mines not in red river gorge

KY Hiker

Bronze Member
Oct 28, 2014
1,537
3,220
North Central Kentucky
Detector(s) used
Whites
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Some year back a guy that I was fishing with from the Catlettsburg area ask me if I had hunted for the Swift mines. At that time I ask who Swift was . He went on to tell me a story of Swift being lost In the southern Boyd Co. or Lawrence Co. area and looking silver mines, saying the Catletts family which Catlettsburg was named after was the one that had found Swift and nursed him back to health. He went on to tell me Swift was buried in the Catlettsburg Cemetery . No!! I never checked it out because at that time I figured it was just a tall tale., and No I haven't checked it out to see if Swift is indeed buried in the Cemetery. Could it have been a true story ?? Yes it could. It could just be another rabbit hole to check out also.

I've heard that same story on here somewhere. I think someone had some newspaper article relating to it too. Catlettsburg, KY at the mouth of the Sandy as I recall?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catlett_House_(Catlettsburg,_Kentucky)

Catlettsburg, Kentucky - History - Early History

https://www.kyatlas.com/ky-catlettsburg.html

https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery-browse/USA/Kentucky/Boyd-County/Catlettsburg?id=city_50304
 

Last edited:

Ken S.

Hero Member
Oct 1, 2018
577
1,615
Paintsville,Ky.
Primary Interest:
Other
The articles of Catlettsburg history, at least one is wrong and maybe both because the say Catlettsburg was named after different people. As for the rest of the links they are just rehash of stuff that has been posted on here many times. Nothing new.
 

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
Well, bless his heart...

Notice the dates about Catlettsburg, doesn't really fit the Swift timeline so well.
 

KY Hiker

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

Notice the dates about Catlettsburg, doesn't really fit the Swift timeline so well.

Also this sort of supports the notion of people populating this area were coming by way of boat/raft by way of Ft Pitt and not overland. Swift was supposed to have been around the head waters and/or the forks of the Sandy and not its mouth.
 

OP
OP
rgb1

rgb1

Sr. Member
Nov 24, 2013
295
769
s.w. Ohio
Detector(s) used
2 whites 1 garett
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
guess what guys it had been 35 years since i had been to the mines i knew where they were it still took over a year to refind them the property is large due to over grouth it was hard to pin them down now i need to get pictures and t5he guy does not want me on the land i will get them one way or another
 

KY Hiker

Bronze Member
Oct 28, 2014
1,537
3,220
North Central Kentucky
Detector(s) used
Whites
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
guess what guys it had been 35 years since i had been to the mines i knew where they were it still took over a year to refind them the property is large due to over grouth it was hard to pin them down now i need to get pictures and t5he guy does not want me on the land i will get them one way or another

Don't get shot trespassing! Nowadays there are nice handheld GPS units, just drop a pin when your in front of one and name it something. When you get back home write those coordinates down. You can even plug those coordinates into Google Earth and get a overhead view of the area. I use a GPS to mark campsites, waterfalls and arches when I'm out in the RRGorge. Technology can be helpful when its not a pain in your butt!
 

swiftfan

Sr. Member
Feb 24, 2008
353
491
Pikeville, Ky
Detector(s) used
Garrett Ace 250
Primary Interest:
Other
One thing about the headwaters of the Sandy that gets me is that in swifts time the River was known by a few different names. For example, the levisa fork was known as the Louisa river.
 

Ken S.

Hero Member
Oct 1, 2018
577
1,615
Paintsville,Ky.
Primary Interest:
Other
One thing about the headwaters of the Sandy that gets me is that in swifts time the River was known by a few different names. For example, the levisa fork was known as the Louisa river.

Very true !! All the old maps I've seen The Sandy head waters was at the fork at Louisa. From where it forks at Louisa it is either The Tug or Louisa fork, from Louisa to Va.
 

Last edited:
OP
OP
rgb1

rgb1

Sr. Member
Nov 24, 2013
295
769
s.w. Ohio
Detector(s) used
2 whites 1 garett
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
levisa fork was also known as the cole river and later named the levisa after swifts time
 

KY Hiker

Bronze Member
Oct 28, 2014
1,537
3,220
North Central Kentucky
Detector(s) used
Whites
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
levisa fork was also known as the cole river and later named the levisa after swifts time

rgb1 do you remember the source for that bit of info? I have never heard of that before! Was it Cole like the sir name or coal like ... well... coal?

The journals don't seem to mention anything other than Sandy and not either fork by name. I have heard some refer to 'the forks of the Sandy' but older versions say the headwaters. It is all rather vague, almost intentionally.
 

OP
OP
rgb1

rgb1

Sr. Member
Nov 24, 2013
295
769
s.w. Ohio
Detector(s) used
2 whites 1 garett
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
the name cole river was referred to in one of hensons books i will look it up and post itfor you as to which book it was
 

OP
OP
rgb1

rgb1

Sr. Member
Nov 24, 2013
295
769
s.w. Ohio
Detector(s) used
2 whites 1 garett
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
nameof levisa being first named cole river was found in lost silver mines and buried treasures of kentucky page 41 book by henson 1972
 

KY Hiker

Bronze Member
Oct 28, 2014
1,537
3,220
North Central Kentucky
Detector(s) used
Whites
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Gotya, so Henson is the source and not from a version of the journal. I wonder if there are any maps showing it as cole river/branch. Seems I remember when backtracking possible Indian trace routes out of KY back toward Alexandria I came across a Coal Creek. I'll have to look through my notes, thanks.
 

Ken S.

Hero Member
Oct 1, 2018
577
1,615
Paintsville,Ky.
Primary Interest:
Other
There is a tributary of the Kanawha that is named Coal River. Probably the one you're thinking of.
 

Last edited:

swiftfan

Sr. Member
Feb 24, 2008
353
491
Pikeville, Ky
Detector(s) used
Garrett Ace 250
Primary Interest:
Other
I have a picture of the map with all that on it, when I find it, I’ll share
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top