Check this map for my accuracy

[Red_desert]

What legend is this? Here is one seems to be in Wyoming.
William Heber Robb and Clara Minnie Simmons: "I'm Sykes!"

Sykes often told Walter of the valuables he had stashed in a cave on his property. He never mentioned gold specifically, but used the word 'valuables'. He told Lowe he had been paid $50,000 in gold for his Tensleep (Paintrock) property.

Old Frank Sykes died alone in his cabin and was found a few days later, by Mr. Lowe, slumped on his bed with his gun belt hanging on the bed post. Friends and neighbors buried him near his cabin with his wife and baby. After his death people searched the caves for his gold. An old trunk was found along with an 1880 sewing machine (which was still usable in 1982), clothing, a 50-foot horsehair rope, a grubbing hoe, and some letters, but no gold.

 

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[aarthrj3811]

Hey coyote3...I would still check the area out...Just for the Dowsing experience you would gain...My experience with legends are that they are true but many of the facts have been changed...Art

 

[okiedowser]

Hey coyote3...I would still check the area out...Just for the Dowsing experience you would gain...My experience with legends are that they are true but many of the facts have been changed...Art

I'm with art on that, he has got the strongest signal there.

 

[Red_desert]

It does seem that later on stories may have been intentionally fabricated, changing details of the original legends.


Finally in June, 1994, the Lovell Chronicle published a story about the Crooked Creek Bogeyman which was a fabrication devised by Joseph H. NeVille and told to his young son as a means of extracting good behavior from the youngster.

Crooked Creek Country

Crooked Creek Country ? The Pryor Mountains

“After the turn of the century, most men in the northern Wyoming area did not wear guns, unless they were riding the open range or expecting trouble. Frank Sykes, however, wore his pistol all the time, up until the day he died.” Before Frank Sykes came to Crooked Creek, he lived among the Shoshone Indians in central Wyoming. He was a mountain man and a trapper. In the early 1890s, Sykes and his wife Ann Forsche, “squatted” on Lower Crooked Creek near Sykes Spring, just south of the “ceded strip.“ Sykes’ cabin is near the road that leads into the Dryhead. “He built the cabin on high ground, so as to command all approaches.” Sykes was suspicious of everyone, one reason he wore his pistol all the time.”


Dryhead Country
Dryhead Country - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

“Dryhead Country is a region in Carbon County and Big Horn County in southern Montana between Bighorn Canyon and the Pryor Mountains. The locale was named after the piles of dry bison skulls that accumulated at the base of a local buffalo jump. The Dryhead region starts near the Wyoming border in Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area and extends northward into the Crow Indian Reservation. Dryhead Creek drains a portion of the area, falling eastwards into Bighorn Canyon.”

 

[Red_desert]

What I really would want to see, is the Bighorn archaeological site at sunset. Such a beautiful photo of the setting sun over the mountain.

Native American & Cherokee Cultural Community - Bighorn Medicine Wheel Archaeological Site



Archaeologists have been studying this stone wheel (sun circle) at Bighorn, which I think comes closer to being like Stonehenge in symbolism, than any other in North America, Here is a link to the archaeological studies.

Archaeoastronomy North America

“A limestone rock circle with varying diameters of around 75 to 87 feet and a perimeter of 75 feet, the Bighorn Medicine wheel is formed by 28 spokes meeting at a central cairn 12 feet in diameter and 2 feet high, 5 smaller cairns lie around the rim of the circle where spokes radiating from the center meet the rim. Another spoke extends out of the circle for 13 feet and also ends in a cairn. The 28 spokes in the wheel give the approximate number of days in a lunar month. Dr Eddy was a solar astronomer at the High Altitude Observatory of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado when he discovered that the cairn at the end of the spoke extending out of the stone circle has a summer solstice sunrise alignment. The view from that cairn crosses the central cairn to see the summer solstice sunrise on a low ridge to the northeast. This also coincides with the circle's axis of symmetry. The significance of the summer solstice at the site is further shown when we take into account the fact that at the height of the wheel above sea level, the area is free of snow only for 2 months in summer during which the summer solstice takes place.”

 

[Red_desert]

Ok, I just sent this info to Signal line. T've still felt something else might be in caves, especially since a sun circle is found in the area.-----I found a sketch on one Cherokee site of the Manataka calendar stone which was at the sun circle in Arkansas. The info said it was a gift brought up by the Mayans from the south. Several caves where associated with the site. Many tribes made a pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime or every several years. Gifts left in some caves over more than 2,000 years made the site a treasure trove. The Native Americans accused the federal agents of confiscating the valuable artifacts and settlers looting the other caves.

The Crystal Cave and Six Sisters

Here is the story as told by Native Americans., at the Manataka American Indian Council website. Tells the whole about historical details.

Story of Mantaka

"The confiscation of Manataka by Jackson was an act contrary to the terms of the Louisiana Purchase and against the Constitution of the United States. The United States government promised the French, Spanish and native tribes in negotiations preceding the Louisiana Purchase the federal government would not violate sacred sites. The U.S. Supreme Court, Chief Justice Marshall, warned Jackson the government was prohibited by the Constitution to own land [There is still no provision in the Constitution for the government to own land]."

 

[Red_desert]

The buttons weren't showing up (message box), wanted to add a photo to the post above, for the sketch of "The Manataka Calendar Stone, Drawing circa 1870 "

 

[coyote3]

The buttons weren't showing up (message box), wanted to add a photo to the post above, for the sketch of "The Manataka Calendar Stone, Drawing circa 1870 "

Sorry about that Red Desert. I have been away and didnt check my post lately. The Medicine Wheel is about twenty miles away from this area. The Sykes story is correct. There is a lot of speculation on this. What were you sending things to Signal Lines on referring to this story could I ask? I usually dont ask anyone for help with my caches because then it becomes a big controversy and everyone in the country close to it will be snooping around and looking for it. I have been researching this story for over a year now, talking to various people. The area you have showed in the last picture post is or was not on his property. In fact I believe none of the hits thus far were. I will send another picture of his property.

 

[coyote3]

Yes Red Desert, I was reading some more research where the sewing machine was found. So all that we are looking for is his valuables. Sorry about that. I read it ten times and just missed it somehow...

 

[Red_desert]

I think Signal line found another version of the report for the found sewing machine. The one says it was found with stuff in his cabin, the other claims it was found in his cave. I still don't find anywhere the money had been recovered. Unless he got robbed in the cabin, the gold must be out there yet. Other ranches used to be across the top area of Bighorn rec area. Back then ranchers didn't trust banks or people, might be a couple of caches here and there.

 

[signal_line]

Red, I think you misunderstood me. I said I thought you must have read a different article. The link you posted may have been a bit unclear, but it said they looked for the cave. Then the next sentence said a truck was found and among other things, some sacks of seeds. There was no mention of it being found inside the cabin. Seeds are normally stored in a cool dark place.

The guy squatted on the desolate land and had no possessions. It doesn't add up. It's a prison trick to tell people you are rich so they are nice to you. $250 back then is like $30,000 now. That makes sense he sold the place for that. Then he spent it all.

 

[Red_desert]

Ok, the number of stories seem to be endless, one of the links had mentioned a trunk found in his cabin after he died, including a sewing machine.....I used a quote in one of the posts.

 

[coyote3]

The trunk was found in a cave along with the sewing machine, a 50 foot braided horsehair rope and within the trunk was a subscription to the New york Times. I know the people that own part of the property that he sold in Hyattville. In fact they are family friends. He owned over 4000 acres back then.

 

[Red_desert]

I see, sewing machine is found, thanks!

 

[coyote3]

Yes, sewing machine was found, by whom I have not figured out. The names of the people that supposedly found them died over 60 years ago. So why mention of a 1800's sewing machine that was still usable in 1982 if it was actually found in the 50's I am stumped on this one. Oh well more research I guess to figure out the real story.