Campground in Scotts Mills lets you MD where a payroll stage exploded!

[Born Free]

I'm planning a road trip with a popup trailer to some old towns SW Oregon and came across this campground in the area. Apparently on the spot where the campground is, a stage coach with payroll money in it was robbed. The stage was then TNT'd, causing stuff to fly everywhere. When you stay at the campground you can MD for it, tho they charge $20 a day for the priviledge. What a hoot! Might check it out next MDing season. Called Camp Dakota Campground.
Part of the headline:
STAGE HOLDUP AT CAMP DAKOTA ENDS IN GIANT EXPLOSION. THOUSANDS OF COINS FROM GOLD MINE PAYROLL SCATTERED OVER ENTIRE AREA!
Fierce band of outlaws led by notorious outlaw Chief Crooked Finger attacks stage. Huge explosions results.
Tragedy struck last month at the small mining community of Camp Dakota near Scotts Mills, Oregon. An undisclosed amount of cash was scattered over a large area as a result of a huge explosion. Several Wells Fargo stage hands were injured when the stage they were driving exploded.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

A History of Mining on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska - Grab it through Amazon!

[calisdad]

That is a hoot. Is the $20 on top of a CG fee?

 

[Tuberale]

Several interesting things about this tale.

First, according to Lewis McArthur's Oregon Geographic Names, there is no Camp Dakota in Oregon.

Second, Scotts Mills is located in Marion County. Scotts Mills was the site of a sawmill plus flour mill operated by Robert Hall Scott and Thomas Scott, established about 1866.

I have never heard of a "Chief Crooked Finger". Nor am I aware of such a person in an "outlaw" band in Oregon.

There was no Indian uprisings in Marion County that I know of. Almost all Indian Wars were either in Southern Oregon or east of the Cascade Mountains.

There is, however a Scottsburg located in Douglas County, which could be construed as being SW Oregon I suppose. At least part of it, anyway. Lower Scottsburg was destroyed by flood in 1861. Levi Scott, who founded Scottsburg in 1850, was also the postmaster of Myrtle City, which if not Scottsburg was at least very close to it.

Online I was able to find reference to a Camp Dakota Campground, about 9 miles from Scotts Mills. Again in Oregon Geographic Names I found an entry for Crooked Finger Prairie, also in Marion County, said to bear the name of a Molalla Indian. Molalla is not too far from Scotts Mills. According to McArthur, Crooked Finger died either at the Grand Ronde agency (Grand Ronde Reservation) or near the Clackamas River. All very curious. Before persuing this treasure, it will be necessary to find out when/where/who caused it.

Here's another curiosity: TNT, also known as trinitrotolulene, was first created in 1863. Dynamite was patented in 1867 by Alfred Nobel. Don't think either was readily available until a few years later, which is why most hard-rock mining took off in the 1870s.

 

[Fishenfool]

I rented a yurt at Camp dakota about 4 years ago, they didnt have this fee back then. My buddy and I ask if we could md, and they said sure go ahead. We hit the whole campground pretty hard for two days and found alot of clad and one sterling ring. The next year they started charging and renting MDs. I think they made the story up about the stage coach to make money off their fees.

 

[dbritt57]

Someone lying to make money?? say it aint so...sounds like a fish story to me.

 

[Newtzlaw]

Scotts Mills, Oregon

I have family who lives in Scotts Mills. My son and I go up once a year to visit. I will say that I have definitely seen signs that included "Crooked Finger," up there. Could be a Chief I suppose, but could just be the shape of something. Last year, we stayed overnight at Camp Dakota, which is a privately owned camping grounds with sites for tents, yurt rentals and RV parking. Along with this, they have a little shop that caters to families. Panning for gold and stones (planted, of course), a ropes course, paint ball, zip lining AND metal detector rental. I can't recall, but I am guessing the MD rental is about $20 and that's what they are referring to. We did this and found various coins and detectable knick knacks.... but I feel pretty certain that it was all set up that way for the kids. No idea about the stage coach story.