Lost Bear Creek Mine, Wallowa County Oregon

[adamgoldminer]

Hey guys,

Does anybody have any info on this one? It is in Northeastern Oregon and I can't seem to get a hold of any of the sources that mention this lost treasure also called Lost Bear Creek Gold, or Lost Nez Perce Mine/Gold.

I do know a couple of old timers (In their 80's/90's) here in the county that allegedly can corroborate the story of an indian coming to town once a year, and hiking into the wilderness for 3 or 4 days and coming back out w/ enough gold nuggets to last him until the next year.

-Adam

 

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[saleen87]

I have a book with that story in it when i get home i will list the name and author of the book for you.

 

[saleen87]

there is a good book for the northwest
buried treasure of the pacific northwest by w.c. jameson

copys of the book can be found on amazon for cheap

good luck

 

[Jeffro]

References are few for this one-

Michael Paul Henson says its on the east side of the wallawa mountains near Mt. Joseph. The Nez Perce mine and the John Cash mine are believed by many to be the same.

Penfield lists it as probably a myth, near Lostine River.

And Probert has a reference to Penfield only, saying its near Lostine.

WC Jameson seems to be the only reference I have where the story is told.

Jameson embellishes a bit, I think. So try to track down these-

lost treasure jan. 1992
lost treasure feb. 1991


Good luck, hope it helps some.

 

[adamgoldminer]

Thanks guys,

One of the old timers I met knew John Cash-Cash (as he calls him), and puts the mine farther west.

Thanks for the info, I'll try and track those down.

-Adam

 

[Bill R C]

story on the old indian

Thanks guys,

One of the old timers I met knew John Cash-Cash (as he calls him), and puts the mine farther west.

Thanks for the info, I'll try and track those down.

-Adam

The old Indian would stop at the bar in Joseph Oregon, pull out a gold nugget and get credit for it. Then he sat drinking until his credit was gone. He then headed back up through Lakes basin and people would follow trying to locate where he was getting the nuggets. Above Lakes basin he always lost his followers but would return in a 12 hour time with another nugget. This gave him enough time to cross the summit of the mountains to the Cornucopia side. So it is our beliefs that the nuggets were coming from the south side of the Wallowa's.
Bill RC Wallowa County Resident

 

[geezerdb]

I'm from that area- you are thinking of the 'mine' or placer gold producing area that is actually on or very near the Minam River, which is now in a 'wilderness' protection area. In the old days we could ride motorcycles up the river trail to Red's Horse Ranch which is a private holding now in the surrounding wilderness area. There have been folks who have searched that area for the placer gold but have come up empty handed. I suspect it is not actually on the Minam river, but on one of the creeks or gulches that empty into the river. There was/still is a hardrock mine on LeGore peak in the Eagle Cap wilderness area, which is just up Hurricane creek from Joseph, Oregon. I have been to that mine, but it is a hardrock mine, not placer. Perhaps there was some old float placer from that general area that ended up in LeGore Lake, or even down in Hurrican creek. There is also a mine on the face of Chief Joseph mountain, which is just behind my old home about 3 miles out of the town of Joseph. I have been to that mine, it is a hardrock mine that produced gold, silver and copper. Have found many nice samples of raw native copper from that mine, but never heard of anyone finding any placer gold in the general area. There is nice small placer gold in the Imnaha river area up river from the town of Imnaha near the NFS campgrounds of Ollicot and Blackhorse and a couple of other NFS campgrounds. The gold is placer and found by panning only, no dredging allowed, too bad 'cause I could dredge up some nice gold. It is thought that the gold found in the river is glacier gold that has been brought down from the headwaters of the Imnaha river. When Hell's Canyon dam was being put in the Snake river years ago, the divers who checked and cleaned the bedrock and placed the explosives for the dam footings were finding nice placer nuggets in the cracks of the river bedrock- know this first hand from someone who helped build the dam! So where did that gold wash down from? I have explored and panned some of the side creeks that feed into the Snake just above the dam on the Oregon side, but have not spent enough time and effort to really check out any potential sources. The old timers always told me that we needed about another 500-1000 years of geological time to expose the gold deposits in that area.

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

***** star report and post Geezer, Coffee ?

Don Jose de La Mancha

 

[geezerdb]

TTTramp, I was raised as a pet, and am not used to hard treatment, so I need my coffee 'watered' down with some chocolate and French Vanillia creamer. Some guys I know like thier coffee so rank that they don't drink it, they cut off a chunk and chew on it! But being the tenderfoot that I am, I gotta have that 'pinkey' coffee- you know, the kind you drink with your little pinkey held away from the cup so it won't get burned?

 

[joeyd99403]

logger who logged them surrounding hills. have a idea where it would be

I was talking to a friend tonight who owns 1800 acres in imnaha. I Googled imnaha Oregon gold and stumbled across this story. we logged in this area called whisky creek. well one winter we stumbled across what we thought was a bear den. being the dumb ass I was I wanted to check it out. well I had a flash light and shined the light in this hole that was oly about 4ft wide at the opening. it was so deep I couldn't see the end of it and went at least 30+ft deep. I noticed some old wood cribbing supports in it. never went never went in it was to scared of waking something up. I still know where it is. the place where we were at was in between lostine and wallowa straight east of there. also logged the minaham river and spotted a cave but never had a opportunity to check it out. sounds lots and lots of arrow heads while logging that river. I have since moved and currently living in okc. I have some logger buddy's tho I can contact that live there and can take you to those places if you are interested

Hey guys,

Does anybody have any info on this one? It is in Northeastern Oregon and I can't seem to get a hold of any of the sources that mention this lost treasure also called Lost Bear Creek Gold, or Lost Nez Perce Mine/Gold.

I do know a couple of old timers (In their 80's/90's) here in the county that allegedly can corroborate the story of an indian coming to town once a year, and hiking into the wilderness for 3 or 4 days and coming back out w/ enough gold nuggets to last him until the next year.

-Adam

 

[joeyd99403]

also logged big canyon which is looking over bear creek. know of some caves up there also. we logged it a yr or 2 after the fire. had to fight tooth n nail to let forest service let us log it. didn't put a dent in the burn they only gave up 100 acres.
only BTO logging can pull off the impossible

Hey guys,

Does anybody have any info on this one? It is in Northeastern Oregon and I can't seem to get a hold of any of the sources that mention this lost treasure also called Lost Bear Creek Gold, or Lost Nez Perce Mine/Gold.

I do know a couple of old timers (In their 80's/90's) here in the county that allegedly can corroborate the story of an indian coming to town once a year, and hiking into the wilderness for 3 or 4 days and coming back out w/ enough gold nuggets to last him until the next year.

-Adam

 

[Old Bookaroo]

Jeffro:

Your analysis is on the money. Henson and Penfield were "aggregators" not, in my book, really writers. Jameson is their literary heir - remarkably unreliable. He promises lots of original research in musty archives but never produces the goods.

I find Probert an excellent place to start - along with John Reed's Treasure Hunting Bibliography & Index to Periodical Articles (1989) because Reed avoided the "treasure" magazines.

Good luck to all,

~The Old Bookaroo

 

[zebediah]

Hey there Joey d I live in Joseph and am always looking for an adventure! I am very interested in the locations of the caves you found! Any chance you would like to share?

 

[Lion of Jericho]

Hello there. My great grandfather owned the old tavern in Joseph. His name was Augustus Staub. There is a story passed down about that native American that would use gold as credit at his tavern. After reading this I was amazed that I found others talking about it. I still have my grandfather and great grandmother who live there who told me the same story. My mother also told me stories of my great grandfather taking her to a specific area where he once found gold. Its now December of 2014 and this next August I will be venturing to the specific location. If I find anything, I will post it here.
There seems to be many myths to this specific story and I'm not sure what to believe, but, I know that my great grandfather made friends with this native and he had to of shared the location with him. After seeing this forum on the subject, I think I am onto something.

 

[arootdigger]

Was this before after the chinese massacre about maybe 1887-8. The gold was lost or missing. Or went with one of the thieves.

 

[oldhdrider]

Hey there Joey d I live in Joseph and am always looking for an adventure! I am very interested in the locations of the caves you found! Any chance you would like to share?

Zebediah, did you hear back? I'm the Lewiston/Clarkston area. Going over to Wallowa Lake camping in two weeks. Would love to do a lil hiking/panning/exploring around that area. Anyone else have some area's in mind around there that I could drown a gold pan in? thanks. Vince

 

[intelanalysist]

Ever get out to that spot? Ever find anything? I would love to try it sometime

 

[Oroblanco]

Ever get out to that spot? Ever find anything? I would love to try it sometime

Ditto, please bring us up to date? Thanks in advance;