rayc50
Jr. Member
The 'Birch Gang' and 'Old Grant Redden's' Hideout
I posted this on the Treasure Net site a few days ago, but after thinking about it, I probably should have posted it here for all the Illinois TH'ers out here who may have heard of the Birch Gang. I've been doing some research on the Birch gang (Old Coon Birch lived near Marshall, Illinois) and found that the Montrose where Bonney was referring to Old Grant Redden's hideout is located across the Mississippi River in Iowa...south and west of Nauvoo, Illinois. Took some time, but finally found that any of the Banditti gang's caches supposedly would have been buried in the bluffs in that area or possibly in a wheat field near Redden's hideout. The coins were buried in jars sealed with beeswax. There is also a Montrose, Illinois, near Effingham, but according to Bonney's travels it would have been too far for him to traverse in just a day while searching for Davenport's killers. I have pretty much pinpointed a possible location for John 'Old Coon' Birch's homestead, which consisted of 40 acres, more or less, about 8 miles southwest of Marshall, Illinois. Still doing some more checking on records, but...aaaggghhh.....too cold for me at this time to actually tramp through the fields and woods. I had a post on here about a year ago and someone had asked me if there was a Devil's Creek in Effingham County. Devil's Creek is located in the Montrose area which is in Lee County, Iowa. I live too far...downstate near the Indiana line just off I-70....to travel to that area at this time. Feel free to check it out. I'm sure I'm right on the location and hope someone gets lucky!! HH Ray
I posted this on the Treasure Net site a few days ago, but after thinking about it, I probably should have posted it here for all the Illinois TH'ers out here who may have heard of the Birch Gang. I've been doing some research on the Birch gang (Old Coon Birch lived near Marshall, Illinois) and found that the Montrose where Bonney was referring to Old Grant Redden's hideout is located across the Mississippi River in Iowa...south and west of Nauvoo, Illinois. Took some time, but finally found that any of the Banditti gang's caches supposedly would have been buried in the bluffs in that area or possibly in a wheat field near Redden's hideout. The coins were buried in jars sealed with beeswax. There is also a Montrose, Illinois, near Effingham, but according to Bonney's travels it would have been too far for him to traverse in just a day while searching for Davenport's killers. I have pretty much pinpointed a possible location for John 'Old Coon' Birch's homestead, which consisted of 40 acres, more or less, about 8 miles southwest of Marshall, Illinois. Still doing some more checking on records, but...aaaggghhh.....too cold for me at this time to actually tramp through the fields and woods. I had a post on here about a year ago and someone had asked me if there was a Devil's Creek in Effingham County. Devil's Creek is located in the Montrose area which is in Lee County, Iowa. I live too far...downstate near the Indiana line just off I-70....to travel to that area at this time. Feel free to check it out. I'm sure I'm right on the location and hope someone gets lucky!! HH Ray
