Buried Treasure or Tall Tale?: The "Lost Cabin" of the Siskiyou Mountains
Does Oregon hide another El Dorado, a buried cache of untold wealth or is it all a fabled myth? From Indian attacks to treasure maps and "accidental deaths," there is much more than meets the eye
Gold Rush
In 1853, brothers Henry and James Wilson arrived in Jacksonville in southwestern Oregon. Lured by tales of spectacular bonanzas, the Wilsons set their sights on mining in nearby Rich Gulch. Sadly, however, the brothers arrived near the end of the boom.
By 1851, Rich Gulch’s riches had begun to peter out. The Wilsons were too late. Undeterred, they decided to stay awhile and prospect anyway. After months with no success, they decided to venture into the wilderness. They thought perhaps the mountains would yield another motherlode. There was only one problem with this idea.
Rogue Indians in the area considered the land outside Jacksonville private property, and trespassing was considered an act of war. Violators were dealt with swiftly and permanently.
Only recently, miners warned the Wilsons that a party of prospectors had been slaughtered near Table Rock. They advised the brothers against venturing too far from Jacksonville. The Wilson Brothers unwisely chose to ignore the warnings.
As predicted, when the Wilson brothers and a small group of prospectors ventured out into the wilderness surrounding Jacksonville, they were attacked by a war party. One member of the Wilson’s group was killed, and the rest were lucky to escape with their lives.
Major Discovery
Yet, this incident did not dissuade the Wilson brothers from searching for gold. Using a tall hourglass-shaped rock formation as a landmark, the Wilsons headed in the direction of the Siskiyou Mountains.
To their surprise, they discovered a hidden valley. The tall, rocky sides made the valley easy to defend. A nearby creek sparkled with fresh, flowing water. Abundant pastureland offered plentiful grazing as well.
The Wilsons decided to use the valley as a base for their prospecting ventures into the mountains.
The following morning, Henry made a thrilling discovery. When he went to fill a tin coffee pot, he saw a glint of gold in the creek. To the brothers’ delight, the creek banks were lined with gold nuggets!
There was no need to dig or mine. They could simply pick up nuggets with their fingers. It was the richest strike either of them had ever seen. They spent the next few months picking up gold from the creek and then dumping it in a hastily built cabin.
Securing the Gold
As winter winds chilled the air, the Wilsons faced a dilemma. They didn’t have enough supplies to face a harsh winter in the cabin. Despite their bounty of riches, they’d have to head back to Jacksonville and wait out the cold weather.
The brothers made a quick decision. They knew somewhere in the mountains, the warring Indians were still around. At some point, they might need to ride fast and hard to avoid capture or death.
They decided it was best to bury the gold before they ventured out. The Wilsons took their time to create a rock-lined vault beneath the cabin floor. Carefully, they filled the vault with enough gold to make them wealthy beyond their dreams.
Ambush
When the day of departure arrived, Henry led the way out of the valley, with James trailing behind and leading pack horses. They didn’t get far when a band of Shasta Indians attacked.
Henry was shot and killed within seconds. James fired back, hitting one of the Indians, and lost his horse. The Shastas, perhaps fearing James had other weapons, retreated. That gave James enough time to grab one of the horses and ride off, leaving Henry’s body and the hidden vault behind.