Interesting Elliott Co. Report

[EC.Mason]

Hey all been awhile since I posted on here. I hope everyone is doing ok. I ran across this geology report from 1886 about Elliott County. It's actually pretty interesting. The screen shots I took (I'll also add the link) shows a couple pictures of Caney Creek as well as the author discussing an old furnace found on Creech Creek which eventually dumps in the Little Sandy. Anyways he says he don't know what it was used for though it could have been for silver but he thinks most likely iron. He also said that locals had no idea where it came from and assumed it was from natives. Just thought it was interesting to find a reference to a furnace that was old even in 1886 and hearing the word silver. Here are some screen shots and I'll add the link..

 

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[EC.Mason]

Here's the link

Report on the geology of Elliott County / by A.R. Crandall ; also, notes on the trap dikes of Elliott County, by A.R. Crandall and J.S. Diller.

Report on the geology of Elliott County / by A.R. Crandall ; also, notes on the trap dikes of Elliott County, by A.R. Crandall and J.S. Diller., University of Kentucky Libraries - ExploreUK

exploreuk.uky.edu

 

[EC.Mason]

Here's another report from a year later and it shows a map where the furnace was at. I'm gonna have to go hunt this up here's a link to this document as well.

 

[EC.Mason]

This link is to a neat article about the "diamond mines" here in Elliott. I've been to the old mine with a buddy of mine who was my science teacher when I was in high school. He would pick up all kinds of different things.

Peridotite of Elliott County, Kentucky | U.S. Geological Survey

No abstract available.

www.usgs.gov

 

[KY Hiker]

Nice find, if you get pictures of the furnace post one please!

 

[EC.Mason]

Nice find, if you get pictures of the furnace post one please!

Hey bud I sure will. I compared the map to maps on google and there has be n some slight name changes on the creeks
but matched it up pretty well.

The Critches creek in the map is not called Hamilton Branch . "Isom" is now "Ison" creek. Hard to believe but the guy it's named after was actually named Isom Isom. He was one of the earliest settlers here in Elliott Co and a lot of history on him. Yeah this location is deep in Elliott County . It's actually kinda closer to the so called diamond mines then the so called silver mines on Caney here.

Not sure what's true or not just interesting to me the age of the document being from the 1880s saying an old furnace was found and people then thought the natives did it because it was old.

The Elliott County area was first documented as being settled in the 1820s. Of course this was eh n th modern Elliott was a part of Morgan, Carter and Lawrence Counties . Where the furnace is supposed to be. Based on what I know about the area would have been in close to the old Lawrence and Carter County lines .

Anyways . My thinking is .. and I'm not very smart so take that in mind lol; there is a government document from 1886 about geology who took the time to discuss an old furnace they found and mentioned silver and said it was possible. They did not mention gold. That's always been my issue with this legend being a totally fake. Why would you say silver and not gold? But anyways I'll argue that later.

A furnace in 1886 in Elliott County was considered old. People in the Elliott area had been there since at the very least 1820. People in those days told stories from old . That's all they had to do . There was no TV or phones. Many people born around or before/after 1820 would have been alive in 1886 yet this gov government takes the time to mention it. Not only in 1886 but a year later they use it in 1887 and consider it like a starting point. I'll send that document. Give me just a minute to find it .But, if Elliott County area people didn't know about who built an old furnace in 1886 in the heart of silver mine legends and an actual diamond mine (so called because none have been found apparently 😐 that's another story ) and the author says the people he talked to thought it was the Indians and the author says it's old. Those people who talked to this survevor were probably old guys. And if not sins who heard the old stories . But this furnace is old . For the author to mention it in a geological report is impressive in my mind. And I'm sure someone is gonna show another report where the author talks about other places and that's fine . Not here to argue nor won't. I don't even fully believe in silver being here in Eastern Ky. I'm probably 30% yes 70% no. But whatever happened with that furnace ... It was old in 1886. The people around thought natives did it. So it should have been there from at the latest 1820 when people moved there ducj as Isom Isom who is one of the first settlers here . So if no on in 1820 knew where it came from and passed it on .... And believe me I'm from eastern Ky and we even makeup stories to full gaps in history but yet the people the author met in 1886 didn't. .. something was going on .I don't think there was nor is major silver mines in KY. But I do believe something was going.. I can go on and on but I'll stop .

 

[Curtis]

Hi Mason, great stuff! I'm surprised they didn't do a detailed analysis of the contents of the furnace...just to see if it was iron or silver. It would be exciting to do that. It looks like it's about 2-3 miles from Caney creek? That sure would fit the Indians story about the 6 silver mines. One, the closest was near the point where Caney empties into the little Sandy. Seems like a long way to carry the ore, but Swift said he did it. Wonder who we see about checking it out....do you know who owns the property?

 

[detectorcowboy]

That's very cool.

 

[EC.Mason]

Hi Mason, great stuff! I'm surprised they didn't do a detailed analysis of the contents of the furnace...just to see if it was iron or silver. It would be exciting to do that. It looks like it's about 2-3 miles from Caney creek? That sure would fit the Indians story about the 6 silver mines. One, the closest was near the point where Caney empties into the little Sandy. Seems like a long way to carry the ore, but Swift said he did it. Wonder who we see about checking it out....do you know who owns the property?

Hey ole friend I hope you are well. Yeah I wished they gave more details on it. I thought it was cool they mentioned it in two different documents and how locals said they thought natives built it so it was old to them. I'm not sure who owns the land but I put it side by side with a modern map and it seems to match what is now called Hamilton Branch or creek. It's deep in the hills here but a road runs on Hamilton Branch so may not be hard to find.

 

[Curtis]

Hii Mason!

I will check it out next time mi I'm the area. I take it that is the one near Sandy Hook. As the crow flies its 6 miles from the six Indian mines I found. Might be too far to take that particular silver ...but it's still a possibility it could lead to another mine? Since I just retired, that might be something to get me out of the house. Lol.

 

[EC.Mason]

Hii Mason!

I will check it out next time mi I'm the area. I take it that is the one near Sandy Hook. As the crow flies its 6 miles from the six Indian mines I found. Might be too far to take that particular silver ...but it's still a possibility it could lead to another mine? Since I just retired, that might be something to get me out of the house. Lol.

Yeah definitely be good to check out man. Glad you got to retire. It does spark my interest . Let me know when you are back to Elliott. God bless brother.

 

[Brushy Bandit]

Yeah definitely be good to check out man. Glad you got to retire. It does spark my interest . Let me know when you are back to Elliott. God bless brother.

Sweet, map. Never saw this one. Big 4 store is there where school sits it looks like.
My family farm is just across a ridge or 2 from this area. I've been all over this on 4-wheeler & foot, used to have a peanut butter jar 1/2 full of garnets from the diamond mine area.

 

[Brushy Bandit]

Sweet, map. Never saw this one. Big 4 store is there where school sits it looks like.
My family farm is just across a ridge or 2 from this area. I've been all over this on 4-wheeler & foot, used to have a peanut butter jar 1/2 full of garnets from the diamond mine area.

Ison creek is full of the garnets, bb size & smaller, mostly deep red to very light red, with a few stones that are green, yellow, or orangish. Can pick em out of catches in the creek all day everyday.