Spikehorn: Grizzly Ike's Indian Museum Multi-Cache

This cache has been archived.

-Rusty-: No response from owner. If you wish to repair/replace the cache sometime in the future, just contact us (by email), and assuming it meets the current guidelines, we'll be happy to unarchive it.

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Hidden : 2/25/2009
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1 out of 5

Size: Size: small (small)

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Geocache Description:


This cache was the first one placed in our series that acknowledges one of the most colorful characters in our state's history, John 'Spikehorn' Meyer. You will need to find the two dates in the first and second paragraphs at the posted coordinates and use them to find the cache location:

Add the date from the first paragraph N 43° 57.386 + _ . _ _ _ = N 43° 5 _ . _ _ _
Add the date from the second paragraph
W 84° 44.205 + _ . _ _ _ = W 84° 4 _ . _ _ _

Known for his Bear Den and Wildlife Park, moccasins and buckskin clothes, John 'Spikehorn' Meyer was born July 15, 1870 in Winesburg, Ohio and moved to Isabella County with his parents and siblings in 1876. His father purchased 160 acres two miles from Salt River, now known as Shepherd, Michigan. He loved the Chippewa Indians of Mount Pleasant, animals, and starting arguments. Even today his park is still sometimes referred to as an exhibit that was full of story-telling, bear tricks, and controversy.


In 1929, Spike opened 'Grizzly Ike's Indian Museum' that housed hand-made souvenirs, Indian artifacts, as well as himself. Outside the House by the Side of the Road stood birdhouses, cedar lawn furniture, postcards and Indian baskets offered for sale. He welcomed everyone except smokers and officials.


Grizzly Ike's Indian Museum around 1936

In 1939, US-27 finally came through his property and he saw its money-making potential; he then built a unique-looking souvenir shop, the remains of which are clearly visible today at the intersection of Old US-27 and M-61. The original structure had a metal roof, huge fieldstone pillars and the building measured 44 by 66 feet. It was caged with cedar poles, housed one bear on an old cow chain, and could be seen up to one-half mile away.


Spikehorn Bear Den and Wildlife Park about 1941

Spike and his bears attracted tourists from all over the country. He could put a peppermint candy between his teeth and one of his bears would gently remove it with its lips; a few others would help him find bee trees - he loved honey so much, he would dip anything he ate in it and called it 'fondue'.


Chief Red Eagle (Lonnie Chambers) and his wife Starr (Willa Maye Chambers) moved into an abandoned cottage near the rearing pond on the property in March of 1951. They were from the Detroit area and had three children: Blue Eagle (or Little Beaver), White Horse, and Little Violet. Some say he was a Blackfoot Indian while others claim he was African-American. Claiming to be partners with Spikehorn, he was employed by him until 1953; they both spent the next few years feuding back and forth.


Spikehorn Souvenir Shop in the mid 1950s

On January 16, 1957 Spike's wood stove ignited a fire that destroyed the souvenir shop. He managed to rebuild and reopen on October 10, 1957 but he suffered a stroke six months later. Spikehorn Meyer was paralyzed from the waist-down and was no longer able to care for the animals that he loved more than people. He was admitted to the Gladwin Nursing Home where he passed away from a brain hemorrhage on September 19, 1959 at the age of 89. Few struggled to keep his park going through the next decade, but in January of 1970 the money to maintain his life's dream was almost gone. With only two bears, two chickens, one raccoon and a duck left, Consumer's cut electricity off and the DNR took the animals that February; the park was closed forever. Today, Spikehorn Creek Camp is privately owned by Mr. Thomas M. Sellers, native of Harrison and the author of SPIKEHORN - The Life Story of John E. Meyer.

This is how Spikehorn's Souvenir Shop looks fifty years after his death:


All remains are located on private property; please NO TRESPASSING.




Part of the OffBeat Michigan cache series.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Gur cbfgrq pbbeqvangrf jvyy gnxr lbh gb gur xvat; ur jvyy cebivqr lbh jvgu gur pyhrf lbh arrq gb svaq gur pnpur.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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