AGT-Clarion-Leatherwood Valley History Mystery Cache
AGT-Clarion-Leatherwood Valley History
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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The geocache hidden at the posted coordinates is a puzzle
geocache, however, it is also part of the Allegheny GeoTrail (AGT),
a publicly funded project designed to promote a pleasant and
positive experience and image of the Allegheny National Forest
region and its gateway communities. The AGT utilizes the growing
interest in geocaching to assist both residents and visitors to the
area in learning more about the unique attractions in the ten
participating counties. This cache contains a unique self inking
rubber stamp which you should use to stamp your Allegheny GeoTrail
Passport to verify that you found it. When you have found a minimum
of six AGT caches, you will be eligible to have your AGT passport
validated and receive a commemorative AGT trackable geocoin at
participating locations. You must have your official AGT passport
with you when you find this cache in order to stamp it. Click on
the Allegheny GeoTrail Logo below to visit the AGT website at
www.alleghenygeotrail.com for complete details and a listing of
participating locations where you may pick up and validate AGT
passports to receive your souvenir geocoin, trackable at
www.geocaching.com .
Finding this cache will take you on a trail of
history through part of the Leatherwood Valley, which is located in
Porter Township, Clarion County, Pennsylvania. In the 1800's,
Leatherwood was an active business center. It took its name from
the stream, on the banks of which a kind of shrubgrass, called
Leatherwood, grew.
The coordinates that are posted above are for a parking area where
you may park to walk to the final site where the cache, a
camouflaged ammo box, is hidden. However, before you can park and
locate the cache, you will need to travel local roads (by vehicle,
bike, horse, etc.) to replace the letters A through F in the
"Actual Cache Coordinates" listed below with numbers that you get
from the 6 historic areas you visit along your journey. You should
start your journey with the Stop1 (A) coordinates.
Actual Cache Coordinates are
N41° 03.D3F W079° 2E.BAC
N41 03.____3____
W079 2____.____ ____ ____
Replace the letters (A-F) with numbers from the clues
below. Here are the 6 stops (in sequence as you travel) that will
give you the missing numbers in the cache coordinates.
A =N41° 01.298 W079° 23.318
These coordinates are for a gold-banded Alltel pole that sits near
the remains of the St. Charles Iron Ore Furnace, which is located
just down over the bank from the pole. The St. Charles Furnace,
originally called Cocheco, was built in 1844 and was one of the
largest stacks in the county. It was 10 feet across the bosh, 33
feet in height, and was situated on Leatherwood Creek, about 2
miles from the Low Grade Railroad. It operated until 1865 when it
was dismantled. Hot blast was introduced in 1857. It is the only
furnace that employed raw coal. Though essentially a charcoal
stack, this furnace was run for one year on coke, made from the
lower Freeport coal and for nearly a year on raw coal from the
upper Freeport bed. In 1845, it produced 1,000 tons of iron ore; in
1850, it produced 2,000 tons. All that remains today is a crumbling
pile of stones, and many passersby never notice it as they travel
along the Curllsville Road.
*Find the yellow three digit Alltel number located on the pole. Add
one to the final digit of the pole number and replace A in the
cache coordinates with this number.
B = N41° 01.814 W079° 23.467
This building, which housed the Leatherwood Creamery, was built by
"Woodsmen of the World" for a lodge building. In 1898, it was
turned into a creamery. Also the same year, a dam was constructed
on Leatherwood Creek, to produce ice to keep the creamery’s
products cold. The cream was gathered from local farmers and hauled
by bob-sleds and wagons, drawn by teams of mules. In 1946, the
creamery was turned into a general store and gasoline station.
*Count the number of windows above the porch roof on this building,
then subtract 2. Replace the B in the cache coordinates with this
number.
C = N41° 02.414 W079° 22.980
As you cross this bridge, you are crossing the Leatherwood Creek
for which the town and valley was named.
*Subtract 1 from the bridge’s weight limit (not combined weight).
Replace the C in the cache coordinates with this number.
D -N41° 03.225 W079° 21.700
This monument marks the location where the
Leatherwood Anti-Horsethief Association, one of many of these
organizations in Clarion County, was founded. The house, located
behind the monument, was formerly the old one-room Jacks School
where the association members met. Clarion County was famous for
its horse thieves in the 1800s. The county had this reputation
because it is the only locale in the eastern U.S. where a man was
hung as a horse thief. This association aided and reimbursed its
members if their horses were stolen.
*On the monument, note the date that the Leatherwood
Anti-Horsethief Association was founded. Replace the D in the cache
coordinates with the final digit of this date.
E -N41° 03.293 W079° 21.580
This barn is part of the Leatherwood Farms which has
been owned by the McCauley family for over 100 years. It was first
purchased by Charles Arthur McCauley and has been an active dairy
farm since its purchase. The farm is still owned and operated by
descendants of Mr. McCauley.
*Count the number of silos located near the barn. Replace the
letter E in the cache coordinates with this number.
F -N41° 03.733 W079° 21.170
This monument marks the location of the Leatherwood
Presbyterian Cemetery and Leatherwood Church. Both were established
over 150 years ago on land that was donated by the Barlett family.
The church has been designated as an historic landmark by the
Clarion County Historical Society. The cemetery is the final
resting place for many of the founding fathers of the Leatherwood
community and valley.
*Find the year that the cemetery and church were established (on
monument). Subtract 2 from the final digit of that year and replace
the F in the cache coordinates with this number.
You should now have all of the missing numbers for the
cache coordinates. You may park at the church and walk the short
distance to the cache.
Good luck!! We hope you enjoy this
historic trip through the Leatherwood Valley!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Pnpur vf ybpngrq haqre n cvyr bs ybtf.