Video 5 - Explorations at Herman Petrashs Cabin

[RG1976]

With much excitement, Frank and I are proud to offer Video 5 - continuing on from video 4, where we touched on Herman Petrash's cabin site.

We hope that by posting this video that conversations remain productive, respectful, and constructive.

Special thanks to Tom Kollenborn for his research that I used in this video. He's a great guy and a lot of fun to spend time with.




-Ryan & Frank

 

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[Las Vegas Bob]

Excellent video adventure for us to enjoy, good narration very informative, loved the intro pictures great job guys. And nice find Ryan.

 

[Azquester]

Good Adventure you two!

Anytime spent finding old stuff is time well spent!

I enjoyed the Video and what you found was cool!

Hey if you guys want to I would like to give you the large red sandstone I found to see if it matches the Stone you have and the Stone Maps. It's still laying there waiting for someone to take it. Other samples too.

And when you do your investigation of the Treasure of Tumacacori I know spots associated with it no one else has seen.

I may be going back up where the stone maps were found this weekend for another sweep with my detector. Also I have a pic of the same type of hole that Travis dug only in a different area.

Great Video good work!

View attachment 1171171 View attachment 1171172

 

[RG1976]

That's very kind of you to offer Bill.

I've seen your videos as well - but am unsure where you filmed. I know where the small bridge is that you shot - but your desert footage - it doesn't look like where frank and I were.

I'll be posting video 6 - about the stone maps - in a few days. Let's pick up that conversation then?

Glad you liked our video and thanks for the support.

LV Bob. Thanks to you as well. I seem to find the strangest stuff - but to me - they're so cool. Potential pieces of history and legend.

 

[sgtfda]

In episode 6 I will be searching near and in the holes. Seeing if there are any metal artifacts that can help date the site. Whoever dug those holes spent some time there. Stuff from the late 40's the Travis period would be interesting.

 

[Las Vegas Bob]

In episode 6 I will be searching near and in the holes. Seeing if there are any metal artifacts that can help date the site. Whoever dug those holes spent some time there. Stuff from the late 40's the Travis period would be interesting.

Looking forward to it.

 

[somehiker]

Loved it Ryan. Very well done and the still photos you selected went a long way toward enhancing the storyline.
It was great seeing Frank in action again, so say hi to him for me. I was contemplating sending you a PM suggesting you consider digging at the base of the saguaro, but seeing as you guys have already done so. I'll send an e-mail with some other ideas I had re: the markings on the Saguaro.
You may not have found the gold this time,but a soup can once full of nails

and a heel plate from Julia's dancing shoe, is nothing to sneeze at.

Regards:SH.

 

[RG1976]

Loved it Ryan. Very well done and the still photos you selected went a long way toward enhancing the storyline.
It was great seeing Frank in action again, so say hi to him for me. I was contemplating sending you a PM suggesting you consider digging at the base of the saguaro, but seeing as you guys have already done so. I'll send an e-mail with some other ideas I had re: the markings on the Saguaro.
You may not have found the gold this time,but a soup can once full of nails

and a heel plate from Julia's dancing shoe, is nothing to sneeze at.

Regards:SH.

Frank - Wayne says hi!

Wayne - read your email. I think you may be on to something!

 

[sgtfda]

Hi Wayne. You defrost yet? Hermans shack site is interesting. To have something that was Hermans is so cool. Herman collected every piece of metal plate he could find and nailed it on his shack. A metal detecting nightmare. Herman died unexpectedly. He also told Garman he had a little cash well hidden. I'll be back.

 

[Old]

Ryan, could I suggest an alternate idea for the shoe heel?

This will require a little background ......... I raise and ride horses. Always have, to some degree probably will till the day I die. Still have 3. My Arabian stallion and my two Quarter horse reining horses.

I have ridden anything and everything I could get my hands on. That includes rough stock (rodeo stock) up to and including Arabian national level Park horses. Park horses are the peacock, high trotting horses. Have done varying things from barrel racing to world class over fences. National level reining and cutting horses. Been there, done that. Still do that, but to a lesser degree. Competing with the horses is mainly what brought me, from time to time, to the Southwestern states. Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Scottsdale. AZ, as well as the plains area of Canada.

Doesn't mean I'm right about my guess. Just means that I do have some working experience in what I'm going to tell you. You could be ABSOLUTELY right that its a Victorian women's shoe heel. Just humor me a moment.

What I think you are looking at is a high heel, forward slung, cowboy boot heel. They are gender neutral. Although these days you can buy women's models and men's models there isn't any difference in the actual construction. Just depends on if you want them with pink accent bows <g>. They have very narrow heels that do not reach to the margins of the normal sole but fit under the body of the shoe. They are made specifically for riding. Unlike the Sinatra song "These boots are made for walkin". These type boots are made for riding. The heel on them is about 2 inches. Regardless if its a 6' 2" cowboy or a 5' 2" cowgirl.

The forward slung angle of the heel positions the foot forward and in correct balance in the stirrup. It also accommodates a large rowel spur and correctly positions your foot to keep the spur off when you don't want to engage it and to engage it with the full support of the heel when you do want it. The bad part about these style boots is, they aren't worth crap for walking. The heel is angled and narrows down to where it comes in contact with the ground. The heel of your foot is actually bigger than the area of the boot heel that comes in contact with the ground. Feels like you are walking on the head of a railroad spike. Because of their shape and where your weight hits the ground they are famous for breaking away from the boot. Just like the one in the video has separated from the boot.

Here's a good representative photo.


If you want to look it up its called a high heel style cowboy boot and I think the shape of the heel is called "Cuban style".


Now as to the metal "tap". This is where my redneck youth comes into play. Metal taps were all the rage in the 40's, 50's and into mid 60's. Just like what you are looking at. I can easily imagine old Herman applying a full metal tap to keep from having the boots re-heeled. Originally for dancers, regular folks adopted them to save shoe leather.

We, as kids, used them on every shoe we could fit them to.

 

[sgtfda]

That thought occurred to me.

 

[vor]

Aaahhh! Another infomercial

Loved the first 4 videos. This infomercial.....not so much. Your unbiased reporting/viewpoint was refreshing. I am sure that we will be hearing more about your great equipment in the future. 30 minutes of MDing junk? Sure glad you guys had that fantastic super duper Tesoro to do the job!
Hope you rethink this "sponsorship" thing.
V

 

[RG1976]

Lynda,

First - I have to tell you THANK YOU. You have consistently been a part of my video threads - and each and every time you offer extraordinary insight and commentary. TreasureNet is lucky to have you - as well as all of us that have the opportunity to read your posts. I learn so much - and I'm confident that others do as well.

So - the heel. You bring some good points. We have to look back at the players in this part of the legend. We have Herman, known as a recluse - living in the "middle of nowhere" - close to the mountains where he lived his life in search of Old Jacob's mine. We also know, as one of the extremely few facts concerning this legend, that he was associates with Julia Thomas.

We are told that Herman did in fact ride a horse(s) all over the range - as did many back in that era. So regardless of male / female - I think all of us agree its from a boot or shoe.

When I showed Frank what I found - and given the size of the heel, he immediately thought it was too small to be from a man's boot / shoe. In any video, its always hard to see / understand dimensions - so I have taken some photos of the heel, and attached them here to this thread.

Going to your point - could this be Herman's boot? Yes....it could! After all, we did find it at his house.

Is it possible that it was Julia's boot? Yes .... it could be as well! We do know those two worked together (albeit briefly, before Julia threw in the towel and started selling fake maps)

Now I dont have the experience that you do when it comes to riding, but I understand the concept you are proposing. If this was infact a "cowboy / cowgirl" boot - I believe the stirrup would have scratched / damaged the front facing part of the heel. Riding around in that rugged terrain - I would imagine you'd be holding on for dear life not to fall off. I do not see those types of markings on the heel I found.

In today's world - a lot of people wear boots and drive big lifted 4x4 trucks - and like to look rugged - but thats 2015. Back in the late 1800s / early 1900s I dont believe people would wear these boots for "fun" - they would be a tool, and used as a tool.

So that's my take on it right now - you could be 100% correct - my only argument is that I dont see enough wear from a stirrup to believe that this was a cowboy(girl) boot.

I so appreciate you!! We've got an incredible complex here in Scottsdale called Westworld - and if you ever make it out here, let me know. I'd love to take you on a tour of all the sites from my videos. The only rule is, and its Frank's not mine, is you'd have to wear a blindfold when we take you to Herman's house. Very few know where it is =)

 

[somehiker]

Loved the first 4 videos. This infomercial.....not so much. Your unbiased reporting/viewpoint was refreshing. I am sure that we will be hearing more about your great equipment in the future. 30 minutes of MD before your find? Sure glad you guys had that fantastic Tesoro to do the job!
Hope you rethink this "sponsorship" thing.
V

The equipment is constantly improving, which wouldn't happen without buyers.
Advertising, word of mouth and well done demonstrations bring the customers to the showroom.
Time is money and Frank and Ryan are spending a lot of their own time to bring these videos to the table.
And the equipment they are using, though donated by their sponsor, wasn't really free to any of the parties involved.
Don't rain on their day off please.

 

[vor]

That thought occurred to me.

Guess that makes that fetish a little kinkier?
V

 

[RG1976]

Loved the first 4 videos. This infomercial.....not so much. Your unbiased reporting/viewpoint was refreshing. I am sure that we will be hearing more about your great equipment in the future. 30 minutes of MDing junk? Sure glad you guys had that fantastic super duper Tesoro to do the job!
Hope you rethink this "sponsorship" thing.
V

Vor,

Glad you liked the first 4 videos - appreciate the compliment.

Tesoro makes great equipment (as witnessed by their online user reviews) and a big part of legend / treasure hunting is using a detector. I am sorry that you found footage dealing with metal detecting to be boring. I can understand - I think of the same thing while watching golf tournaments and fishing shows.

Thankfully, this is a treasure website where the vast majority of folks use detectors - and enjoy learning different styles / ways to prospect.

Appreciate the comment!

 

[vor]

The equipment is constantly improving, which wouldn't happen without buyers.
Advertising, word of mouth and well done demonstrations bring the customers to the showroom.
Time is money and Frank and Ryan are spending a lot of their own time to bring these videos to the table.
And the equipment they are using, though donated by their sponsor, wasn't really free to any of the parties involved.
Don't rain on their day off please.

Call it what you want but it certainly influences the videos.
V

 

[somehiker]

Hi Wayne. You defrost yet? Hermans shack site is interesting. To have something that was Hermans is so cool. Herman collected every piece of metal plate he could find and nailed it on his shack. A metal detecting nightmare. Herman died unexpectedly. He also told Garman he had a little cash well hidden. I'll be back.

I'll bet it is.
Take the custom big coil out there Frank. The more it's worth, the deeper it might be.
Same thing for the next time out at QC....especially around the deep holes.
Let Ryan do the diggin though, if it's down aways.

Regards:Wayne

 

[vor]

Vor,

Glad you liked the first 4 videos - appreciate the compliment.

Tesoro makes great equipment (as witnessed by their online user reviews) and a big part of legend / treasure hunting is using a detector. I am sorry that you found footage dealing with metal detecting to be boring. I can understand - I think of the same thing while watching golf tournaments and fishing shows.

Thankfully, this is a treasure website where the vast majority of folks use detectors - and enjoy learning different styles / ways to prospect.

Appreciate the comment!

Ryan
Yes, the first 4 were refreshing.

Most of us have spent countless hours digging trash and spending another 30 minutes of our life watching others is not really that exciting. Your critique of the Legend show was all together a different experience and much welcomed.

I suggest you stay the original course to keep your fan club. I was a member.

Best of luck, and hope you find what you are seeking.

V

 

[dog the treasure hunter]

Great job Ryan and Frank, I really enjoyed the video's. Its got me all fired up for some treasure hunting,that digging had me locked on the screen,wondering what was gonna show up. Looks like iam gonna have to go out treasure hunting this weekend. Thanks.