Lost Baker Brothers Seam, San Juan County, Colorado

[sanjuangold]

Lost Baker Brothers 'Seam', San Juan County, Colorado

Hello all! I'm tryin to stir up some discussion about the lost gold quartz vein on Coal Creek in San Juan County, Colorado. The story seems legit, and I have panned free gold from the creek, but haven't spent much time up there and haven't really seen anything that would indicate a mine should be there. I am curious if anyone knows more, or has any experience with this legend before I devote valuable time to this.

The story is simple. Two brothers looking for the "Lost Flatus Mine" on Cascade Creek near Coal Creek in 1932 inadvertently found a ledge/seam of quartz with free gold on Coal Creek. As novice prospectors the brothers didn't recognize the value of the discovery until winter set in and other mining men examined the ore. They got all excited and tried to return to the location the following year with no luck. Landslide? altered the landscape they said. Soon after, ~1933-34, another prospector found fresh broken pieces of ore in the creek (from the Baker brothers afew years earlier), and it has been sought ever since. There was some activity in the 1980's from a fellow from WA/OR who claimed to have found rich float, dug a big hole, and.... And then also some activity a few years ago (03-05) by an outfit from the northwest as well, but no mine discovery as of yet.

The kicker is the small size of the watershed and the relatively easy access from the hwy.

Wonder if any one may have any thoughts or experience with this lost mine story, or any others in SW Colorado. Thanks!

 

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[tertiaryjim]

Re: Lost Baker Brothers 'Seam', San Juan County, Colorado

UUUH! Whats the story Please ?

 

[lastleg]

Re: Lost Baker Brothers 'Seam', San Juan County, Colorado

Dear San Juan,

If you got this lead from the Cornelius/Marshall book "Golden
Treasures of the San Juan" you picked outstanding source material.

This one book is the best I have ever read on true treasure leads in
SW Colorado.

There are 15 lost treasure tales in the book. If I had the time and
was younger this is where I would start. I got to see the area on Timber
Hill where the stolen Ophir gold was recovered from.

Even though I haven't reread the book in a couple years I recall the
Baker brothers lost ledge and really wanted to look for it myself.

Good luck, lastleg

 

[Marmentman]

No one really commented on this in a long time. It's possible some of you already made your way there. I was in this area last fall. Really bad weather, but did find a camp some staked off areas and some trash. Along with a wheel barrel tools and sand bags. If someone found something they sure left a lot of trash. It is really sad because people like that ruin it for the rest of us. The more traces you leave the more likely someone will find your spot and the national forest shut everyone down, so moral, leave no trace you where there!

 

[Barton]

I believe this is a true story.

Many years ago I was up there and there was a mining claim on the site.
MY daughter said she could find it--but for us not to go near the spot
unless the claim owners would agree to a equal share for every one.

That evening we talked to the claim owners and they told us sure,
if we found it they would be willing to give an equal share to everyone.
Except my daughter was to get NOTHING!

IN the morning we packed up our camp and left,
and have never been back.

Barton

 

[Marmentman]

Was something even found? I checked all along the stream for float from the waterfall to lime creek. Maybe I didn't dig deep enough. I think this ledgend has some truth but if its there it's buried on the bedrock. All the snow and mud that that canyon could muster over the 20 or 30 years would be deep.