I love West Texas - This is a really cool story and I think its one that could really be up there in the Mountains somewhere if no one else has stumbled upon it. I wish it was closer to Houston!
"Gimme oysters and beer for dinner everyday of the year"
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there is a ton of material on the web about William C. Sublett.
He was known as a layabout in Odessa till he found gold. There is a historical marker where they supposed he had his sod dugout and 160 acres he owned at 222 N. Grandview in Odessa. Its a storefront now I belive.
He had a son and two daughters. The Son said he was showed the mine and it was in a crevice in the mountains buy a near a spring. Son is known as Ross in all the stories.
His real name is Rolth Sublett. His dad was William C. Sublett and passed away in Roswell, TX on Jan 6th, 1892
Rolth got married on Oct 3rd, 1930 to Bertie Burkhead. About a year later he got remarried to Bertie Berkhead on July 18th, 1931. Must of realized her name was not right?
Anyhow it is a great story and has a great cast of characters. It has been claimed to be found by every "treasure Hunter" and every one will sell you a map.
I have done research because it is a great story. Mine went a little deeper because I also pulled records of decendents.
I am sure he found something, but I don't think anyone has or
ever will. Nice place to take a hike though.
Don't forget National Park Rules (look but don't touch) and the earthquake of 1931 that caused massive slides in the park. It was also strong enough to close up the springs.
There is also a GSA bulletin about the origin of the upper capitan-massive limestone (pemian), Guadalupe Mountains, New Mexico-Texas area.
Great Area and don't forget the pecos river for TH and MDing
Carry a lot of water.
If you find me upside down, Roll me over.
"I dream of a world where chickens can cross roads
without having their motives questioned..."
I have been doing extensive research on the subject, I just wanted to see if anyone had anything to add that I hadn't come across. I dont believe that the mine is in the National Park. I'll be further east. I have been studying an area of igneous and metamorphic outcrop. I think it could be somewhere around there. I hadn't heard about the earthquake. Do you happen to know the exact location of it. That could turn out to be pretty useful information. I am from Odessa so I have been having a lot of fun with this. I even checked the genealogy to see if I could be a distant relative. Ben's daughter Jenny Cornilia (sp) had eight children born in Odessa but no matches.
Keep the comments coming and I'll keep the progress posted.
The earthquakes epicenter was in valentine, tx. It destroyed the town. Heard it's been rebuilt, lol.
Anyhow, it sounds like you have been doing good research. That I believe is the most important thing.
It is about a 5 or 6 hour drive for me from Dallas, but I still like to take a couple days every few months to head out that way. I like the solitude out there away from the citys. Your lucky to live out there
East you say? I think any direction other then the actual mountains would be a safe bet. As I said before his son was quite adamant that the spring was close (6 to 8 miles give or take) to the location. The only major spring was at Pine springs where the park headquarters was built. The earthquake stopped the springs, and water flows no more. Sounds like you have a good theory. Sounds like it is field research time for you.
It seems what land the National Park service does not control, Tim Turner bought up. I am trying to recall a mental picture of the east area and who controls that. I will look in my notes later.
It is known that the guy used a old buckboard and mule when he went out, and he was never gone to long. You can travel in a day what it used to take them a week to do. I think it is paramount that anyone going in search of any treasure to always keep in mind the actual conditions and trails of that period. Every one knows his starting point so how far could you travel in a day with mule and buckboard and be back that evening? But that was only to his supposed cache. His real treasure so the story goes and that he was supposedly tracked to the pecos river is up towards the mountains.
I have my own opinion but we know opinions are like a$$holes, every has one. But I will give it to you anyhow.
I think the whole thing has been blown out of proportion. There is no indication that he lived other then a simple life with enough to pay his way during his life. Everyone points to his Sod house and the 160 acres he owned in Odessa. I say do the research. People forgot about the Homestead Act of 1862 and if you built on the land you could buy the land up to 160 acres from the goverment at 1.25 per acre.
A nice little placer find would of made him comfortable for the rest of his life and payback all those people that made fun of him.
I think he had a lot of fun with a little find and had the last laugh at everyone.
I know if I found something like that I would do the same thing. He knew people were following him and I bet he had a lot of fun with it.
Just my $.02, Its all about the fun anyhow.
If you find me upside down, Roll me over.
"I dream of a world where chickens can cross roads
without having their motives questioned..."
From the other TH's I guess it's school time. Gold does occur in limestone, not in commercial viable amounts but still there
There is no telling where the gold was located. Guadalupe was only a rumor and not confirmed.
Odessa is close to pecos river placer deposits, New Mexico deposits and The Llano Texas uplift area. He did move from Monahans to Odessesa and then to Carlsbad and Roswell. What is central to those locations that he could still get to his cache?
As I said any direction would work.
Homework for the TH's who slept in class:
Susan Bartsch-Winkler1, D. M. Sutphin2, M. M. Ball1, S. L. Korzeb3, R. F. Kness3 and J. T. Dutchover4
(1) U.S. Geological Survey, P.O. Box 25046, 80225 Denver, Colorado, USA
(2) U.S. Geological Survey, 920 National Center, 22092 Reston, Virginia, USA
(3) U.S. Bureau of Mines, P.O. Box 25086, 80225 Denver, Colorado, USA
(4) BLM Roswell District Office, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, 88202 Roswell, New Mexico, USA
Received: 1 March 1993 Revised: 21 April 1993 Accepted: 20 May 1993
Abstract In this summary of two comprehensive resource reports produced by the U.S. Bureau of Mines and the U.S. Geological Survey for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, we discuss the mineral- and energyresource endowment of the 14-millon-acre Roswell Resource Area, New Mexico, managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The Bureau and Survey reports result from separate studies that are compilations of published and unpublished data and integrate new findings on the geology, geochemistry, geophysics, mineral, industrial, and energy commodities, and resources for the seven-county area. The reports have been used by the Bureau of Land Management in preparation of the Roswell Resource Area Resource Management Plan, and will have future use in nationwide mineral- and energy-resource inventories and assessments, as reference and training documents, and as public-information tools.
In the Roswell Resource Area, many metals, industrial mineral commodities, and energy resources are being, or have been, produced or prospected. These include metals and high-technology materials, such as copper, gold, silver, thorium, uranium and/or vanadium, rare-earth element minerals, iron, manganese, tungsten, lead, zinc, and molybdenum; industrial mineral resources, including barite, limestone/dolomite, caliche, clay, fluorspar, gypsum, scoria, aggregate, and sand and gravel; and fuels and associated resources, such as oil, gas, tar sand and heavy oil, coal, and gases associated with hydrocarbons. Other commodities that have yet to be identified in economic concentrations include potash, halite, polyhalite, anhydrite, sulfur, feldspar, building stone and decorative rock, brines, various gases associated with oil and gas exploration, and carbon dioxide.
Key words Assessment - Guadalupe - Chaves - Lincoln - De Baca - Roosevelt - Curry – Quay
And
According to Roselle M. Girard's, Texas Rocks and Minerals: An Amateur's Guide, "Small amounts of gold have been reported from other parts of Texas. Some of these localities are in Eocene Tertiary sandstones in the Gulf Costal Plain, in Cretaceous limestones in Irion, Uvalde and Williamson counties, and in sand and gravel in Howard and Taylor counties. None of these deposits have been found to have any commercial value."
Have a great day gentlemen
If you find me upside down, Roll me over.
"I dream of a world where chickens can cross roads
without having their motives questioned..."
A placer gold deposit is Visible. Can anyone post a picture of gold originating
in massive limestone. If you read the last quotes you will see several New
Mexico counties including Lincoln. I know that gold occurs in Lincoln co. because
I dug two pickers out of the ground and it was visible gold. Maybe ol' Ben got
his poke in Ruidosa. Several years back a guy had a prospecting store there and
had sacks of dirt for $5. I bought 5 bags to bring back. I was amazed to find
from 6 - 8 nice pieces in each bag. The rest of the NM counties in the Roswell
Geological Survey are NOT gold producers. Gold occurs in lode and placer
deposits in New Mexico but you have to know where by research. I have a
lump of melted placer gold that was contained in in a crushed oil lamp. I found
the lamp in a NM ghost with a CZ-6 some 10 years back. Somebody. I like to
think a "soiled dove", was stashing high-grade in the lamp only to be foiled by
one of several fires that swept the town in the 1870's and 1880's.
I like gold I can see without a loupe.
I don't have any personal photo's but I am sure there are some on the internet. There is a famous limestone cave in china that used to be a working gold mine and is now a tourist attraction. Saw this on the travel channel.
Here is the name of it: Qinhuangdao, in north China's Hebei Province, Google just shows some pics of it.
When I get out that way I like to MD the Lincoln National Forest areas that include the Guadalupes, Capitan and the Ruidosa/Alamogordo area.
The USDA Forest Service does allow Metal Detecting,Treasure Hunting and Geocacheing as long as archaeological or historical sites are not disturbed. Unlike our National Park System rules.
I wish I would of bought some of those bags with the price of Au so high.
Great find with the oil lamp, I would of never thought to look inside.
I don't think anyone will ever fiqure out the wanderings of Ben, he could of found that gold anywhere in Texas, New Mexico or even Mexico really wasn't that far once he "crossed the Pecos" as the legend goes.
Have a great day.
If you find me upside down, Roll me over.
"I dream of a world where chickens can cross roads
without having their motives questioned..."
When I detected the lamp I assumed it was only another brass lamp but
the next spring I was going through my brass collection with thoughts of
making ornamental chimes I noticed how heavy it was. I prized it open and
the third oz molded nugget fell out. All the inside was coated with gold,
must be a couple oz revealed. A great conversation piece. I hope to soon
provide photos if I can ever figure out the process.
This story has had my attention for about 2 years now and after some good research from my son who attends the greatest University in the state of Texas TT we will be heading out to search and find the lost Sublett gold!! Hey this is a very exciting time for us and we will relay our experiences from our trip when we get back. Any advise would beaccepted with open ears as we are newbies at this. We are from Odessa so this story does hit close to home for us.
I am new at the Sublett treasure and would like to say from what I gather he hunted for the RR people and may have got paid with gold nuggets as many did in that time. I do think that there is a relationship between his having gold and maybe someone else having a source of gold to pay, such as Indians and outlaws that he may have delt with in the plains and hills around the area. My guess is hat if he found any mine it would be in the area north of kent, Texas.
Good hunting!
Howdy dring, nice having you drift along with us on this roundup. What is it
that tickles your fancy in the Apache's? Never been there so I am ignorant bout
that area. Pitch another mesquite log on the fire and spill the beans. . . lastleg
Let me restate my "innocence of direct knowledge" concerning the Apache
Mtn range. Also this is the first I've heard of RRs paying helpers with gold
nuggets. This opens the door to new possibilities. Thanks for that dring.
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