Pioneers Multi-Cache
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Difficulty:
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Size: 
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Located in Custer State Park--a park permit is required.
This will take you to neat out of the way places in the park that not all people get to see
Custer State Park is one of the largest state parks in the United States. Long before it became a park it was the goal of many settlers and much Homesteading. The Southwest part was so heavily settled it was known as the Bakerville area. Of all the people that came to the Custer State Park area during these early years only three remain. The graves of Major James A. Whitehead, an infant of the Mann family and Dr. Alvin Herbert. can still be seen today
Major Whitehead homesteaded his place along French Creek in 1876 along with his daughter Harriet Whitehead Hazen who homesteaded the quarter section to the SE of her father. Upon the death of her father in 1899 she had a bronze marker placed on a boulder at the old homestead site to note her fathers burial there.
The baby Mann grave sits on the edge of one of the interior park roads. The baby died during birth on June 6th 1902 on the original Fleur de Lis Ranch. The history of this large open range horse ranch is very interesting. Leaving France after resigning his commission in the cavalry due to religious and political turmoil the Baron Raymond Auzias de Turenne came to the Black Hills establishing his ranch in 1885 along the North Fork of Lame Johnny Creek. Importing pedigreed stallions the baron greatly improved the stock of the local area. At its height of glory the ranch had a race track and employed a famous French chef, Francois Preel. The increasing presence of homesteaders and fences foretold the demise of the large open range ranching operations and in 1890 Turenne sold the ranch to Herberrt “Shorty” Mann.
Dr. Alvin Herbert settled along the South Fork of Lame Johnny Creek in 1888 near the stage station so he could get his medications directly from the coaches. A well respected citizen he was at one time the postmaster of Bakerville, born in Ohio on October 28, 1824 living in seven different states before moving here after the death of his wife. One of his sons Almon ran a large ranch in the area and upon his death the Dr was buried on Almon’s ranch. A concrete marker set with various native stones was erected over his grave. Today it is the only visible manifestation of the Bakerville area.
The cache is a small white vial similar to a film can and is hidden very near the fenced area, look into small places, this is a sign the log only cache. Ok several very small things can be placed in the container,I left a Park Pin. Please remember that these are real graves and should not be disturbed. The other two graves are not suitable to hide clues at so if you wish to find them use the following directions. The baby Mann grave is along the west edge of road CSP 4, go west of the cattle guard near Dr Herberts grave a short distance and turn right onto CSP 3 following it to its junction with CSP 4. Turn left and watch for the cairn of rocks,marked with a sign post on the left edge of the road. Continue along CSP 4 for several miles until you come to the French Creek horse camp, as you cross the bridge on French Creek proceed straight ahead going up a small short hill, once on top you will notice a that a small meadow is along the road to your right. In this small meadow near the tree line lies the grave and marker of Major Whitehead.The marker is on a small boulder between five tall trees. A suitable place to park is just as you cross the creek a small parking lot for the French Creek canyon hiking trail.
Note that these graves are out in the open and free roaming Buffalo are often found near them, BUFFALO ARE VERY DANGEROUS, they are much quicker than they appear and you should respect them, give them a wide berth or come back another day.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
orgjrra uneq guvatf/ybbx sbe juvgr nzbat gur terl
Treasures
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