Swift silver mine (KY)

Just off the top of my head without looking through my notes, a journalist from SE Kentucky wrote a book about his journey from skeptic to believer. The last piece of evidence was a spearpoint (eight inches long?) made from silver ore. Michael Green? Doesn't seem like the right name, but close. If you did a search on books about the Swift legend, you should find his name easily,
Over in the Red River Gorge area some silver ingots were dug up a few years ago. They were found by decyphering Cherokee writing on the stones nearby, more was supposedly hidden but the guy who got the translation did an incomplete job.
Fellows, it's there. We just have to do more research both in print material and land surveys.

grizzly bare
 

Grizzly, the man's name was Michael S. Steely that found the silver point. Actually, it was only a couple of inches in length.

The person who found the 15 silver ingots (7 oz. each) did find another cache Steely mentions in his book. The amount of silver found from the second cache was not mentioned, so I am assuming it was much larger than the first. The man who found the ingots had a map of the area and went to NC and had a Cherokee decipher it. According to the Cherokee, there were a total of 25 caches of treasure in the area. The last I heard, the man was still looking for the other 23 caches (has probably found more by now).

I do have a question for Grizzly and others here. One of the markers I found while four-wheeling was an extremely old Beech tree with the carving of "SPY 1751" on it. The inscription was definitely old, with moss growing in the carving. I plan to get back to that spot and a couple others in the area tomorrow and detect and take some pics. Any idea what this inscription means???

On another tree (pine tree) down the mountain from this beech (the pine tree was actually so old it had fallen in half and was rotting) were the initials "JS" carved into the tree. This carving was so old that the J actually looked like a D until one got close to the tree from the bark rotting away. However the carving done was a J upon close inspection.
 

Hi Treasure Hunters

I'm a native of Ky but live in Florida now anyways i do know for a fact that there is silver in Ky because me and my cousin have found veins of it in morgan county Ky in the cave run lake area im from west liberty Ky and years ago when they built the new section of hwy 172 the road crew dug into a vein of silver and turn around and covered it up with the hwy i know this sounds far fetched but it is true there is also a tell of an old indian man whoes been long dead now has told my family and several others that if the state of Ky only knew what he knowed the state would not have to worry for money no more he had claimed that there was a cave in the paintsville lake area in johnson and morgan county area some where that it was gleaming with veins of gold that reached from the floor of the cave to the roof of it i mean i dont know for it to be a fact but this i was told all my life my uncle knew him personaly and he would never reveal the where abouts to my uncle we have searched alot of caves but nothing yet so your supisions of silver being in Ky this is a fact now i dont know of its percentage wise but do know its there good luck hunting remember the more you hunt the closer you get to the find.

bpp4040
 

swiftsearcher said:
Grizzly, the man's name was Michael S. Steely that found the silver point. Actually, it was only a couple of inches in length.

The person who found the 15 silver ingots (7 oz. each) did find another cache Steely mentions in his book. The amount of silver found from the second cache was not mentioned, so I am assuming it was much larger than the first. The man who found the ingots had a map of the area and went to NC and had a Cherokee decipher it. According to the Cherokee, there were a total of 25 caches of treasure in the area. The last I heard, the man was still looking for the other 23 caches (has probably found more by now).

I do have a question for Grizzly and others here. One of the markers I found while four-wheeling was an extremely old Beech tree with the carving of "SPY 1751" on it. The inscription was definitely old, with moss growing in the carving. I plan to get back to that spot and a couple others in the area tomorrow and detect and take some pics. Any idea what this inscription means???




On another tree (pine tree) down the mountain from this beech (the pine tree was actually so old it had fallen in half and was rotting) were the initials "JS" carved into the tree. This carving was so old that the J actually looked like a D until one got close to the tree from the bark rotting away. However the carving done was a J upon close inspection.
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In doing research of the swift lore, i came across a cherokee treasure legend...it was around the time 1770's - 1790's... The indians would sneek to the shawnee mines after they had left and dig their silver ore, another being the cherokee would do raids on early settlers and steal their things like money silver gold ecx, and then buriy it near by. I have found this genral area where the Indian raids took place.
 

allen said:
ive heard these Swift silver mines were closer to Powell county than
to Pintsville, Morgan County or Virginia.
Just shows, no one knows where these mines or, and probablly never will.
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You are very right, the swift mines are VERY close to Powell Co. Im from Powell Co. lived here my whole life, and have spent half of it in the woods here. Check out my topics and posts in the swift silver mine forum for my findings.....Ive found alot of Swift clues...
 

Yes, Ki has posted a lot of info on theSwift mines as has Swiftsearcher and others. We seem to be discussing everything, (except of course our exact search sites) and giving each other ideas and facts we have gleaned over the years. Check it out!
 

Curtis is on the right track as well, I personally believe its either in Curtis's area or my area. We have both found alot of things related to Swift and his workings. Also there is a Old Indian trail that leads from my area to Curtis's area. Now its just putting these many clues together, to try and solve this 250 year old puzzle.
 

There were upper and lower mines.....they had to be connected, Swift says they were...probably used the trail you are talking about - at least a part of it. I have always said we need a master map, and have it on a special site, everyone put what they found on it and where ever there was the largest concentration of finds that will be the area to start at. With 4 or 5 people we could cover a lot of ground and do a lot of research. But unless Swift was talking code the mines have to be west of the forks of the Big Sandy not south...maybe a little North or South but mostly west.
 

With everyone looking in diffrent parts of Ky something will have to turn up sooner or later... maybe the best find is yet or maybe years to come, but im sure something will be found..
 

rabbitsurprise said:
Greetings,
I am also researching the swift silver mines. It is such a twisted story, and I have so many different versions. What I have found points to 3 possible places in KY. One of which I am leaning very hard toward hiking through. ANd YES, It has been said that small amounts of silver has been found and one person found a large arrowhead made of pure silver. Now, most of these stories could be legend, but there is alot of indications that the Swift Silver Mines Are REAL. In my opinion, they are, and there in south east KY.
I am also looking into a large SINKHOLE that is said to possibly be a meteorite crater. If this is true, or not, I am going to detect it soon..
Let me know what your thoughts are on a location for the swift silver mines. I am going to take a road trip soon and do some exploring and detecting...
sincerely wes
Click to expand...
This looks like it could be the town of Middlesborro Kentucky.

Anyway, I am looking for info about the Swift Mine myself. I am hearing the mountains surrounding Middlesborro is filled with all sorts of gems and stuff, probably from the Meteor strike years ago..
 

Kentucky Kache said:
I have read where some silver has been found in the (Swift) area. I am wondering if someone here is, or knows of someone who is, actively searching for this.
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Did you ever obtain a copy of Swift's Journal that he was supposed to have wrote prior to him going blind and not being able to return to mine his silver that he walled up in a cave somewhere (possibly in Kentucky)?

I am trying to find a copy of the journal is why I am asking..
 

w4wxr said:
Kentucky Kache said:
I have read where some silver has been found in the (Swift) area. I am wondering if someone here is, or knows of someone who is, actively searching for this.
Click to expand...
Did you ever obtain a copy of Swift's Journal that he was supposed to have wrote prior to him going blind and not being able to return to mine his silver that he walled up in a cave somewhere (possibly in Kentucky)?

I am trying to find a copy of the journal is why I am asking..
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I don't have a copy of the journal, but I think some of the guys here do.
 

Some 30-40 different versions of the journal have been identified. Not one of them match each other. Most are probably forgeries, unless Swift was going senile when he was writing them to pay his way to re-find the mines.
 

The Clay City times. (Clay City, Ky.), 11 July 1907.

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https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/...&proxValue=&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=659
 

Monk said:
O.K. Fellows? Has there ever been silver found in paying amounts to be mined in Ky.??? If not, why look for a silver mine where there's no silver?
Might not Swift gotten hold of bar silver someplace and done a little counterfitting in the hills?
If there was mineable silver to be had wouldn't someone be mining some some where in Ky. today? From what I've heard, there is no mineable silver in Ky? Tell me if I'm wrong. Good luck.
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there is more silver in ky, than you or most others would ever believe in my book i will not only show pictures of the ore bot also the silver within . it has taken me over 40 years to learn and [prove what i have found it will all be exposed as to the type of ore to look for but how to work it you may not believe me now however when others follow what i will show and teach you will be out there looking along with many others , being 82 yrs old i have no desire to mine anything and am devoting my time to writing my book RGB 1
 

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