Potts Tavern Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(micro)
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Very interesting history to this area.
http://www.heritech.com/soil/genealogy/potts/images/inn1920s.jpg ---- the tavern
http://www.heritech.com/soil/genealogy/potts/images/sprg.jpg ---- the spring
Before the settlement of Illinois, natives used a well beaten path to travel from their major settlements of near present day Equality, Shawneetown, and Tolu, Ky. The first settlers came and used this trail for their wagon trains. It became known as the Ford's Ferry to Vandalia Trail. Ford's Ferry was the ferry crossing the Ohio River about 10 miles south, and was frequently used by the pioneer traveler. Jim Ford and a man named William Potts worked together along this 10 mile stretch of road as robbers and murderers.
William Potts and his wife owned a Tavern and Inn just north of the cache site (to the left of the grain bin). The old road and Indian trail is still present in some parts of the countryside.
William Potts would send a scout to the ferry operator to find out which travelers were wealthy. Those deemed wealthy were noted and encouraged to stay at Potts Inn. At some point during their stay, William would kill the travelers, and take their money. William Potts had a son, Billy, that was witness to many of the burtal killings and even helped to bury those murdered in shallow graves nearby. When Billy was a teenager he got into some trouble along the road trying to rob a traveler. He had to run away to avoid being killed.
After several years of pirating on the Ohio, Billy decided to return to his parents home for a surprise visit. He and a friend crossed Ford's Ferry and his father's spotter scouted them out, asking questions and learning of the money the travelers had. This spotter told BIlly to stay at the Inn, and sent word that he was headed that way. Billy wanted to see how his fathers operation was working, so he was going to keep his identity a secret. He had gained a significant amount of weight and grown a full beard, so he wasn't recognizable to his parents when arriving.
Billy knew his father would kill the travelers at night, so he decided to play it cool for a while. Potts senior had became accustomed to asking the tired traveler if he wanted to get a drink at their spring not but 200 feet from the Inn. William led Billy into the woods at the back of a rocky bluff to the spring (still there today). As Billy bent down to take a drink, his father hit him in the back of the head with an axe, killing him. He and his wife burried Billy that evening.
The next morning, Billy's friend came to the Potts Inn to inquire about Billy. The Potts acted like they didn't know what he was talking about. Finally, after telling the entire story, William and his wife went back to the grave and dug the body back up. Williams mother remembered a scar and birthmark that Billy had on his back, and sure enough the same marks were on this victims body, in the exact spots.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Ebpx Ubyr
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