Sites that hold my interest...

[airborne1092]

Some ideas I've been kicking around for a while - places I want to visit and look for loot! Let me know what you all think - If you've been there, if you haven't - if you know what I'm talking about or you think I'm just plum crazy! (all those heavy metals in these Idaho and Montana rivers, I suppose!) I'll add more later, as I'm tired and working on borrowed time - my wife is long overdue for hollerin' at me to git to bed!

Rock Lake in Whitman County, said to be taboo with local natives because the waters don't give up bodies. Apparently many folks have drown in this lake and no one has been recovered. A train derailed into the lake with a boxcar full of new model-T cars. There is a small basalt mesa nearby, said to be littered on top with arrowheads and other relics, as it was once said to have been used by local natives in ceremonies.
http://www.spokaneoutdoors.com/rocklake.htm

in 1858 the US army defeated a force of combined tribes from the Spokane area near Four Lakes, WA. Four lakes is just over present day I-90, south of Medical Lake and north of Cheney. (read: The Ford dealership just off the highway). Perhaps some pre civil war relics and arrowheads or other weapon fragments still exsist?
http://www.spokaneoutdoors.com/spokplnsbattle.htm

Years ago, I ws camping with friends near Lake Wenatchee. We were driving around above the lake up toward White Falls (FS Road 6400?), and I noted several nice placers I have been meaning to go back and check out. Of course, I have a dam-fam now and well, their idea of fun does NOT include sitting in a 4X4 for hours while dad "checks some things out"!

I have a book titled "the 91st - the first at Camp Lewis" written in 1918 and going into excurciatingly painful details about the orgins of Fort Lewis. (what can I say, I'm a glutton...) Anyhow, when Pierce county donated the land to establish the catonment, there was a small town located on the land and the residents had to be relocated. I used to drive ALL over the training areas (pre 9-11, mind you) in my Jeep and remember finding this ghost town. When I was there, it appeared that some military engineers used its streets for practice with grading et. al., as you could still could see most of the foundations and certainly all of the overgrown and out-grown shrubs and trees in what used to be the yards and gardens. IIRC, the location was south of the Yelm 'Y' and highway 7, on the west side of highway 507 to Roy and the East Gate road. It was approx. 1.5-2 miles south, at the first right hand bend in the highway. Please do me a favor if you go - don't wear a head scarf and for God's sake, don't get shot!

Anyhoo - gotta close it up. I'll post more as I think about them... Good luck to all and be safe!

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Diving for Pleasure and Treasure - Grab it through Amazon!

[lasttoknow (Tim)]

I live right by Fort Lewis. Pre 911 my cousin used to ride his horses on parts of Fort Lewis and told me he came across several old homesteads. I would love to be able to hunt in the four lakes area. I read about the battle there. In one of the many books I have. I think you'd have to make sure that whole area hasn't been put on some kind of historic record. I did see a lot of developement there though through msn maps so who knows.

 

[airborne1092]

Another Book I own and have read is "Of Men and Mountains" written by William O. Douglas and published in 1950. It outlines his growing up in Yakima, WA and details all of his forays as a young man, exploring the eastern slopes of the Cascades. Several things that strike me are:

He notes that Ahtanum Canyon was a special place for the local natives. Apparently they built many sweat lodges up and down the banks of the river there, using the river stones and water for their sweat lodges. I figured I would like to stumble around up there, if it's not private property now, and look for arrowheads and other relics. Seems like it would be a logical place to start, as it has a greater prepensity to still contain traces of ancient daily life.

Another tasty tidbit I recall for this book is how he and friends used to bivouc near an old homesteader cabin at the north end of Bumping Lake. I know it's a real busy area now for camping, but I would hope anyone would be allowed to put a MD on the ground out there and look around for 'left overs', or at least explore some of the trails in and out of that area although most of the area is deemed a wilderness area.

 

[49er]

Need to pick up some books this winter at the local library to find some local history. Airborn, we need to get together to discuss research and possible looking into finding some artifacts.

Thanks for the information and get in touch

Jim

 

[airborne1092]

Ahhh, yes.

I remember a couple more! My grandparents used to live in East Wenatchee and my grandpa would always go elk hunting up near the Stemilt Basin and Four Corners across the Columbia, south of Wenatchee. At Four Corners, his extended family and many other hunters would set up a serious elk camp that looked like Barnum & Bailey circus was in town. I figure, if one can discriminate all the brass from test fires and beer cans, there might be some good stuff up there - perhaps a lost pistol or knife and defintely clad all around!

Another thought - near there is Kingsbury Canyon and the old Ingersol trail. My grandpa told me there used to be a trail over the mountain that horse teams of loggers would use as well as the mail route from Ellensburg to Wenatchee. it was an over night trip at best so they had to make camp somewhere up there. Perhaps with some scouting, one can find a way station or at least an old cabin for sleepovers.