I’ve changed this from a Micro to a cache large enough to
hold items for trade. The cache container has its own camouflage
but I’ve also used what Mother Nature provided.
Please place the cache container back in its camouflage and then
replace the Mother Nature camouflage around the cache.
 Dangerous area
- use caution  Scenic View |
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The prize here is one of the best views of Lake Tenkiller. This
cache is not for the faint at heart, nor is it a night cache nor a
cache for children. Once you get to the cache location you will
find yourself standing at the top of the Cookson Bluffs.
The difficulty listed is due to the risk of tripping and the
problem with finding the right roads to get you to the site.
Good Luck and Happy Hunting. Here’s a little history.
In the 1890's, the Ballew family settled on the gentle, crystal
clear Illinois River under what is now known as the Cookson Bluffs.
The location of the homestead was under a bluff that spanned over
200 feet high. In the early 1890's the Ballew family operated the
Ballew Brothers Store which supplied the local families with
everything from guns, to general household goods, to wagons, and
even custom built caskets.
Another interesting part of history concerns the town of
Cookson, Oklahoma. The town took its name from Jack Cookson, who
operated the local post office from his home, while the area was
still Indian Territory, before Oklahoma statehood. The town was
located on the shore of the Illinois River near the Cookson Bluff
area, and over the next few years became a central point of
business for the surrounding residents.
In 1947, the U.S. Corps of Engineers began construction of the
Tenkiller Dam to create Tenkiller Lake. Several of the structures
from the town were moved to higher ground. Among these were the old
store and several small cabins which were relocated to their
present location on Hwy. 82, next to the Post Office in Cookson.
Several structures from the old town could not be moved, were left
behind at the bottom of the lake, and are popular underwater
destinations for scuba divers.
A popular question asked by tourists is how Tenkiller Lake came
by its unique name. In 1947, construction was begun on the
Tenkiller Ferry Dam across the Illinois River. The lake was named
after the Tenkillers, a prominent Cherokee family who owned land
and operated a ferry service near the site where the dam now
stands. Legend has it that during the "Trail of Tears" era, the
Cherokee warrior was given his name by the soldiers and pioneers at
Fort Gibson because of the ten notches in his bow.