Great Bend Township PA Susquehanna Co. Pa

[Gypsy Heart]

Fred Balsom, surname believed to be correct though could be Balson or Bulsom. Established
home, early 1900s, above flood plain of Cold Spring Creek in Smokey Hollow about a 3/4 miles from junction Smokey Hollow Road and Harmony Road in Great Bend Township PA Susquehanna Co. Pa. Married an American Indian had two sons
and several daughters. There was some mystery regarding this family as fred always had more material things than they seemed to have money for. Allegedly Fred kept his valuables hidden in a cave somewhere on one of the mountains surrounding family homestead. Hode Balsom in the 1950's was living on the homestead intermittently and some times rented it out though it was in disrepair by the late 1950's. In the vacinity there had been a saw mill which was unique in that instead of using a stream/creek for pwr it collected and channeled ground water through a series of horizontal and vertical ditches covering the face of the mountain. Hode was quite a character and was always getting in trouble with the law and going to jail for poaching etc.. In one instance he was observed by the Game Warden jumping off a rock ledge on to the back of an adult white tail deer, wrestleing it to the ground and killing it. Fred and his Indian wife had, for that area, a unique kitchen in that it was a step down kitchen which was quite large and floored with aprox 4 very large pcs of flagstone. In effect, the kitchen floor had to have been dug down and completed before the walls of the kitchen and rest of house was built.
http://boards.ancestry.myfamily.com/...m/18.1/mb.ashx

[spartacus53]

That is a most intriguing story Gypsy Heart, thanks for sharing it. Have you started doing research on the site to even see who owns the land? Seems like Fred is the type to squirrel away a few ill gotten goods for a rainy day.That area seems to have a little bit of everything for my liking, mountains, possible cave, an old mill and a very unique house for the times. I doubt there is anything under that stone, why bury goods you can't get to

I would love to to visit a place like, being able to metal detect would just be a plus