17 Tons of gold in New Mexico

[Connecticut Sam]

#819 ... The out west have great views and fresh air. Maybe I check out ghost towns. There are not many in Connecticut.

 

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[Peerless67]

#819 ... The out west have great views and fresh air. Maybe I check out ghost towns. There are not many in Connecticut.

Hi Danny, being in Conneticut should not put you off. I live in London England, it makes it a little harder but not impossible although a little expensive travel wise.

 

[Connecticut Sam]

What kind of treasure hunting do you do in London England? Best of luck to you.

 

[GoldNeagle]

Back to the the type aircraft used; I had always heard that the pilot (and no, not Elliot) had used a Stearman Speedmail which had some very impressive performance with it's 525hp powerplant. Just recently, after reading this thread, did I start looking at the Trimotor which would make more sense. And the one pilot that could really fly the heck out of it, not only owned one during the years in question but was also, I'm sure, available for hire.

 

[Oroblanco]

WELCOME TO TREASURENET GoldNEagle!

 

[GoldNeagle]

I'm kind of surprised at the number of people who discount that the "Trabuco" gold was actually flown in. If I wanted to transport gold in the 1930's I'd certainly want to send it in by air myself as opposed to automobile or train. Everything transported by ground, even in the 30's, was subject to search at the border - and, if caught, the crime for transporting gold out of Mexico...well, you get the idea. And if you did slip across the border, there is still all those driving miles where you could get stopped by troopers. The latter could be avoided by rail I suppose. By flying the cache in you could avoid most risks. Even though there were some random inspections at major airfields, especially near the border, by flying to the less popular airfields you'd be fairly safe and the chances of someone discovering the precious cargo are greatly reduced - a method still preferred by smugglers even today.

 

[Olsoljer]

Not sure where you all are getting your information. Don't you find it strange that the equipment and tools were obtained in Bloomfield, NM, and the horse team and drag were rented in LaPlata? Also, the area to the west is predominately Navajo or Ute reservation and not ranch land? Also Trubaco said he buried it underground and covered the site with wood and tarpaper. He was the ONLY one who knew the location of the gold. The rock house place I believe you are talking about (with the bed springs) you will find all over the Navajo reservation, (not necessarily with bedsprings) they were where the sheepherders camped while taking their flock further out for feed. The flights are well documented leaving Mexico, but the airplane landed at night on a mesa (Quite a feat in itself). In the 1990s some fellow came in to fly and check for metal concentrations, and I don't believe he picked up anything. Never heard of anyone finding any of the gold bars. I lived in the Farmington area for about 13 years, and am firmly convinced they are looking in the wrong place, there is one (I believe) false assumption, and one fact not taken into consideration. In addition the pilot is a false lead, he flew the gold in and helped unload it, it was moved after he left to return for another load. If I can find it, I had quite a bit of information, the pilots wages were documented as well. Whichever of you has seriously searched for this stash, and is still interested, let me know. The Farmington newspaper had quite a write up about the search in the 90's.

 

[allenroyboy]

Don't you find it strange that the equipment and tools were obtained in Bloomfield, NM, and the horse team and drag were rented in LaPlata? Also, the area to the west is predominately Navajo or Ute reservation and not ranch land?

If I were trabuco, I'd get stuff from all over the place too, anywhere but close. And the land to the west was not always Indian land.

 

[Oroblanco]

WELCOME TO TREASURENET Olsoljer!!! <2 thumbs up!>

If I already gave you a welcome, just put me down for the forgetful one here, but the welcome stands. Your points are very good ones in my opinion, and a certain amount of source information without much documentation to support it. I don't go trusting someone claiming he found a stack of gold bars just on his word, regardless of how well I might respect the person. You can even ask my wife, for I would not believe it when she found a small metal tobacco tin box (cache) of gold nuggets just a few years ago until she showed it to me. I shook it and it sounded like a pack of pebbles in it but felt a bit heavy, and she was telling the truth. I could give an example of a somewhat similar case to the stories in circulation about Trabuco's gold in my own area, a rather famous stagecoach robbery of gold bars, which the locals will tell you that all the gold was found and recovered a long time ago; on doing some research on this, the truth was that some particular treasure hunters were seen digging in a likely area, and those who saw them made the assumptions about the gold was found - they found nothing. It took me twenty years to get at the bottom of this but that common knowledge has stopped quite a few treasure hunters from bothering to look, and it did not help things that one member of the team that supposedly found the gold, on learning what was being said of him, played right along with it. He is well off financially due to owning several oil wells on his property, not for any treasure found, and gets a good laugh out of it when people think he got that gold. Several bars of this one were in fact recovered, but the majority have never been found. (Two were taken in a bank in Nebraska where the robber's father worked, put on display, a third one was found sticking out of a river bank along the route of the bandits.) In this case, the jewelry was mostly recovered, and in the retelling the jewelry part of the loot getting found was taken to include everything, which was not the case. So, not trying to tell you what to do here but until we see some of those gold bars, we should at least hesitate before accepting that 16 tons of gold was found and recovered.

I don't know when this story grew an extra ton into 17 tons, the earliest version I have had it as 16 tons; I see now that the retelling of the story has now inflated it to 28 tons on one web site. Not that this is a large point to pick, but when such error starts creeping in, we can end up chasing our own tails and ending up with nothing. Sixteen tons of gold is a LOT of gold, and works out to a set number of flights by plane which was worked out in advance by Trabuco.

Good luck and good hunting amigos, I realize that some of our experts here will take issue with everything I just said but I will point out that it is my own opinions and experiences with treasure stories; we can not believe everything we hear, regardless of how popular it may be among people. I am convinced 100% that 16 tons of gold is still out there and equally sure that no one has found it, certainly not moved it. If we all stop looking, that will guarantee that it will not get found either. So again good hunting to you all, I am not hunting this one and I hope you find the treasures that you seek.
Oroblanco

PS - if you do find it, please snap a few photos, I will get almost as much kick out of that as if I found it myself to think one of you got it!

 

[ReconGuy]

Just joined TreasureNet and I am looking forward to getting out and doing some hunting! I am going to start on this, 17 tons of Gold! I live in Farmington, NM and I have plenty of free time, since I am taking this semester off. So I plan on being out there looking as much as possible! If anyone would like to join me, or key me in on any details, then I would really appreciate it! I also have some skills and tricks up my sleeves, to be completely honest, if I cannot find it then it probably doesn't exists! I really do have some skills! Well just email me if you wanna join me or give me any details and evidence that you may have and be willing to share! Thanks everyone and good luck! I will post any updates myself!

 

[Springfield]

Just joined TreasureNet and I am looking forward to getting out and doing some hunting! I am going to start on this, 17 tons of Gold! I live in Farmington, NM and I have plenty of free time, since I am taking this semester off. So I plan on being out there looking as much as possible! If anyone would like to join me, or key me in on any details, then I would really appreciate it! I also have some skills and tricks up my sleeves, to be completely honest, if I cannot find it then it probably doesn't exists! I really do have some skills! Well just email me if you wanna join me or give me any details and evidence that you may have and be willing to share! Thanks everyone and good luck! I will post any updates myself!

You've got a great attitude, RG, and you're located well for this legend. While I don't personally believe in the story as told, I do believe there is a large cache somewhere in the Four Corners area. One bit of advice: you really ought to ask permission if you intend to poke around on Reservation land or beyond locked gates. Be careful and good luck.

 

[Oroblanco]

WELCOME TO TREASURENET Reconguy! <2 thumbs up>

It sounds like you are in good position for a serious search, I wish you good luck and hope that you will keep us posted. I look forward to reading your posts, and I would only have one suggestion, that is not to presume that if you can't find it that it must not exist. Things can be very well hidden - so well that the original owners could not relocate them. They did a good job with this one so it will take a lot of leg work and a lot of luck. You have the right attitude though!
Oroblanco

 

[Indiana$Dirk]

<begin philosophy rant, ignore if you prefer>
Most people at the end of their lives, regret the things they never did, far more than the things they did. I don't have masses of wealth to show for having gone treasure hunting and prospecting, but would not trade a moment of the experiences for a million bucks. Just a personal thing, but I really believe that everyone ought to go out on a pure treasure hunt at least once in their lives. At the least, you will have a great story for the great-grandchildren.
<\end philosophy rant>

So true. Even though we spent hundreds of dollars on trips out to the site, and countless hours pouring over photographs and Google Earth and yet only found the empty cache sites, I wouldn't take it back for anything. Although we are disappointed to not have found the Spanish treasure, we did accomplish something few have done -- successfully decryping a 250 year old Spanish treasure map.... I&D

 

[RaduTepes]

Where is the ranch?

An old thread but worthy of a reply. I didn't hear of this story. Do you know where any further information can be found? Three bricks found so there are two left, 60 lbs each 120 pounds of gold. Even without the other three bricks a 120 lb haul would be nice. A topic of further study for sure!

 

[Roadquest]

All of the gold bars are not 60 lbs. many of them are of different weight. And most are of a weight less than 60 lbs.
Anyone care to comment on three target sites, for this gold in a giving area. PM or email me. A small part of this gold has
been found. I'm not talking about the three bars said to have been found.

Clayton Ramey

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

Morning Road Guy: Listening.

Don Jose de La Mancha

 

[rockhound]

The four corners gold cache is well documented. The story told is as close to the truth as can be determined. The government knows all about this treasure and keeps close tabs on any leads as it is in this country illegally and they will confiscate it at the very instant that someone finds and recovers it. From what I have researched and determined is that the treasure is on Indian land and most haven't access to that land. It would be a risky undertaking to try and remove it without getting caught. You could possibly remove a bar or two if found, and possibly return for another, until, over a period of time remove most of it. Keeping a low profile and not telling anyone anything about it. Be careful and good luck to whoever searches for it. rockhound

 

[Roadquest]

Evening Don Jose,.... 11 of the gold bars have been found. Not at 60 pounds. less than half that.
But, to see them stacked together, was a beautiful site. I can't say who found them, for obvious reasons.
The rest is yet out there. Or some of it. I don't know everything about the other people searching for this.
They could have very well found some of it. What I do know, is there are some target sites, that are of interest
to me.

Take care my friend....Clayton Ramey

 

[American]

All of the gold bars are not 60 lbs. many of them are of different weight. And most are of a weight less than 60 lbs.
Anyone care to comment on three target sites, for this gold in a giving area. PM or email me. A small part of this gold has
been found. I'm not talking about the three bars said to have been found.

Clayton Ramey

Any updates ?

 

[Roadquest]

[h=3]Gary Peerless ?[/h]