The Cargo of Gold.... Raymond Griffith
"Gold in the city park"-was the startling cry that 15 years agocaused men to dig feverishly in a bank of the Missouri river in search
of a legendary ship loaded with gold that was believed to have sunk
here in the 1860's, but Mason P. Martin, 89 year old pioneer Pierre
resident, laughs about the episode."They dug for the same ship at the mouth of Heart River in NorthDakota," Martin said. "They wasted a lot of time and money digging
here in Pierre, because even if there was a buried ship there, they'd
have a hard time keeping out the quick sand after they dug down a ways."Martin came to Pierre in 1880 and built a small house near thesite of where the ship was supposed to have sunk. The spot, the legend
says, was marked by three giant cottonwood trees, called the "Three
Sisters."Only two remain today, the other having died and used forfirewood.The story relates how a ship, laden with gold from Montana, tiedup for the night near three tall cottonwoods.During the night a stormarose and sank the ship. Only one man survived, and he made his way
to Sioux City, where he told the story of the ill-fated voyage to friends
who wasted no time in setting out to locate the boat and its precious
cargo.There is no record that they were successful.Then in 1922 the bug was revived, a company organized and a shaftsunk, but not a trace of a shiThe boarded shaft is still there, a mute reminder of another hunt for
gold at the rainbow's end.The railroad company owned the land where Martin built his house,but after a two week residence he was ordered to move. Putting skids
under his home, he transferred it to another part of town. The railroad
company later deeded the land to the city and today it constitutes part
of the two miles of municipally owned Riverside Park, the site of the
"Three Sisters nor a shekel ever rewarded their efforts. The boarded shaft is still there, a mute reminder of another hunt for
gold at the rainbow's end.The railroad company owned the land where Martin built his house,but after a two week residence he was ordered to move. Putting skids
under his home, he transferred it to another part of town. The railroad
company later deeded the land to the city and today it constitutes part
of the two miles of municipally owned Riverside Park, the site of the
"Three Sisters," the old shaft being toward the eastern end.