LUE Map, Kanab, and Robert O. Burch Book connection

[TTTeller]

Hi,

I’m looking for anyone who has information on the book by Robert O. Burch called the Spanish Trail of Gold? I understand this is a rare book and heavily sought after item. However, I’m specifically interested in speaking to someone regarding its author and the authors family.

I am interested to know of the Kanab connection- couldn’t find anything written on this.

There are a lot of different connections I’ve been researching, and I’m wondering if R O Burch wasn’t a misprint, or an amalgamation of multiple names.

The Burch connection(s) in Kanab were road builders and surveyors. They also lived next to the Robinsons. I’m still researching which Robinsons as per Oscar A. Robinson and the Freddy Chrystal connection. The “next door” Robinsons also had a grandson who’s last name was Burtch.
I have a lot of land records, and am slowly sifting through.

EDIT: The Oscar A.Robinson has now been proven. Would like to speak to anyone with knowledge of this author to prove that end.

Anyway, would be very interested to speak to anyone who owns, has actually seen, or has read this book (in any format.) There may be information that would better link the connections.

This Burch connection did have roots in New Mexico.

Thank you!

 

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[Old Bookaroo]

TTTeller:

References to Robert O. Burch begin and end with The Journals of El Dorado by Estee Conaster and Karl von Mueller (1977). It's a first-class reference, but it must be carefully used. For example, they list the legendary Aaron's Express. Has anyone ever seen a copy? I've looked and never located one - not in the Library of Congress, not in major law libraries...

Burch's book is described as: "A book dealing with Spanish, or possibly Aztec, caches of gold taken from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and removed to Mexico. One of the first publications of the LUE map." The stated publication date is 1935.

A few years ago a TN poster claimed to have a copy - he even included an image of the cover. Then it was pointed out the illustration was a famous Picasso drawing done years after 1935. He pulled his freight and that was that.

Does the book exist? Until someone produces a copy I'm a skeptic. Not a cynic, of course - just saying it remains unproven.

Good luck to all,

The Old Bookaroo

 

[TTTeller]

Hi!
Thanks for that. Unfortunately, I’m inclined to agree with you. Especially with so many developments in digitization since the original “clues” and publications.

There’s two things I hate... taking coincidence as fact, and ignoring things right in front of your face and chalking them up to coincidence. Sadly, that means taking a lot of time chasing down dead ends. But the learning is most of the adventure!

Thank you again. Appreciate you taking the time.

 

[Old Bookaroo]

TTTeller:

Put the author's name in the search box at the top of the page and you'll find a great deal of information about this book - everything except how to find a copy.

There may well be a copy out there someplace. But a number of diligent searchers have looked - and if one of them found it, they aren't telling.

Good luck to all,

The Old Bookaroo

 

[Red-Coat]

I don't know whether this 'book' exists or not but the alleged publication date is 1935 and (without giving an attribution) one source describes it as "self-published" (by Burch) in Albuquerque, NM and that it's a "pamphlet" (not a book as such) which runs to 36 pages.

Several sources speculate that "Robert O. Burch" was an alias for the actual author. Nevertheless, although it could be nothing more than coincidence, there was a Robert O. Burch who died in Albuquerque on 28th February 1959. He was apparently living in Albuquerque at least by 1912, since there seems to be a marriage record for him there on 12th September.

 

[lafnian1990]

Thompson certainly knows how to spin a compelling yarn. But whether that yarn is factual or fictional is difficult to discover in this woefully short-on-footnotes book.

Fortunately for Thompson, there is a fair amount of on-the-ground & in-the-archive evidence suggesting that the official history of the American West is not precisely what really happened.

Unfortunately for the reader, that leaves a knowledge gap that George is happy to fill with tales that scratch the reader's itch for adventure while leaving their thirst for facts less than sated. Where can we visit those Native-American mine works? Where can we see that Spanish armor found during the construction of I-70? What archive holds the waybills? What sources discuss Wakara, mines & Brigham Young? I recommend looking for information on the reviewer https://freebooksummary.com/category/paper-towns or wikipedia. What became of those uncovered mission bells?
The book contains a lot of fascinating anecdotes, but--perhaps due to the nature of the secretive material--not as much hard evidence as one could hope. After all, even the pre-revolt Spaniards in established areas like Santa Fe seldom directly reported their documented mining activities in the hopes of avoiding taxation & the withdrawal of state support to the community. Are there pre-settlement mines in the West? Absolutely. Is there--or was there ever--lost treasure? Hm. At least one solidly supported example of a find would go a long way to building credibility for this Easter Bunny tale.

 

[Red-Coat]

Thompson certainly knows how to spin a compelling yarn. But whether that yarn is factual or fictional is difficult to discover in this woefully short-on-footnotes book.

Fortunately for Thompson, there is a fair amount of on-the-ground & in-the-archive evidence suggesting that the official history of the American West is not precisely what really happened.

Unfortunately for the reader, that leaves a knowledge gap that George is happy to fill with tales that scratch the reader's itch for adventure while leaving their thirst for facts less than sated. Where can we visit those Native-American mine works? Where can we see that Spanish armor found during the construction of I-70? What archive holds the waybills? What sources discuss Wakara, mines & Brigham Young? What became of those uncovered mission bells?
The book contains a lot of fascinating anecdotes, but--perhaps due to the nature of the secretive material--not as much hard evidence as one could hope. After all, even the pre-revolt Spaniards in established areas like Santa Fe seldom directly reported their documented mining activities in the hopes of avoiding taxation & the withdrawal of state support to the community. Are there pre-settlement mines in the West? Absolutely. Is there--or was there ever--lost treasure? Hm. At least one solidly supported example of a find would go a long way to building credibility for this Easter Bunny tale.

Do you actually have a copy of the 'book'? What can you say about number of pages, publication details etc?

 

[TTTeller]

Dear Old Bookaroo,

It has taken A LONG time... pun intended... but I do believe that there is something to Aaron's Express, oddly with a potential connection to a Burch.
If you follow the "clue" there was a publication in 1937. The question would be what is the 5/8. There are three key potential clues in it. It is not 228 pages. However, if you take AARON + A LONG I think it will become 228 pages-- as a total. The key article being spanish missions-- but I think you'll find the second clue to maybe be the lead. No idea how the Oklahoma Report (35) might tie into all this- but that would seem to satisfy Aaron's. While the related publication would satisfy A LONG.
It's a funny clue-- where lawyers would look-- but of course, blueprints are always a great map to treasure, I suppose. %