The True History of John Swift... Written by one who Knows .... 1894.

jeff of pa

Super Moderator
Staff member
Dec 19, 2003
85,465
59,224
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
The Hazel Green herald. (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.), 04 Oct. 1894.

00aaa.jpg
00bbb.jpg
00ccc.jpg
00ddd.jpg
00eee.jpg
00fff.jpg
00ggg.jpg
00hhh.jpg
00iii.jpg
00jjj.jpg
00kkk.jpg
00lll.jpg
00mmm.jpg
00nnn.jpg
00ooo.jpg
00ppp.jpg

https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/...ext=&andtext=&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1


Conclusion Below
 

Last edited:

rgb1

Sr. Member
Nov 24, 2013
295
769
s.w. Ohio
Detector(s) used
2 whites 1 garett
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
great post thank you never seen this before
 

Ken S.

Hero Member
Oct 1, 2018
577
1,615
Paintsville,Ky.
Primary Interest:
Other
Very interesting read!! Seems I've seen it or at least part of it before. Thanks for posting it. On pages 5,6,7 describing the area and the way water coarse run. Very descriptive.
 

Last edited:

KY Hiker

Bronze Member
Oct 28, 2014
1,537
3,220
North Central Kentucky
Detector(s) used
Whites
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting

One of about 30 links I have saved, The Library of Congress is a great site. Notice that :thumbsup:Mrs. Timmins is the author of this two part article. Thanks for posting Jeff, I usually just put a link to it.
 

Last edited:

KY Hiker

Bronze Member
Oct 28, 2014
1,537
3,220
North Central Kentucky
Detector(s) used
Whites
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
OP
OP
jeff of pa

jeff of pa

Super Moderator
Staff member
Dec 19, 2003
85,465
59,224
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
the description on the curiosity article

resembles ordinary glass lamp up to the point of the burner

is what has me thinking it is.

But from a Different Angle

000lau.jpg 000mil.jpg

however the Lack of a view of the Flat Rock on top,
Keeps me from being sure.

The Men Could be standing on the Flat Rock
& the Point may be directly in front of Them.

Wild Guess

000lau222.jpg 000mil111.jpg
 

Last edited:

KY Hiker

Bronze Member
Oct 28, 2014
1,537
3,220
North Central Kentucky
Detector(s) used
Whites
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Its possible, the modern photo doesn't show much for scale. Height and scale with the men standing looks to be 20ft or more. Do the drains match the article's description of twin branches? Is it near Orbourne Gap, VA? I don't see much of an oil lamp in the angle of the modern picture either with a narrow 6ft diameter base.
 

Last edited:
OP
OP
jeff of pa

jeff of pa

Super Moderator
Staff member
Dec 19, 2003
85,465
59,224
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
although it would be surprising to me, even the 4 trees surrounding it,
appear to be in both photos.

3 to the right, 1 to the Left
 

Curtis

Hero Member
Sep 3, 2008
898
1,008
Cincinnati
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
You know,... it looks like another Swift description of a chestnut burr rock, even more than a balanced rock.
 

Ken S.

Hero Member
Oct 1, 2018
577
1,615
Paintsville,Ky.
Primary Interest:
Other
In consideration of the description of the route traveled.. The number of days traveled would match to about 18 miles a day traveled by horseback. This sounds about right traveling along trails by water ways .
 

KY Hiker

Bronze Member
Oct 28, 2014
1,537
3,220
North Central Kentucky
Detector(s) used
Whites
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
In consideration of the description of the route traveled.. The number of days traveled would match to about 18 miles a day traveled by horseback. This sounds about right traveling along trails by water ways .
I have thought of this often, there would be a difference in travel time considering two things other than weather and Indian trouble. First the load on the pack animals and second, the number of hours of daylight available during the time of year traveled. Their return trip in most journals I have read take a week or more time getting back than getting to the mines. Assuming US23 follows an old trace like US460, the Southwest party could have headed right toward Paintsville and Prestonsburg and NOT along the 'great ridge'. If the other party took a heading of 'due West' they would end up near Frenchburg in direction. It would be almost NNEast to get up towards Grayson Lake/ Carter caves, unless they followed the creeks. Now did they stick to the traces or follow the creek and stream beds like the journals say? I think we all can agree who have been in rugged terrian, its almost impossible to move at a constant heading (direction). I would assume they would use landmarks for dead reckoning OR marked boulders/trees where streams came together to know where to turn. Navigation 'off trail' or away from traces would be difficult at best in the green growing months especially if using landmarks for waypoints. Following this reasoning, I think they used the traces as much as physically possible until they came to a landmark (peculiar rock, marked tree, stream crossing that looked like a turkey track,...ect) then made off into the stream beds as to leave no trace for Indians to follow. The traces were the highways of the era, definitely faster than creek beds but not safer. Also the traces would provide food/hunting for the party. Nailing down the areas mined by Swift we must first find the major traces in KY from Louisa (first forks of Sandy) South-West-North of the town. More than likely they mined areas within a couple days travel from a trace to stay undetected. An exception to this is the journals that say Mundy brought Swift to mines he had worked with the Indians. This could mean a trace was VERY close to that mine location.

Just my thoughts and ponderings.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Indian_Warpath

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winchester,_Virginia
 

Last edited:

Ken S.

Hero Member
Oct 1, 2018
577
1,615
Paintsville,Ky.
Primary Interest:
Other
The mines that was found a Grayson is a considerable distance south of the town of Grayson. Curtis or some of the guys in the know can correct me if I'm wrong about this. 460 and 23 runs together from Paintsville to near the Ky. border with Va. . As most of the old buffalo trails ran along the major routes of years gone by, Not so much with all the road improvements over the last number of years. Most of them ran close to water way because animals have to have water too .Grassy river bottoms provided good grazing and water was close by.
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top