tennessekidd
Greenie
- Sep 20, 2008
- 11
- 1
- Detector(s) used
-
Bounty Hunter 202/ modified 4", 8", 16" coils
Bounty Hunter PinPointer/ digger & mag tool handle
Whites XLT/ 8"x24" custom Coil,
MineLab Eplorer XS/
Garrett Infinium LS /
Hello: I'm Jay
I'm new to this sit and have been reading a lot of post lately and I'm quite impressed with all the information shared between everybody. Anyhow to the case in point.
About six years or seven years ago or so. I was told a story by a older gentleman referring to a lost silver mine in Del Rio tn near or around the french broad river. Well let me tell you, thats all it took to get me thinking. For Years (before the story was past to me) Us local boys have been ridding these backwoods. And I had recalled there being a collection of old Barite mines that just so happened to be near that particular area. So that stated my search or hunt for any and all info I could find relating to these old mines. I will tell you I have come across very little published Info on these mines. Most of which has been a few geology prints and stories from old timers. Both have proven to be very informative on the subject of the mines in question. But next to no information referring to a lost silver mine.
To the best of my knowledge. This is a short version the of the story that was told to me of a lost silver mine.
In Del Rio not far from the French Broad river. Between Wolf creek and Stone Mt. Was An Indian settlement, they mined silver near by. Shortly after most of the Indians where drove out by white settlers and after the rail road was cut through this region. Two brothers stumbled upon a vain of silver near a small branch in a steep hollow. The brothers Began to counterfeit coins in an old bloomery or furnace that happen to be close by the silver vain. Soon after counterfeiting the silver coins they where caught and one of them where put in prison. Years after this occurrence. A local farmer recalled his father and him going to an old dry creek bed. Getting lead to run bullets for hunting. It to was close to an old furnace that his father said was left be the Cherokee that had a camp near by.
( This is a typed copy of a letter one brother sent to the other I found a few years ago in an old book)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DEAR FRIEND AND BRO,
IM AM IN JUST RECEIPT OF YOUR LETTER
WAS GLAD TO HEAR FROM YOU ALTHOUGH I HAD ALMOST COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT YOU HAD QUIT WRITING ME
I WAS GLAD THAT GEORGE GOT OUT OF HIS TROUBLE ALRIGHT
--------------------------missing line----------------------------------------------
WHICH WAS LEFT BY T.C. EBBS AND CO. AT THE J.H.B. MINES IS YOUR PROPERTY YOU DON’T HAFTO BY IT ALTHOUGH YOU AND I MAY NEED IT WHEN WE OPEN OUR LED AND SILVER MINE IT WILL BE THE THING TO DUMP OFF THE REFUSE OF THE MINE
THE WAY FROM IT IS-------------------------------missing line--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------WITH YOU PLEASE---------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------missing line-----------------------------------DATE LEFT BY UNCLE GEORGE. I AM QUITE SURE THAT HE (UNCLE GEORGE) KNEW OF THREE DISTANT PLACES WHERE LED AND SILVER WAS TAKEN FROM THE SECTION HE SPEAKS OF THE OLD ELLISON MILL BUT DOES NOT MENTION ANY OTHER NAMES ONLY THAT THE MINE WAS SOUTH EASTER BY FROM SAID OLD MILL AND I SUPPOSE THIS TO BE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF OLD MAN NICHOLS OR ALDOPH ASHEN PLACE
THIS ONE IS THE UPPER SILVER MINE MARKED BIRCH AND ASH TREE. THEN ONE BACK OF THE HAWKINS FARM MARKED BY A BIRCH AND A DOGWOOD THIS IS THE LOWER MINE BUT THE ONE THAT IS ABOUT 4 MILES FROM THE MOUTH OF BIG CREEK EAST OF THE ABERHAM PENLAND HOME IS THE ONE THAT HE SEEMS TO APPROVE MOST. IT IS IN THE HEAD OF A LITTLE SHARP HOLLOW AT SAME TIME HAD RUNNING WATER IN IT
LOCATED AT THE ROOT OF A WHITE OAK TREE ABOUT ONE AND ONE FOURTH MILES FROM THE MOUTH OF ROCKS CREEK OR HIS SHOP
TOM EBBS A GRANDSON OF UNCLE GEORGE HAS THESE DESCRIPTIONS AND HE WOULD HAVE GONE OUT THERE IF I HAD NOT HAD COLD WATER ON IT ---------------------------------------------------------------missing line------------------------------------------------------
TOM WAS THERE ABOUT 8 MONTHS AGO BUT HAS LEFT THIS PLACE I THINK HE HAS GONE TO TEXAS NOW TOM I AM QUITE SURE THAT I CAN FIND THESE MINES I DO BELIEVE IT ON THE OLD JOHN MICHALS FARM OR JOE JONES FOR SURE MY REASON FOR IT IS THIS MINE WAS MARKED BY THE INDIANS AND YOU RECALL THAT CHAS HONEY TOLD US OF SEEING A OLD FURNACE UP IN ONE OF THOSE HOLLOWS ON THE JOE JONES FARM
I BELIEVE THAT THIS FURNACE WAS MADE AND USED BY THE INDIANS
ON MY JUDGEMENT THE EBBS MINE IS WITHIN 1/4 MILE FROM THE OLD FURNACE SO IF YOU LOOK FOR THE MINE YOU CAN BE SAFE IN LOOKING IN THE RADIUS OF 1/4 MILE FROM THAT OLD FURNACE
BE SURE AND SEND ME THE SAMPLES OF MINERAL AND IF ANYTHING FURTHER DEVELOPS LET ME KNOW
TC EBBS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This letter and the few stories that have been past to me are the only information that I have currently been able to come up with on my own referring to a silver mine.
I live in the area in question and have located many of the barite mines, but have had no luck in finding any substantial physical evidence fitting the tales of the silver mine.
chances are that it is a small vain-let that has reached the surface at some point. And because of the heavy mineralization and mining in the region. It is a high possibility the the stories are true. I have found no documentation of any silver mining in this area. but core sample records of some barite mines near by. Show trace amounts of Lead, Iron ore, silver, and pyrite among other minerals and metallics. This region was heavily mined for barite in the 1800's up into the 1900's. Then with the mining of barite in the west at a lesser cost. Most of the mining in this region were shut down or abandoned.
Thanx for allowing me to post. And would like to obtain more information about this area and region if anybody has any to share.
thanx again: Jay from Tennessee
p.s
I have currently located near twenty of these barite mines in the area.
I'm new to this sit and have been reading a lot of post lately and I'm quite impressed with all the information shared between everybody. Anyhow to the case in point.
About six years or seven years ago or so. I was told a story by a older gentleman referring to a lost silver mine in Del Rio tn near or around the french broad river. Well let me tell you, thats all it took to get me thinking. For Years (before the story was past to me) Us local boys have been ridding these backwoods. And I had recalled there being a collection of old Barite mines that just so happened to be near that particular area. So that stated my search or hunt for any and all info I could find relating to these old mines. I will tell you I have come across very little published Info on these mines. Most of which has been a few geology prints and stories from old timers. Both have proven to be very informative on the subject of the mines in question. But next to no information referring to a lost silver mine.
To the best of my knowledge. This is a short version the of the story that was told to me of a lost silver mine.
In Del Rio not far from the French Broad river. Between Wolf creek and Stone Mt. Was An Indian settlement, they mined silver near by. Shortly after most of the Indians where drove out by white settlers and after the rail road was cut through this region. Two brothers stumbled upon a vain of silver near a small branch in a steep hollow. The brothers Began to counterfeit coins in an old bloomery or furnace that happen to be close by the silver vain. Soon after counterfeiting the silver coins they where caught and one of them where put in prison. Years after this occurrence. A local farmer recalled his father and him going to an old dry creek bed. Getting lead to run bullets for hunting. It to was close to an old furnace that his father said was left be the Cherokee that had a camp near by.
( This is a typed copy of a letter one brother sent to the other I found a few years ago in an old book)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DEAR FRIEND AND BRO,
IM AM IN JUST RECEIPT OF YOUR LETTER
WAS GLAD TO HEAR FROM YOU ALTHOUGH I HAD ALMOST COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT YOU HAD QUIT WRITING ME
I WAS GLAD THAT GEORGE GOT OUT OF HIS TROUBLE ALRIGHT
--------------------------missing line----------------------------------------------
WHICH WAS LEFT BY T.C. EBBS AND CO. AT THE J.H.B. MINES IS YOUR PROPERTY YOU DON’T HAFTO BY IT ALTHOUGH YOU AND I MAY NEED IT WHEN WE OPEN OUR LED AND SILVER MINE IT WILL BE THE THING TO DUMP OFF THE REFUSE OF THE MINE
THE WAY FROM IT IS-------------------------------missing line--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------WITH YOU PLEASE---------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------missing line-----------------------------------DATE LEFT BY UNCLE GEORGE. I AM QUITE SURE THAT HE (UNCLE GEORGE) KNEW OF THREE DISTANT PLACES WHERE LED AND SILVER WAS TAKEN FROM THE SECTION HE SPEAKS OF THE OLD ELLISON MILL BUT DOES NOT MENTION ANY OTHER NAMES ONLY THAT THE MINE WAS SOUTH EASTER BY FROM SAID OLD MILL AND I SUPPOSE THIS TO BE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF OLD MAN NICHOLS OR ALDOPH ASHEN PLACE
THIS ONE IS THE UPPER SILVER MINE MARKED BIRCH AND ASH TREE. THEN ONE BACK OF THE HAWKINS FARM MARKED BY A BIRCH AND A DOGWOOD THIS IS THE LOWER MINE BUT THE ONE THAT IS ABOUT 4 MILES FROM THE MOUTH OF BIG CREEK EAST OF THE ABERHAM PENLAND HOME IS THE ONE THAT HE SEEMS TO APPROVE MOST. IT IS IN THE HEAD OF A LITTLE SHARP HOLLOW AT SAME TIME HAD RUNNING WATER IN IT
LOCATED AT THE ROOT OF A WHITE OAK TREE ABOUT ONE AND ONE FOURTH MILES FROM THE MOUTH OF ROCKS CREEK OR HIS SHOP
TOM EBBS A GRANDSON OF UNCLE GEORGE HAS THESE DESCRIPTIONS AND HE WOULD HAVE GONE OUT THERE IF I HAD NOT HAD COLD WATER ON IT ---------------------------------------------------------------missing line------------------------------------------------------
TOM WAS THERE ABOUT 8 MONTHS AGO BUT HAS LEFT THIS PLACE I THINK HE HAS GONE TO TEXAS NOW TOM I AM QUITE SURE THAT I CAN FIND THESE MINES I DO BELIEVE IT ON THE OLD JOHN MICHALS FARM OR JOE JONES FOR SURE MY REASON FOR IT IS THIS MINE WAS MARKED BY THE INDIANS AND YOU RECALL THAT CHAS HONEY TOLD US OF SEEING A OLD FURNACE UP IN ONE OF THOSE HOLLOWS ON THE JOE JONES FARM
I BELIEVE THAT THIS FURNACE WAS MADE AND USED BY THE INDIANS
ON MY JUDGEMENT THE EBBS MINE IS WITHIN 1/4 MILE FROM THE OLD FURNACE SO IF YOU LOOK FOR THE MINE YOU CAN BE SAFE IN LOOKING IN THE RADIUS OF 1/4 MILE FROM THAT OLD FURNACE
BE SURE AND SEND ME THE SAMPLES OF MINERAL AND IF ANYTHING FURTHER DEVELOPS LET ME KNOW
TC EBBS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This letter and the few stories that have been past to me are the only information that I have currently been able to come up with on my own referring to a silver mine.
I live in the area in question and have located many of the barite mines, but have had no luck in finding any substantial physical evidence fitting the tales of the silver mine.
chances are that it is a small vain-let that has reached the surface at some point. And because of the heavy mineralization and mining in the region. It is a high possibility the the stories are true. I have found no documentation of any silver mining in this area. but core sample records of some barite mines near by. Show trace amounts of Lead, Iron ore, silver, and pyrite among other minerals and metallics. This region was heavily mined for barite in the 1800's up into the 1900's. Then with the mining of barite in the west at a lesser cost. Most of the mining in this region were shut down or abandoned.
Thanx for allowing me to post. And would like to obtain more information about this area and region if anybody has any to share.
thanx again: Jay from Tennessee
p.s
I have currently located near twenty of these barite mines in the area.
Who would have every thought that an old timer who still ran shine would be so famous or infamous ? Ive meet the man on many occasions, seemed to be just like you think a moonshiner should be. Google his name and you might just be surprised on how much info comes up.
