Three Mile Creek Traditional Geocache
cheahamt: Archiving all caches due to health reasons. Did really enjoy all the years of fun!!!
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(regular)
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Nice walk down an old road or a stroll down creek side if you choose.
Three Mile Creek area was a small community located near what is now Cheaha Mountain State Park. This community and many others back in the early 1900's lived with the land and off of the land. Most were farmers and based their livelihood on the land. They raised or harvested what they ate and made their own clothes from materials they purchased or obtained from sacks that flour and feed came in. Many had livestock to supply meat,milk,butter,etc. and they also used horses or mules to farm their land. This particular community had a mill to grind meal, flour and livestock feed. They also had a church and school. The people made very few trips to anywhere unless it was absolutely necessary because they had to travel by horse or wagon. Town was about 10 hours ride from this community and it took two days to make a roundtrip.
The school site for this community is about 450' west at the fork of the main road (as it was in 1930)which went from Ashland to Munford in Talladega County. The school's name was Dowdy Chapel and is listed as a historic School in Clay County, Alabama. Nothing remains of the school nor of the church. I have found some old bottles and evidence of old home places but can't find anything in the area where the coordinates say the school should have been. I am placing this cache close to the old mill which is now only a partial rock dam. Years and weather have broken away a large portion of the dam and the road which did have a wood bridge has changed to just a creek crossing. This is a beautiful area and is typical of the small community which dotted the land in the area of Cheaha Mountain and Clay County.
The cache is a gallon container and contains several items for trade and a log to sign. To get to the cache you can hike about .50 miles from highway # 281 or, you can go down an unmarked road to the first gate and park there. The cache will be to the right and about .24 miles down an old woods road. This is the same old Ashland to Munford road and a very nice walk in and out. Cache will be fairly close to the dam and is well covered with leaves. Take your time and enjoy the area. Think about how it would be to live 15 plus miles from any town and the only means to get there was by horse and wagon. These people were special and hardened by the way they lived. Sometimes we think about the way it used to be and how simple it was back then, but I think I'll just stay where I am. The main reason I couldn't go back is because I'm so spoiled with our modern world that I'm positive I couldn't make it!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Pybfr gb gur raq bs gur ebpx qnz.