Treasure Mountain, CO - Lost Frenchmens Gold

tamrock

Gold Member
Jan 16, 2013
14,939
29,768
Colorado
Detector(s) used
Bounty Hunter Tracker IV
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Tamrock. do you think they came in from the Arkansas with a plan to return toward the Missouri River?
You posted this segment earlier in the thread. I've had thoughts they originally entered Colorado via the South Platte and eventually explored the Arkansas entering at where Pueblo is today and where the Natives then became suspicious seeing such a large party of French then poking around what then was Spanish territory. The rumors of the French activities finally made it to the Spanish in Santa Fe who were more that likely not please a large French mining exposition entered their territory secretly and unauthorized. I believe they had planned to return to Leavenworth the same way via the Platte River as it was a route they were more familiar with. Also maybe less hostile natives may have been encountered returning that way due to trade relations the French had already established. Things I believe had possibly changed on their return down the Arkansas to Pueblo maybe between Salida and Canon City, as that's where the Native forces under the instructions of the Spanish attacked the Frenchman. Being so many of the French were picked off the very few who got out alive after they cached some of the gold they then choose to maybe follow the Arkansas route via what would become the Santa Fe route. That would have been a more direct route back to Leavenworth rather than heading north to connect again at the S. Platte route which taking that route may have had its consequences also weather wise due to the seasons change, having then so little supplies left after the attacks they encountered they needed to rethink their situation on how it would be best to make it back to Leavenworth alive.
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot_20240402_212810_Outlook.jpg
    Screenshot_20240402_212810_Outlook.jpg
    221.1 KB · Views: 14

mdog

Bronze Member
Mar 22, 2011
2,340
4,392
You posted this segment earlier in the thread. I've had thoughts they originally entered Colorado via the South Platte and eventually explored the Arkansas entering at where Pueblo is today and where the Natives then became suspicious seeing such a large party of French then poking around what then was Spanish territory. The rumors of the French activities finally made it to the Spanish in Santa Fe who were more that likely not please a large French mining exposition entered their territory secretly and unauthorized. I believe they had planned to return to Leavenworth the same way via the Platte River as it was a route they were more familiar with. Also maybe less hostile natives may have been encountered returning that way due to trade relations the French had already established. Things I believe had possibly changed on their return down the Arkansas to Pueblo maybe between Salida and Canon City, as that's where the Native forces under the instructions of the Spanish attacked the Frenchman. Being so many of the French were picked off the very few who got out alive after they cached some of the gold they then choose to maybe follow the Arkansas route via what would become the Santa Fe route. That would have been a more direct route back to Leavenworth rather than heading north to connect again at the S. Platte route which taking that route may have had its consequences also weather wise due to the seasons change, having then so little supplies left after the attacks they encountered they needed to rethink their situation on how it would be best to make it back to Leavenworth alive.
Something else you might consider. the story about the Spanish mining gold in the mountains and trading with the Padoucas took place about 1720. So there were Spanish miners in the mountains, probably near Pueblo. What if the Spanish were mining illegally and the French were there to transport gold to the Mississippi River by way of the Platte River. I've found evidence. in eastern Iowa that some group, using trail markers, were moving from west to east along the 41 deg latitude, which would pretty much follow the Platte River from the Rocky Mountains. The markers are like those described by Kenworthy in his books about Spanish trail markers. The latitude of the trail was recorded by a Jesuit priest during the late 17th century. At that time, the Jesuits of New France were trying to find an east/west route that would take them to the gold mines of the mythical kingdom of Teguayo. The Spanish thought Teguayo was located in northern Utah. So the Spanish were mining in the northern Rockies and the Jesuits from New France were trying to locate those mines. But, maybe they already knew where the mines were because there were also Jesuit priests in what is now Arizona. Just something to think about.
 

tamrock

Gold Member
Jan 16, 2013
14,939
29,768
Colorado
Detector(s) used
Bounty Hunter Tracker IV
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Something else you might consider. the story about the Spanish mining gold in the mountains and trading with the Padoucas took place about 1720. So there were Spanish miners in the mountains, probably near Pueblo. What if the Spanish were mining illegally and the French were there to transport gold to the Mississippi River by way of the Platte River. I've found evidence. in eastern Iowa that some group, using trail markers, were moving from west to east along the 41 deg latitude, which would pretty much follow the Platte River from the Rocky Mountains. The markers are like those described by Kenworthy in his books about Spanish trail markers. The latitude of the trail was recorded by a Jesuit priest during the late 17th century. At that time, the Jesuits of New France were trying to find an east/west route that would take them to the gold mines of the mythical kingdom of Teguayo. The Spanish thought Teguayo was located in northern Utah. So the Spanish were mining in the northern Rockies and the Jesuits from New France were trying to locate those mines. But, maybe they already knew where the mines were because there were also Jesuit priests in what is now Arizona. Just something to think about.
Sure, Knowledge of an east-west overland route via the Platte River is an ancient one and was used for centuries by the native peoples. It was used in 1720 during the Villasur expedition.
 

mdog

Bronze Member
Mar 22, 2011
2,340
4,392
Mdog I have to say I am quite impressed by your research sir. The photo is of the Rio Grande pyramid. I know people would love for me to talk about this but I have broken my golden rule and I have a partner. Until our recovery is made and everyone is safe I cannot say anything. I will tell you this sir we had located in mine up there years ago but the portal was froze 20 feet in by solid ice. Whether it was French or Spanish we could not determine it at that time. I will tell you this though the French were assimilated by the Spanish. Could you imagine The French going back and telling the king he had just sold land that was a huge producer of gold. They would’ve been dead man when they return to France.
Cyzak, thank you very much, sir. That's an interesting story.
I don't know if you have found any carvings up there, but I can tell you what I've found, and maybe something in common. Instead of using ORO for gold, they used OR, the French word for gold. They used measurements in inches and they would add single digits, for example, a 67 in. measurement they would change to 6+7=13. They used a lot of 13s and 33s. They used a lot of owl carvings and a couple of good sized hearts.
Have you ever come across any real rough, whitish/grey stone, more white than grey, with a lot of crystallization.
About 1720, a raiding party of Hochunks attacked a pack train of Black Robes, southwest of their tribal regions in Wisconsin. They told an English explorer that the Black Robes were transporting white stones. The Englishman thought they were talking about Spaniards but it could be that the Indians attacked Jesuits. One of the markers my partner found was made out of a whitish/grey stone and about a dozen more of the same kind of rock, were buried under another marker. She found them along the trail I've been studying and this trail is southwest of where the Hochunk lived.
 

cyzak

Bronze Member
Jul 14, 2018
2,342
3,803
Mountains of Western Colorado
Detector(s) used
Garrett, General Mathematics, Geometry,Pentax,,Do the math it's there.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Cyzak, thank you very much, sir. That's an interesting story.
I don't know if you have found any carvings up there, but I can tell you what I've found, and maybe something in common. Instead of using ORO for gold, they used OR, the French word for gold. They used measurements in inches and they would add single digits, for example, a 67 in. measurement they would change to 6+7=13. They used a lot of 13s and 33s. They used a lot of owl carvings and a couple of good sized hearts.
Have you ever come across any real rough, whitish/grey stone, more white than grey, with a lot of crystallization.
About 1720, a raiding party of Hochunks attacked a pack train of Black Robes, southwest of their tribal regions in Wisconsin. They told an English explorer that the Black Robes were transporting white stones. The Englishman thought they were talking about Spaniards but it could be that the Indians attacked Jesuits. One of the markers my partner found was made out of a whitish/grey stone and about a dozen more of the same kind of rock, were buried under another marker. She found them along the trail I've been studying and this trail is southwest of where the Hochunk lived.
Mdog Sir what I find are in Roman numerals,would it be possible for you to provide a photo of the ore that was discovered by your partner.If you can I might provide a photo of what I have discovered Sir.
 

mdog

Bronze Member
Mar 22, 2011
2,340
4,392
Mdog Sir what I find are in Roman numerals,would it be possible for you to provide a photo of the ore that was discovered by your partner.If you can I might provide a photo of what I have discovered Sir.
Thank you, sir. Here's a picture of a couple of the rocks. They're rough with a lot of small crystals in them. Probably nothing but I thought it odd that several were buried under a marker. Also, a larger stone was used as a marker. Thanks again.
rock.jpg
 

mdog

Bronze Member
Mar 22, 2011
2,340
4,392
Randy Bradford, it's possible that anything that was moved through eastern Iowa, during the 1700s, might have come from the Rocky Mountains and more likely than not, had French involvement. If the rock that I posted can be identified, maybe an assay can tell what part of the Rockies they came from. Thank you sir.
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top