The Lost Adams Diggings was never lost

sdcfia

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mdog

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Many solutions have been offered, but the Lost Adams Diggings mystery - where it was located - has not yet been convincingly answered, IMO. I've been pondering the problem for decades and here is a paper that may help remove the confusion.

The Lost Adams Diggings
That is an excellent article, Steve. The pictures and maps were great and made the geography a lot easier to understand.

In his book, The Spider Rock Treasure, Steve Wilson gives a few pages to Jacob Snively and his discovery of a Spanish silver mine found in the region of the Spider Rock legend. Seems like the guy had good luck finding precious metals.

Thanks for the article.
 

mdog

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Sdcfia, on your map showing LAD search areas in New Mexico, the Zuni Mountains are shown. Do you know what might have directed the search to that area?

The Zuni Mountains and the Bear Creek and Pinos Altos locations are areas of interest to me.
 

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sdcfia

sdcfia

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Sdcfia, on your map showing LAD search areas in New Mexico, the Zuni Mountains are shown. Do you know what might have directed the search to that area?

The Zuni Mountains and the Bear Creek and Pinos Altos locations are areas of interest to me.
The Zuni Mountains are near the historically recent lava that covers the ground surface flow in that part of New Mexico. Some of the LAD stories mention "malpais" near the diggings. That term means "rough country", but many folks equate it to a lava flow.
 

Randy Bradford

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Having never been to New Mexico, I'm always amazed how much my research on various topics brings me back there. Steve, between this and that file you sent me some time back with all the Adams material in it (collected materials), I think you've epitomized the kind of thorough, thoughtful, and insightful research I wish a whole lot more folks on this forum could engage in. Hats off to ya sir...
 

mdog

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Mar 22, 2011
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The Zuni Mountains are near the historically recent lava that covers the ground surface flow in that part of New Mexico. Some of the LAD stories mention "malpais" near the diggings. That term means "rough country", but many folks equate it to a lava flow.
Sdcfia, thank you very much.
 

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sdcfia

sdcfia

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Having never been to New Mexico, I'm always amazed how much my research on various topics brings me back there. Steve, between this and that file you sent me some time back with all the Adams material in it (collected materials), I think you've epitomized the kind of thorough, thoughtful, and insightful research I wish a whole lot more folks on this forum could engage in. Hats off to ya sir...
Thanks Randy. We all like a mystery. When it comes to looking into these types of challenges, a person has to be open minded and willing to change his opinions when necessary. We'll probably never know all the facts on this one, but so far this is my working model.
 

Old Bookaroo

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Dec 4, 2008
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Many solutions have been offered, but the Lost Adams Diggings mystery - where it was located - has not yet been convincingly answered, IMO. I've been pondering the problem for decades and here is a paper that may help remove the confusion.

The Lost Adams Diggings

Howdy!

As you well know, I have spent a great many years studying the LAD. Your work is outstanding - right up there with Jack Purcell (although, obviously, more concise).

Well played, Sir! Well played!

For some time I've thought this placer deposit was a glory hole - as in so many other cases in the West, a fabulous find that was cleaned out by the discoverers. That is the story of a great many properties - the next mice don't get the cheese.

Good luck to all,

The Old Bookaroo
 

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sdcfia

sdcfia

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Howdy!

As you well know, I have spent a great many years studying the LAD. Your work is outstanding - right up there with Jack Purcell (although, obviously, more concise).

Well played, Sir! Well played!

For some time I've thought this placer deposit was a glory hole - as in so many other cases in the West, a fabulous find that was cleaned out by the discoverers. That is the story of a great many properties - the next mice don't get the cheese.

Good luck to all,

The Old Bookaroo
Thanks Fred. You may be right about the glory hole. If such an anomaly happened to be in Bear Creek, Snively may have had intel or suspicions before the Apaches drove the first rush of prospectors out of the area in 1862.
 

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