Under The Attic Floorboards - 1963

[Indianhead Jones]

I was 12 years old in 1963, and this incident, I believe, turned me into the treasure hunter that I am today.

One Saturday morning, I was playing in the attic of our house. It was long, wide and customized! My Dad had fixed it up just for me...a place for me and my friends, (NO girls allowed!) to do the things that young boys loved to do. He put a TV set in, and also hooked up his old shortwave radio for me to listen to, along with a couch and some unused chairs. A desk and shelves for all my things completed the setup. I loved my private "man fort"!

While playing, I stepped on a floorboard, which was loose, and I noticed that the nails had been removed from this particular board. I lifted it out, peered down into the space, and saw some objects in the dark recess. I got my flashlight and shined it in, and I spotted hidden treasure! For a 12-year-old kid to discover someone's secret hiding place was a thrill!

I began pulling out objects, and realized that they had been there for a long, long time. I was ecstatic...I can't say in words how exciting this all was to me.

Inside that small hidey-hole I pulled out an old leather woman's lace-up shoe, three player-piano rolls inside their original boxes, and an old local newspaper, dated 1900! I searched the rest of the attic, but that was the only floorboard that was loose.

I took my new-found treasures to school and showed them to my teacher, who then contacted the local paper. They came out to my house, took pictures of me and my discoveries, and in the following weekend's paper, the story and the pictures appeared. I was a neighborhood celebrity!

To top it all off, our local library saw the story, and put my treasures in a glass case in the lobby, along with the story of their discovery, and for several weeks, they greeted everyone who came through the door. I was on top of the world.

Today, I don't remember what I ever did with my found antiques, and our local newspaper archives are missing that year's microfilms, which were destroyed in a fire. I saved the paper when the story was printed, but don't remember what I ever did with it. I sure wish I still had it today.

It was a very exciting time in my life, and I'll never forget it. I'm convinced that the incident was the catalyst that resulted in my being bitten by the "treasure bug"!

Larry G.

[cntrydncr1]

cool story. shame you don't have the stuff anymore!

[Indianhead Jones]

cool story. shame you don't have the stuff anymore!

Thanks...and yes, I do wish I still had those things...but the memories will always be there!

(P.S. Always nice to hear from a pretty lady!)

Larry G.

[Damon64]

Great story!

[Indianhead Jones]

Great story!

Thanks, Damon!

Larry G.