GHOST TOWN
LOST TREASURE LEGENDS
Along with the thousands of ghost towns scattered throughout the
there are legends, stories, and hints of
lost treasure.
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The Lost
Silver on a
Nestled
near the summit of
A
strong northeast wind shoved the steamship Bessie Brady to the
southeast, where high waves battered the small silver laden steamship. The pitching caused a wagonload of silver
bullion to break loose and roll off the deck into the stormy waters.
Hmmm. Sounds pretty good doesn't it?
Here's
another version...
The
Molly Stevens (the other steamer) was cruising towards Cartago when she
capsized in the middle of the lake for no apparent reason.
(I
like the first version better.)
Wait,
there's more!
The
Molly Stevens was enroute to Cartago with a
load of silver bullion when strong winds kicked up waves, and the cold lake
water poured into the engine compartment causing the boilers to explode. This ripped the small steamer apart, and sent
her and the cargo to the bottom.
(I'm
not so sure I believe that one.)
Then
there is this version, which sounds like a combination of the first two...The
unnamed ship was driven by strong winds to the southeast part of the lake where
rough waters caused a wagon to break loose and roll into the lake. The resulting shift of weight caused the
steamer to overturn and sink.
(OK. Now I'm totally confused.)
After
some extensive research, I have come up with my own version of the lost silver
bullion. It goes something like this...
Beginning
in 1865, the small Mexican silver mining camp of Cerro Gordo became known when
the rich silver-lead ores were hauled down the mountain and processed at a mill
near the military post of
Belshaw had arrived in Cerro Gordo from
Down
along the shore of
With
three companies processing ore, and millions of dollars in bullion needing
transporting, Remi Nadeau was hired in 1869 to haul
the silver to
As
1869 closed, Belshaw, Beaudry,
and Egbert Judson joined forces and controlled the fabulous Union Lode, the
town's number one producer. Their only
other major rival, the Owens Lake Company, continued purchasing claims, which
narrowed down the controlling factions to just the two companies.
Belshaw and his partners were determined to control the entire
In
December, 1871, Nadeau's freighting contract expired, and Belshaw declined to renew. Instead he signed up James Brady, the Owens
Lake Co. superintendent! Brady teamed
with D. H. Ferguson to build a steamship to haul the bullion from Cerro Gordo
landing across
In
March, 1872, a massive earthquake ripped through the
Brady
continued to work on the steamer while the smelter was being rebuilt. On June 27, 1872, the Bessie Brady,
made her maiden voyage with 30 tons of silver bullion on board.
By
September, silver ingots piled up faster than Brady's wagons could haul them to
In
February, 1873, heavy winter rains destroyed the
Meanwhile
Colonel Sherman Stevens was hired by the Owens Lake Company to supply wood for
its smelters. He began to build a
sawmill up
By
September Belshaw and Beaudry
purchased the abandoned Bessie Brady, and they built a new landing six
miles east of
At
Cottonwood Landing the wood from the sawmill was sent via barge, which was now
towed by the Bessie Brady, to Cerro Gordo Landing.
In
1874 a general slowdown in mining caused the Owens Lake Company to finally
fail. With a general increase in mining
activity in the area, increased demand for Stevens' lumber from the Darwin and Coso mines prompted him to erect two charcoal kilns near
Cottonwood Landing. At this time he
decided to build his own steamer to avoid the high rates imposed by Belshaw for use of the Bessie Brady.
The
undecked hull of the Molly Stevens was
launched with much fanfare, but a strong wind came up, and she took on so much
water the uncovered hull sunk. She was
refloated with help from the Bessie Brady, which created a few snickers
of pleasure in Belshaw's group. Her maiden voyage was in June 1877, but as
fate usually works,
In
October 1879, the last wagonload of silver rolled down the Yellow Grade and was
placed on board the Bessie Brady, and deposited on the docks at
Cartago. The little steamer then steamed
up to Ferguson Landing (near the mouth of the
A
few months later, a small revival took place in
Was
the pre-maiden voyage sinking of the Molly Stevens or the fiery ending
of the Bessie Brady the fuel that created this treasure legend? That I haven't determined. But it appears clear that the lost bullion
ship legend is just that, a legend.
There
is no lost bullion ship.
OR
IS THERE?
Where
did the 300 pound propeller reportedly found in the middle of the dry lake bed
come from?
How
about the 400 pound handwrought iron anchor allegedly
found in the middle of the lake by a Keeler boy?
Where DID these
come from? Is there truly lost silver on
a ghost lake?
NOW, how about this E-mail I rec’d Oct 25,
2005…
“Around
1973, I met a prospector using a metal detector I believed called a “White”.
But I am not sure of the manufacture. (It was probably a White’s Metal
Detector - GBS). I, as an Inyo Deputy, was called to the
Cartago artesian well to meet with the gent. When we met he had a 50 +/- pound
silver ingot. He explained he had followed the story that the there was so much
silver on the dock, the longshoreman built housing for themselves to hide from
the cold in winter. It seems, at least one, if not more fell off the steamer
dock. The owner went home happy and I don’’t blame
him! At least that’s what he said! The Olancha Deputy
1971 to 1974. ?????”
Rather intriguing!
*************
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and support the rights of metal detectorists,
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Code of Ethics.
This support DOES NOT either imply,
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permission for anyone to damage or destroy historical sites; violate any local,
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*************
We hope you've enjoyed another one of
GHOST TOWN USA's
Lost Treasure
Legends.
Any comments?
Please let us know at Ghost Town USA!
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FIRST POSTED: February 07, 2004
LAST UPDATED:
January 11, 2015
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