...so I have no real interest in them unless a permit system ever materializes...It might not be one of the "lost" Collier sites...I get the names mixed up sometimes.

I'll look through my material this weekend and see what pops up for those names.

Have you ever seen pictures of the stone wall in the swamp? Crazy stuff! Makes you wonder what all went on in the past!

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Did you have a post about this fort a few years ago?

I remember finding an old post about one of the forts in the Big Cypress...I have the location of some of them from the guys that located many of the sites for the state back in the 60's and 70's. (no map dowsing or psychic powers involved...just research and field investigations!) They are on state land...so I have no real interest in them unless a permit system ever materializes...It might not be one of the "lost" Collier sites...I get the names mixed up sometimes.

I'll look through my material this weekend and see what pops up for those names.

Have you ever seen pictures of the stone wall in the swamp? Crazy stuff! Makes you wonder what all went on in the past!

Yes I probably wrote about it before. This thread is so long I believe it may also be here somewhere. Collier erected markers at the sites in the 40s but most of them have been stolen or lost. As far as I know Fort Harrel has not been seen or heard of since and I doubt Fort Wescott was ever found. Fort Shackleford was found on Indian land and is off limits. I have a map of Fort Poinsett and its location is not secret, Another fort was located recently in a farm field. James Hammond wrote a very good book called Floridas Vanishing Trail. http://www.lulu.com/shop/james-hammond/floridas-vanishing-trail/paperback/product-4207987.html Its too bad dowsing is so unreliable or they would all be located by now. Im sure I will be accused of harassing dowsers by my last statement.



I didnt see the picture of the rock wall but my source is reliable. The forts most likely contain little treasure or artifacts. I would be interested in any information you can offer. Yes the forts are most likely on protected land. There is no law against looking for them and most of the fun is in the chase.



One stone wall picture that is posted online is the remains of Al Capones casino in Pinecrest. My friend owns the property but so far refuses to allow anyone to detect it. However the rock wall and steps have been posted online and my friend continues to chase would be treasure hunters away.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

A quick search and I found my good freinds property in Pinecrest. I can understand her frustration with treasure seekers. I will show this to her and see what she says. It is however very interesting but heavily guarded and strictly off limits to would be treasure hunters. Do not dare to trespass. Im not sure who Michael Woodfin is. He must have had had permission at some time to access property and take these photographs. Pinecrest - Ghost Town

 

[Jon Phillips]

There are pictures of the stone wall in DeVane's Early Florida History Vol II, I don't think it's Capone's casino, as it is obviously in ruins, and very old in the pictures that appear to be in the 1940's or earlier.

I don't know if it's part of the stone fort reported to have been littered with flintlock parts and human bones...(which I assume is the same location that your friend is referencing). That story goes back a long time....I might have a copy of the old newspaper clip...I've definately read an old news story about it at some point.

I've read some excerpts of Florida's Vanishing Trails. The Collier/Copeland monuments are also mentioned in Seminole War Artifacts & A History of The Forts of Florida by Ralph Van Blarcom.

 

[Jon Phillips]

There was a multi-page story about Pincrest, focusing on the Gator-Hook in the St. Petersburg Times a few months ago...very interesting.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

There was a multi-page story about Pincrest, focusing on the Gator-Hook in the St. Petersburg Times a few months ago...very interesting.

I will search for it. Thanks.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

There are pictures of the stone wall in DeVane's Early Florida History Vol II, I don't think it's Capone's casino, as it is obviously in ruins, and very old in the pictures that appear to be in the 1940's or earlier.

I don't know if it's part of the stone fort reported to have been littered with flintlock parts and human bones...(which I assume is the same location that your friend is referencing). That story goes back a long time....I might have a copy of the old newspaper clip...I've definately read an old news story about it at some point.

I've read some excerpts of Florida's Vanishing Trails. The Collier/Copeland monuments are also mentioned in Seminole War Artifacts & A History of The Forts of Florida by Ralph Van Blarcom.

Wow thanks. I didnt hear anything about bones. That sounds like the moonshiners camp at Horseshoehead..

The only account I have is a man broke down in his swamp buggy. He had to walk back which may have taken several days. He came back with a story and the rusted metal remains of a flintlock.

My friend and his Dad made numerous expeditions to find the location but to no avail. I picked his brain for everything he could remember. He believes its Fort Harrel. I know the approximate location.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Heres a news clip of the Fort Henry farm field discovery. It was a star shaped fort built exclusively from cabbage palm trunks so it has all rotted away. Its also been heavily detected with little results. I apologize if I already posted it.

 

[Jon Phillips]

As my memory starts to kick in a little...It might have even been one of my Seminole War books that referenced the old "stone" or tabby fort...I'll have to try to dig it up.

That text about Fort Harroll/Harrell seems to be the same as in Van Blarcom's book. I think they have the wrong river referenced. I'll P/M you some stuff when I dig it up.

 

[Jon Phillips]

OK...I found one of the clippings. Tampa Tribune Sunday, July 31, 1994 "1846 Letter Tells of Ruins"
If you have a subscription to an online newspaper archive....The TBO archive only goes back to 1995.

It tells a very similar story to your buddy's friend's story. A guy was out exploring, got lost and tried to walk back to his friends place, and stumbled on to some rock walls, and swords, muskets, and cannon pieces. The consensus was it was a runaway slave plantation around Sarasota. He brought back a musket with Spanish markings.... This was in 1846!

I would have to re-read a ton of books to find the story of the Seminole War soldier's account, but it was very similar (and around the same time), but it talked of bones and "a great battle must have occurred"....Maybe it was a treasure lore book?? Could have been based on the 1846 letter??

Still a long way from the rock wall in the swamp! This was within 40 miles of Tampa.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

It sounds interesting but not the same fort. The only thing he found in plain view was a flintlock and coral rock wall as far as I know. The story is eerily similar. I would imagine there are many runaway slave locations and the Indians also had fintlocks. I have looked at about 10 old maps and they all show Fort Harrel on or near New River which also matches Smallwoods story.. There were however many other temporary forts and supply depots scattered throughout the area.

As you know the US was unable to erradicate the Seminoles. They tried to defeat them by building forts and cutting off canoe routes but it didnt succeed.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

This link has some value Civil War Veterens buried in Australia but when I click on Fort Harrell, it goes to a map that has the Ten Thousand Islands near Shark River. http://www.acwv.info/1-files-seminole-indian-war/Fort Harrell - Ten Thousand Islands.jpg Look at any Florida or Everglades map and you will see Ten Thousand Islands is many miles to the north. Whoever drew this map made some serious mistakes. Whatever they found near Shark River was not Fort Harrel.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

One of the better finds I ever made was this Confederate States Navy Officers button, a very rare and valuable find for South Florida. I found a whole pouch full of buttons but could only guess what it was doing in Lemon City.