50,000 in the Seven Devils

RGINN

Gold Member
Oct 16, 2007
8,581
10,644
Summit County, CO
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Welcome to T-net SEHunter. Although I'm up here in Colorado, I was born and raised in OK. My Dad's family is from SE OK and I lived in Push county for a year, between Ice and Snow. (town names, really) There's several stories about the 7 devils area. Mary L. Carson mentions it in her book saying that $50,000 in gold coins in an iron box was stashed on a big cliff near Rattan by an outlaw before he was hung in Hugo. That narrows it down and you'll probably have that found in a couple of days. (ha-ha) Research, research, research. Check into Steve Wilson and even J. Frank Dobie. There's a lot of resources available, so take advantage of them. Best of Luck!
 

BLACKFOOT

Full Member
Jan 17, 2007
247
8
Heavener oklahoma
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fisher gold bug2
there was a story that the seven devils were located east of heavener ok was not a mt was seven men that were very mean hence the name
 

OP
OP
S

SEHunter

Jr. Member
Feb 13, 2009
22
8
Hey RGINN, I'm a Push Co. Resident myself and I actually lived in Snow for a few years myself. I'm gonna try my luck at this one this spring/summer just for S-N-G's. The Seven Devils are not shown on any recent maps but I've got some that show it, just not too sure how accurate they will be. Thanks for the reply and I'll try to keep you updated as i can.

BLACKFOOT, I never heard that one before, I'll look into that one. Thanks.
 

ff404

Jr. Member
Sep 16, 2007
32
1
I'm interested to know more about where this story originated from. Obviously some research could be done in Hugo to see if there are any accounts of any outlaws being hanged there... but the money had to originate from somewhere, so tracking that down would probably be a good start.

The other thing that I think may pose a pretty big challenge is that, although I'm not 100% sure, I'm thinking that the 7 Devils mountains may be in Beavers Bend State Park... which brings a whole 'nother part to the equation. I might be wrong... its damn hard trying to make a map from 1879 coordinate with a topo map from a couple years ago.

Anyone have any more background information on the origins of this legend?
 

OP
OP
S

SEHunter

Jr. Member
Feb 13, 2009
22
8
It is very hard to find the exact location, but I'm thinking it would be north of Rattan. I'm going to check on the origins soon and will be happy to share what I find.
 

lastleg

Silver Member
Feb 3, 2008
2,876
657
This is one I would not dismiss. A man from Hugo dug up $30,000
face value gold in the late '60s as I recall. I knew the man's brother
and it was written up so I know it happened. lastleg
 

RGINN

Gold Member
Oct 16, 2007
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Well, stupid me, I thought y'all knew where 7 Devils Mts. were. The original ones are about 15 miles or so nne of Ft. Towson, or about 10 miles or so north of RAT-tan. (Pronunciation is important if you go down there) They're west of Little River so they're not anywhere near Beaver's Bend SP. I'm sure somebody owns the land, maybe Dierks. There could be other sites that were given this same name, but this is the one you're interested in. Go search up Alvin B. Johnson's map of Indian Territory, 1883 and you can narrow down the site. 7 hills, west of Little River, N. of Ft. Towson... you should find it tomorrow dude, post pictures! (haha) I lived down there 68-69, and went to school in Antlers. (Bearcats!) We rented a house on the Tucker ranch sw of Snow. Good fishing, and killer places to hunt for arrowheads. One Creek Valley has some treasure stories too; you might check into them. Later!
 

ff404

Jr. Member
Sep 16, 2007
32
1
So from the research I've done so far, the gold allegedly came from a bank robbery somewhere in Indian Territory. No outlaw name given, no date given. Surely somewhere there is a record of that much gold being taken, as $50,000 was/is quite a large sum of money. (I'm assuming that the alleged $50,000 was the face value at the time??)

There is a report of a robbery of the Katy railroad at the Perry Station, which is south of present day Adair. The estimated take was between $45 & $55 thousand, although it doesn't mention what type of currency (paper or gold). Time frame was supposed to be in 1889. Adair is about 150 miles north of Cloudy/Rattan.

Again it really depends on a time frame of when this outlaw was supposedly caught and hanged. There were very few banks in Indian territory before statehood, at least from the research I've done. This is why train robberies were such a frequent occurence, as they carried large sums of money intended for disbursement to Indian tribes, payrolls, etc. Just a thought.
 

OP
OP
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SEHunter

Jr. Member
Feb 13, 2009
22
8
Thanks RGINN, That is the area I have marked to search. I've got some Topo maps on order from the USGS for the area and look forward to a little exploring this spring/summer...possibly fall :icon_pirat: I'm also gonna be looking into the sliver mines on the Kiamichi down here. Thanks for the info and keep in touch.

Hey ff, thanks for the info. I think the robbery was of a stage. Supposedly the robber gave exact directions to a deputy sherriff with the agreement that if he found it he would let him go. Evidently he didn't find it since the robber was hanged :tard: I thought maybe the guy did find it and hung him anyway, but reports from a guy in Hugo who knew the deputy sherriff in question said he stayed in the area and never showed and sign of having any money at all.
 

ff404

Jr. Member
Sep 16, 2007
32
1
SEHunter,

That helps to clear things up a little bit. If you don't mind, keep me informed on how your research goes. I'm jealous as hell of you actually getting to go out and search. I would love to get out there, but unfortunately I won't be home for another year and a couple months, so I'm stuck doing all my treasure hunting mostly online. I'm working in Africa right now, so I guess I have to live vicariously through you. I will most definitely have a very extensive research library by the time I do get back to Bryan County though. If you need any help with online research or anything else, feel free to e-mail me. I'm no pro by any means, but I do have a ton of time on my hands... lol.

Got a trip planned next month to check out a couple of potentially undiscovered OLD shipwrecks here. One possibly from the 1600s... other than that, I'm spending most of my time sweating and missing the wonderful OK weather. Never thought I'd miss it being 35 one day and 90 3 days later... but it beats the hell out of 100 in the winter and 140 in the summer. :icon_pirat:

Matt
[email protected]
 

OP
OP
S

SEHunter

Jr. Member
Feb 13, 2009
22
8
That heat sounds horrible :P I will definitely keep you updated on the hunt. I'm jealous that you get to hit a shipwreck! I was thinking of doing some research, and planning a week this summer to go dive some wrecks. Stay in touch, and out of the heat.
 

Raccoon

Jr. Member
Apr 3, 2010
20
1
Tulsa, OK
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RGINN said:
Well, stupid me, I thought y'all knew where 7 Devils Mts. were. The original ones are about 15 miles or so nne of Ft. Towson, or about 10 miles or so north of RAT-tan. (Pronunciation is important if you go down there) They're west of Little River so they're not anywhere near Beaver's Bend SP. I'm sure somebody owns the land, maybe Dierks. There could be other sites that were given this same name, but this is the one you're interested in. Go search up Alvin B. Johnson's map of Indian Territory, 1883 and you can narrow down the site. 7 hills, west of Little River, N. of Ft. Towson... you should find it tomorrow dude, post pictures! (haha) I lived down there 68-69, and went to school in Antlers. (Bearcats!) We rented a house on the Tucker ranch sw of Snow. Good fishing, and killer places to hunt for arrowheads. One Creek Valley has some treasure stories too; you might check into them. Later!

I like to play with Google Earth. I have found seven hills in a row at 34°19'20.98"N 95°25'6.16"W
They are not the highest features in the area, but they are quite distinctive. I wonder if these could be the devils.
 

OklaBuck

Greenie
Jan 28, 2007
15
3
McAlester, Okla
Detector(s) used
whites, Garrett.and Tesoro
A few years ago I hunted the rattan area and never found any one who knew where the seven devils were. After several trips I gave up on it. Years later while looking at some Topos for another treasure I found the seven devils in south east okla...... Try south east of Stigler, As far as I know this is all private land and permission is needed. May not be the right place and I havent hunted it. I wouldnt tell about it now but my health is shot....cancer...Buck
 

Okie Hillbillies

Full Member
Mar 4, 2007
165
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In reply to Okie Buck I also thought the mountains you are refering to is S. E. of Stigler, I go by in sight of them when I go to Stigler.


OkieHillBillie
S. E. Okla.
 

goverton

Sr. Member
Oct 9, 2010
407
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What I found on internet:

"his location of a hidden cache of $50,000 in gold near Rattan, taken from a stagecoach during a robbery in the 1890s, is unusual in that directions for its recovery were given by the outlaw who committed the holdup.

After his capture, the bandit tried to bribe a deputy sheriff and reached an agreement whereby, if the deputy found the cache he would direct him to, the bandit would be released when the deputy returned with the money. The deputy conducted a search but apparently did not follow the directions correctly, for the bandit was hanged soon after his return.

An old resident of Hugh, who in 1958 recalled the proceedings, did not believe the deputy found the money, as he did not show any increased prosperity afterward and never left town. The cache consisted of $50,000 in gold taken from a stagecoach. The bandit claimed that he had removed the coins from the strong box.

These are the directions that he gave to the deputy sheriff: Go to Rattan, just north of Hugh, then to Seven Devil Mountain. From the waterhole or spring to be found there, walk up the road (trail) to an old dry creek. Turn left at this creek until you come to an old grown-over cow trail. You will be going down this creek. At the cow trail, cross the creek and follow the this cow trail, with the mountain at your right, until it plays out near a dogwood tree that has been cut down and left hanging about three or four feet high from the ground. Take the left end of this trail, cross the creek with water in it, go up the creek until you see another trail. Leave the creek to your right. You will come to a dry creek bed or small canyon (arroyo), and in this canyon you will find a large rock with an arrow cut on it. Climb over this rock and keep up the canyon for about 400 yards with the mountain on your left. There, look for a big rock on which is cut a turkey foot with a nail, and here look east for three small red oak trees (probably grown by now) in which you will find three bullet holes in one of them. One of the trees also has a black knothole in it. Just back of these trees is a big cliff or a bridge-like ledge with three cracks running across it. The money is jammed into one of the cracks with a small rock hammered in on top of it, wrapped in a red saddle blanket and a yellow slicker.

This cache has never been reported found, and all indications point to the fact that it is still there, somewhere near Rattan, Oklahoma."
 

lastleg

Silver Member
Feb 3, 2008
2,876
657
As I have previously mentioned a robber's cache of about $30,000 was found
by a man from Hugo in the late '60s or early '70s. Now I will have to dig thru
a mountain of mags in my closet. Back then there was "Treasure", "Treasure
Search" and "Treasure Found". So if you have old "Treasure Found" magazines
maybe you can save me a whole day of looking.
Coker never revealed the location but said it was buried under a fireplace at
an old abandoned cabin. This is too close to subject area to be a coincidence.
 

goverton

Sr. Member
Oct 9, 2010
407
45
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Could it be 2 treasures in same location? Maybe or maybe not.....
That sheriff moved part of it to old cabin? Took the rest home and layed low with it? That might
be the answer........
If I lived near there, I might be tempted to look anyway where robber said to look.

Sure seems to be a lot of treasure tales in Okie land! LOL


lastleg said:
As I have previously mentioned a robber's cache of about $30,000 was found
by a man from Hugo in the late '60s or early '70s. Now I will have to dig thru
a mountain of mags in my closet. Back then there was "Treasure", "Treasure
Search" and "Treasure Found". So if you have old "Treasure Found" magazines
maybe you can save me a whole day of looking.
Coker never revealed the location but said it was buried under a fireplace at
an old abandoned cabin. This is too close to subject area to be a coincidence.
 

lastleg

Silver Member
Feb 3, 2008
2,876
657
Yes, a lot of caches put down in OK because that is where outlaws ran to
to escape from the law. Indian Territory was governed by Judge Parker at
Fort Smith, Arkansas before statehood. Indian tribes had law enforecement
officers too. It is probable that some of Parker's deputies "found" a few of
those shallow diggings. Not Rooster though. He was above that sort of
thing. :icon_pirat:
 

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