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Frankfort Cemetery - the "lost courthouse" Traditional Cache

Hidden : 9/29/2015
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

A rural cemetery cache in Montgomery County.  You do not have to enter the cemetery to find the cache, but if you chose to visit the cemetery while you are here, please do so only during daylight hours and not during any ceremonies. Be respectful of the area and always practice CITO. A small container with log only, BYOP  and you may need something to extract the log.  The lane back here is graveled but may be impassable at times, walk in if needed.


I found this cemetery while working in a near-by field. I have driven by it often enough that I decided to place a cache here today. Here is a little history of the former town of Frankfort.  Copied from montgomerycountyiowa.com

The territory that is now Montgomery County was originally part of the Pottawattamie-Purchase in 1846 and was included in a large county called Pottawattamie in 1847. The General Assembly established the county on January 15, 1851. The county is named in honor of General Richard Montgomery who died at the assault of Quebec in the Revolutionary War.

The first county elections were held in April 1853, and around 18 votes were cast. Prior to this the county was attached to Adams County for judicial and financial reasons. These elections were held at the home of Amos G. Lowe, the first county judge.

A judge of the Sixth Judicial District appointed commissioners to select the county seat of Montgomery County. They selected a site nearest to the center of the county and named it Frankfort, in honor of Frankfort, Kentucky, the judge's hometown.

The first county courthouse was built in Frankfort in 1857. It was a simple wooden-frame structure that covered an area 20-foot x 40-foot and was built at a cost of $1,141.50 to the county. After a contest between Frankfort and Red Oak for the county seat, in which Frankfort lost by only six votes, this courthouse was moved. It was hitched to a team of oxen and towed to Red Oak in the winter of 1865. A blizzard came up, and the men had to abandon the building in favor of shelter. When they returned they had "lost" the courthouse in the snow. It was eventually found, but the "lost courthouse" was a great joke in Montgomery County for many years.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Va , ohg abg qbja

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)