Legend of Mount Graham Treasure and Cochise Stronghold Treasure

[cochisecowboy1965]

Okay so I have a book that was printed in 1997 by Raymond H. Voss and it has a lot of the legends of lost mines and treasures in the state of Arizona. These two in particular keep catching my eye and I have even found a bit about them online. The first story goes...
Mount Graham's Lost Treasure: T.T Swift while working as a Forest Service Ranger in 1903, came across some old ax blazes on a number of pine trees in the Graham Mountains. Local research by Swift, indicated that there was a buried treasure dating back to the 1830's. The waybill gave 12 blazed trees as one marker. Swift did find the trees and also some granite rocks with crosses chiseled on them and several other markers. ( it does not say what these "other markers" were) He did not however find the treasure. The treasure was estimated to be $125,000 in gold bullion. Location of the granite rocks is on Snow Flat. Mount Graham is southwest of Safford.
And then the second story...
The Apache Chief Cochise is said to have hidden a chest ( or two ) in the Dragoon Mountains. The gold was taken from a Butterfield Stage raid and hidden somewhere in his hideout known as Cochise's Stronghold in Stronghold Canyon. (AKA Cochise's Gold)
In some of my research I have learned that there are ruins in Stronghold Canyon from a Butterfield Stage Station with four Confederate soldiers buried there. We are looking forward to hearing everyone else's take on these tales and to going and exploring them.

 

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[cudamark]

Check to see if they're registered historic sites, because if they are, you best leave the detector at home.

 

[cochisecowboy1965]

The Stronghold we believe is protected but as for mount Graham it is open.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Sorry to be a kill-joy, but most of those "lost mine" and "stolen military loot" type lores, are .... exactly that. Just fanciful ghost story legends.

If you really want to read a bunch more (all sure-fired iron-clad, of course ), just git yourself any TH'ing magazine from the 1970s. Each edition was plum full of them. Yup: the dying miner drags himself into the wild-west saloon. The lone-survivor of an indian attack. Spills the story of fabulous riches, but dies before he can claim his stash. The 4 clues are blah blah blah blah. And the all you have to do is throw in a drawing of a miner posed next to his burro, and presto, it's gotta be true!

 

[cochisecowboy1965]

Tom_in_CA I would agree except over the years there have been a few things to surface from the Snow Flat area that support the story. There is even a place between Snow Flat and Hospital Flat known as Treasure Park.

 

[cudamark]

That begs the question as to when those names started.....the typical "chicken and egg" debate as to which came first.

 

[cochisecowboy1965]

Yes, true. We spend our free time ghost towning and metal detecting anyway so we are gonna check them out just in case. 😉

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Tom_in_CA I would agree except over the years there have been a few things to surface from the Snow Flat area that support the story. There is even a place between Snow Flat and Hospital Flat known as Treasure Park.

yup. And so too is EVERY treasure story/legend "sure fire -iron-clad". I ran into the same phenomenom in my hunts all through Mexico (although every culture is the same to degrees): If you show the slightest doubt, or call it superstition, the "faithful" will dig in their heels and believe it all the more. You are then called "loco americano", haha. The human mind wants SO HARD to believe: "Lest you be left out".

 

[azdave]

I have been lurking on this forum a long time....this thread finally motivated me enough to join, so THANKS!
I lived at the base of Mt. Graham (Pinaleno Mtn's) for years at Fort Grant, the old cavalry post that's now a state prison--lived in staff housing there. I have heard of the "treasure".....many have searched, most believe it doesn't exist. Just about every mtn range in this state seems to have a "treasure legend" attached to it. I personally don't waste time looking specifically for these legends....I search for known history in remote locations. But if that's what gets you out into the hills, that's excellent.
Been to Dragoon Springs Station many times, easy to get to and find. It's been hunted hard from the days of the first detectors, and is on NF (Forest Service) land. They do patrol the area.

 

[cochisecowboy1965]

I have been lurking on this forum a long time....this thread finally motivated me enough to join, so THANKS!
I lived at the base of Mt. Graham (Pinaleno Mtn's) for years at Fort Grant, the old cavalry post that's now a state prison--lived in staff housing there. I have heard of the "treasure".....many have searched, most believe it doesn't exist. Just about every mtn range in this state seems to have a "treasure legend" attached to it. I personally don't waste time looking specifically for these legends....I search for known history in remote locations. But if that's what gets you out into the hills, that's excellent.
Been to Dragoon Springs Station many times, easy to get to and find. It's been hunted hard from the days of the first detectors, and is on NF (Forest Service) land. They do patrol the area.

Welcome, azdave. We get motivated by a lot of the history behind many of these legends. We got up and went out and after a few tries found the ghost town of Charleston. No detecting allowed there as it is on BLM land but the historical aspect of the town is pretty awesome. I have to admit, strolling down the well worn path amidst the Adobe ruins you can almost see Curly Bill and Ike Clanton riding beside you. We went in search of Cascabel and found it. That was a bit disappointing though as there was almost nothing left. For us the greatest treasure is being able to see the life from the echoes in a town that has only whispers of life left behind.

 

[cochisecowboy1965]

if these walls could talk...

 

[azdave]

Yea Charleston is great, as is Fairbanks.
I use to frequent those area's long before BLM created the Riparian Area, back when it was still the one lane bridge going across the San Pedro at Charleston.....the IDIOT kind of metal detectorist's were destroying everything and leaving so many holes it looked like a Prairie Dog town (especially Fairbanks).

I remember when all the building's were intact, and even glass still in the widows at places like China Camp (Dragoon Mtn's) and Dusquene (Patagonia Mtn's). Now everything is burned down or shot up and collapsed.
SAD, because I'm only 50 yo.......and all the destruction to these "common", easy to access places has only happened since the mid-late 80's or so.
This is why I do tons of research and then go on quests for "virgin" history.

 

[cochisecowboy1965]

Yes, the elusive virgin history. How awesome it would be to find a place that has not been destroyed by random " collectors".

 

[azdave]

Yes, the elusive virgin history. How awesome it would be to find a place that has not been destroyed by random " collectors".

There is plenty of it out there...just takes as much time dedicated at the libraries/historical society and studying maps as in the field. I've hit on a couple sites just this year where I was finding UNFIRED (drops) Henry 44 rimfires, Spencer 56-50's and various Sharp cartridges as well as 100's of fired casings...not to mention General Service Buttons and all the other things typical of such encampments. I'm big into early Az military history.
Of course, you don't just "pull up to" sites like this....thats why they are virgin.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Az Dave, welcome aboard !

 

[MrWareWolf]

I've lived in Cochise county for a couple years now. It's an interesting place, with some unique demographics. So, on the other side of the base, is a national forest. If you're nice with the guys at the gate, they will give you a pass that permits you entrance to the forest, after driving through the base. I'm a novice prospector, and don't know the laws related to prospecting on/in a national forest. I know you cannot metal-detect, but what about a sluice, high-banker, etc? Can I gather buckets of classified material, and bring it home? Will I encounter trouble? Let me know what you guys think?

 

[cudamark]

I've lived in Cochise county for a couple years now. It's an interesting place, with some unique demographics. So, on the other side of the base, is a national forest. If you're nice with the guys at the gate, they will give you a pass that permits you entrance to the forest, after driving through the base. I'm a novice prospector, and don't know the laws related to prospecting on/in a national forest. I know you cannot metal-detect, but what about a sluice, high-banker, etc? Can I gather buckets of classified material, and bring it home? Will I encounter trouble? Let me know what you guys think?

Why can't your detect there? Usually National Forests don't prohibit detecting unless there is a historic site involved.......and then it's usually just around that particular site. The rest of the area should be open. Now if it's a National Park, that's a different story. Those are out. You should be able to research that specific forest to find out what is allowed and what isn't. I would avoid asking those in charge if at all possible. You may get their opinion and not the law. If there's a hard and fast prohibition, it should be in writing somewhere in the rule book.

 

[Crowfriend]

Okay so I have a book that was printed in 1997 by Raymond H. Voss and it has a lot of the legends of lost mines and treasures in the state of Arizona. These two in particular keep catching my eye and I have even found a bit about them online. The first story goes...
Mount Graham's Lost Treasure: T.T Swift while working as a Forest Service Ranger in 1903, came across some old ax blazes on a number of pine trees in the Graham Mountains. Local research by Swift, indicated that there was a buried treasure dating back to the 1830's. The waybill gave 12 blazed trees as one marker. Swift did find the trees and also some granite rocks with crosses chiseled on them and several other markers. ( it does not say what these "other markers" were) He did not however find the treasure. The treasure was estimated to be $125,000 in gold bullion. Location of the granite rocks is on Snow Flat. Mount Graham is southwest of Safford.
And then the second story...
The Apache Chief Cochise is said to have hidden a chest ( or two ) in the Dragoon Mountains. The gold was taken from a Butterfield Stage raid and hidden somewhere in his hideout known as Cochise's Stronghold in Stronghold Canyon. (AKA Cochise's Gold)
In some of my research I have learned that there are ruins in Stronghold Canyon from a Butterfield Stage Station with four Confederate soldiers buried there. We are looking forward to hearing everyone else's take on these tales and to going and exploring them.

No Butterfield Stage was attacked by Indians nor held up by outlaws.

 

[A2coins]

Great post I love stuff like this

 

[joshward]

Why can't your detect there? Usually National Forests don't prohibit detecting unless there is a historic site involved.......and then it's usually just around that particular site. The rest of the area should be open. Now if it's a National Park, that's a different story. Those are out. You should be able to research that specific forest to find out what is allowed and what isn't. I would avoid asking those in charge if at all possible. You may get their opinion and not the law. If there's a hard and fast prohibition, it should be in writing somewhere in the rule book.

Can I metal detect on someone else’s mining claim?