Lost Treasures of Northern California

CALIFORNIA LEGENDS

Lost Treasures of Northern California

<< Previous 1 2 Next >>

In the heart of Mother Lode country, Amador County, California was once crawling with prospectors. Near the very place where James Marshall first discovered gold at Sutter Creek, another profitable claim was being worked that may continue hold large amounts of gold buried close by.

At the foot of a deep gorge coming out of the mountains was a claim that was first owned by a group of African-American miners. The river was soon dammed so that the miners could work the smooth channel. However, there was no holding-place for the gold, so the entire party soon left – except for a man named Butler.

California Gold Mining, published by Currier & Ives,

1871, courtesy Library of Congress.

Seeing potential in the claim, Butler soon borrowed $600 from a man known as Uncle Pompey and opened another claim a little lower down in the bend.

Butler’s instincts were right, as after a day’s work, his gold pan would be filled with gold nuggets. Some said that a day’s work with a rocker would produce as much as $50,000 in gold. As word of the rich find got out, a number of men, anxious to have a share, hunted down Butler’s former partners, inducing them to sell their interests in the claim. This soon resulted in lawyers and lawsuits, all wanting a piece of the action.

Butler, a simple prospector, was overwhelmed by all the controversy and soon took sick with a fever and died. Afterwards, it was found that Butler had about $80,000 on deposit at Mokelumne Hill and a similar amount at Sacramento. However, his friends said that he was often known to bury his profits close to the site of the claim.

Today, those buried caches are thought to still be hidden in Amador County.

Gold Coins in Clear Creek

In the 1850’s a group of Mormon wagons were passing through the fertile valley of Redding, California on their way to the tiny settlement of Horsetown. However, in order to get there, they first had to cross Clear Creek, usually a quiet little stream. However, when they arrived, Clear Creek was nothing but quiet; rather, it was a muddy torrent of raging flood waters running off the nearby mountains. Forced to stop on the banks of the creek, they waited several days for the creek to settle down to its normal easily crossable state.

However, they were impatient to get to their destination and didn’t wait quite long enough. When the flash flood waters had slowed, but were not yet calm and shallow, they decided to cross. Most of the wagons made it across the river safely, but one wagon, belonging to a Mr. Bishop, met with disaster. Entering the swollen waters just a little downstream from the others, he quickly found the creek deeper in that particular area.

;

Mormon Pioneers, courtesy Library of Congress.

This image is available for photographic prints HERE.

Soon, one of the wagon wheels fell into a deep hole and without warning, the wagon tipped on its side. Able to unhitch his team of horses, Bishop and the animals made it to safety, but the wagon was carried downstream.

Unfortunately for Bishop, his wagon was carrying a small wooden chest that was contained about $40,000 in gold coins. For days the Mormons searched along the river banks for the lost gold, but after about a week, they finally gave up and continued their journey to Horsetown. One the creek had fully returned to its quiet self, they returned several times to search for the lost coins, but were never successful in finding the chest.

The incident was then forgotten for decades until 1910, when a prospector named William Dreestelhorst found a ten dollar gold coin in his sluice box. The coin was stamped with the initials “SMV,” dated 1841, and the words "California Gold" were inscribed around the rim. This meant the coin was privately minted by an assayer and was of the very same type the Mormons had lost some 60 years previously.

This began yet another search of Clear Creek, but again, no one found the lost cache of coins. Many believe that the lost Mormon treasure continues to be hidden along the banks of Clear Creek southwest of Redding, California.

Continued Next Page

<< Previous 1 2 Next >>

From the Rocky Mountain General Store

Vintage Photographs of the Old West - From our personal Photo Print Shop, you can now order prints that provide dramatic glimpses into the rich heritage of the American West. From notorious outlaws, to Indian Chiefs, buffalo roaming the range, and pioneers on the trail, this varied collection grows daily.