Jesse James Heads for the Hills Traditional Geocache
Beagle-1: Land owners are a moving
It was a great cache
Jesse James Heads for the Hills
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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DID THE AMERICAN OUTLAW BURY GOLD IN MULMUR
Story by Peter Meyler
Cities may have their urban legends of giant rats or crocodiles in sewers, but up here we have our own legends. And these rural legends aren't about some unlikely, cold -blooded crocodile hiding underground. Here in the hills, the cold-blooded killer was Jesse James. And he travelled the same roads we use today. At least that's the story as it has been told since the 1870s.
Jesse was horn in Kearney, Missouri, in 1847. He had one older brother, Frank. One of Orangeville's past residents. Louise Kyle went to school with Frank and Jesse in Missouri. She recalled that they were kind and pleasant-looking boys. They met at socials and dances and lived d typical small-town American life.
The James teenage life was thrown into turmoil with the onset of the Civil War. Frank and Jesse joined `Bloody' Bill Anderson's wing of Quantrill's Raiders. This tough group of southerners lived life on the run, creating havoc with their guerrilla warfare tactics and kill-or-be killed attitude.
The James boys were at loose ends after the war. Frank and Jesse formed the James-Younger Gang with former confederate comrades to continue their fight against the northern reformers. At first they concentrated on bank robberies and the gang was not averse to shooting anyone who got in their way.
In 1873, they added train robberies to their repertoire. It may have been after a botched train robbery at Turkey Creek, Iowa, that Jesse came to Ontario. The gang had derailed a Chicago, Rock Island land Pacific train. The locomotive skidded off the tracks and careened into a ditch, resulting in the death of the engineer. In the confusion, Jesse and the gang missed the three-and a half tons of gold bullion in one of the cars. They barely managed to escape from the authorities with $3,000 of mail and booty stolen from the passengers. Frank and Jesse weren't seen for months.
Jesse is known to have roamed widely and he had a, habit of sending letters to newspaper editors. In one of those letters he wrote, "I am generally [sic] where people least expect me." Was one of these places Ontario?
In Guelph township, a man riding a beautiful horse gave a $20 gold American coin to little Joan Lillie who was keeping loll. The man was said to be Jesse James. Meanwhile in West Garafraxa Township, Bob Gow, an octogenarian, remembers a story about Jesse James he heard as a young boy. Sitting at the kitchen table, his uncles would recall their grandfather’s encounter with the American outlaw.
Jim Gow had a logging operations in the Luther and Grand Valley area. The logs were cut and floated down the Grand River to a sawmill east of Fergus. Jim Gow said he hired Jesse James for a day of work at his camp. He recalled that the American was a very good worker.
Jesse next showed up in an article in the Arthur Enterprise News. It described the Missouri bandit riding a beautiful horse up the Owen Sound Road and staying in Proton Township where he lodged in a shed near Hopeville.
The Mount Forest Confederate in 1953 added to the story. Mrs. Arthur Tavles of Hopeville, the granddaughter of William Armstrong, told the paper, "A man named Clark, whose real name was Chadwell, approached Grandfather and explained that they were not quite settled in the shack and would father give them their meals. Later he confided to Grandfather that his companion was Jesse James. "To help with their train robberies, the James gang had hired a man known as Bill Caldwell - perhaps the 'Chadwell'of Mrs. Tayles' memory.
William Armstrong had described Jesse James as "a fair-sized man." Indeed, Jesse was a hefty man, five-foot-ten and about 180 pounds. The Arthur paper said that Jesse headed east, toward Shelburne, after his stay in Proton.
The next account of Jesse comes from Mulmur Township, where folklore says he buried gold along 10 Sideroad. The story goes that a poor landowner, John Bailey, suddenly had the means to build an expensive house with stained-glass windows. The Mulmur legend tells of the treasure being buried in a 45-gallon barrel topped with a large iron casing and covered with a large flat stone. From 1928 or earlier, treasure hunters began occasional forays into the township to dig for gold. In the early 1960s, a Shelburne scrap metal dealer removed a 600 pound flat stone from the area. The last excavations were made in the early 1970s, but nothing was ever found.
Was Jesse really here? He did have a connection here in his old school friend Louise Kyle. And Simon Jelly of Shelburne was said to have joined Jesse. Was he the mysterious Canadian who rode with the gang, according to the stories in the States?
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This story has special relevance for the current landowners. Some believe, or had believed in the past, that the aforementioned treasure is buried somewhere in the local area. Some folks have even told stories of past treasure hunters digging up the back forty looking for gold. It will be appreciated if you can keep your treasure hunting confined to the cache only though feel free to ask Gerry and Deb about some of these local legends.
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Getting to the cache
This cache is placed upon private property with the permission and encouragement of the landowners. You are asked to follow the designated parking and trails as well ensure you leave the property in as good condition as you found it.
The “South Route” will avoid the farm buildings and best used if you wish to make a stealthy entrance and exit. The “North Route” will bring you in contact with some interesting farm life.
South route:
This route is available at all times 7 days a week. It is probably an interesting stroll at night. Round trip is 1.6km. Park at N44 08.387 W80 09.013 and proceed directly to waypoint S1. This will take you through a field along a fence line. Stay to the north of the fence line please. Upon arrival at S1 go to waypoint South Path. This is the trailhead to a gentle ravine. There will be a clearly mowed path for you to follow. You have a choice of two trailheads into the forest. Forest South or Forest West. From there just follow the trails to the cache site.
North route:
This route takes you through the area of the landowner’s farm structures. Alpacas are raised here and Gerry and Deb just love to show off these animals. You are welcome to visit during daylight hours. No need to be shy. Bring your camera and stop in to say hi. This is also the shorter (1.3km) and less difficult route to the cache. Parking is at the end of driveway next to the barn. N44 08.498 W80 09.083. Then to the “North Path” trailhead and “Forest North” entrance to the bush.
About the Alpaca
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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