The area that is about 700 feet North-North East of this cache was the location of Joe's Dugout. Sometimes called Dorton's Dogout Station.
Around 1858 Joseph Dorton asked Bishop Evans advice on establishing a station half-way between Camp Floyd and Lehi. The advice he got was negative, but Dorton wanted out of being cooped up in the Lehi Fort and signed a contract for a station to be known as Seven Mile Station. He began construction of a rock home, a large barn and corral, and a dugout for lodging travelers. At the station Dorton also operated a small store. He traded eggs, butter, pastries, beer, and liquor to Camp Floyd soldiers who daily travelled the Overland Road on military business. The troopers exchanged clothing for food and liquid refreshments.
Water for the station was hauled from the Jordan River and the murky, foul smelling stuff was sold for 25 cents per bucket. Dorton contracted for a well to be dug. After digging a dry well over 250 feet, the idea was abandoned.
Dorton's dugout is shrouded in mystery and superstition. One time Porter Rockwell was driving a herd of wild mustangs through the area. At Dorton's Dugout, the horses all became sick and laid down. Rockwell told his help to slit the end of the tail of every horse, soak a straw in the blood, and then combine the straws and burn them. In so doing, all the animals completely and immediately recovered and they were on their way to market in Lehi and Salt Lake.
At another time, Porter Rockwell pursued an outlaw. He was told in Cedar Fort that the outlaw was headed towards Joe's Dugout. Arriving, Porter knocked at the door and the door was opened by the outlaw who immediately pulled his six-shooter and fired directly at Rockwell, emptying the gun. An observer said that he could see the fire from the exploding gun powder enter Rockwell's chest from one side and exit the other. With an empty pistol and Rockwell still standing, the outlaw threw down his gun and started running up the hill to get away. Porter Rockwell sauntered to his buckboard, took his rifle and fired one shot at the fleeing outlaw. He dropped dead. Did the outlaw run up the hill where the cache is? Who knows! Maybe!
Many of Rockwell's dead outlaws are said to be at the bottom of Dorton's dry well. Rockwell felt the area was inhabited by evil influences and witches' spirits. He avoided coming this way if at all possible. Perhaps if you are lucky you'll get to see a ghost or two while doing this cache.
As for Dorton, he later abandoned his operation after the Pony Express and Stage Coaches quit running. He returned to Lehi where he became well known as Butcher Dorton.
The cache is located on the hill above the field. Please don't walk across the farmer's fields to get to the cache. You can park a short distance off the road and hike to the cache without disturbing the field. Or who knows...perhaps there is an outlaw ghost that doesn't want to be disturbed.
My daughter recently used this bit of history as the base for a ghost story that she wrote for school. If you would like to read it, Click Here!!!