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Camp Joe Traditional Cache

Hidden : 8/14/2005
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
4 out of 5

Size: Size:   regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

A cache in the south end of the LBL with a story. Not a difficult hike, but definitely not a drive-up!

This is another in my series of "decay and detritus" caches. Park as close as you can to these coordinates: N36 36.304, W088 00.086. Then walk up the steps and go back in time. Try to imagine groups of children playing here who could not be called for dinner because they could not hear . . .

Francis Xavier Taishle came to the United States from Bulgaria. He worked for Mr. Rakoff as a hide tanner. He was lured away to a job by Mr. Phillip Redd from Redd's Hollow, who promised to pay him double what Mr. Rakoff paid and provide him with a house; he gladly took both. Frank married Rebecca Armistead Javins from Alexandria, VA, and they established a home which they called Eagle Hill, as they had seen a eagle flying overhead when they were moving in. By the time he was 28 years old, after 13 years in the U.S., Frank had a nice home, a lovely wife, a son, two daughters, and a thriving tannery. He operated a small loan business which helped a great many young couples in the area before there were banks in the area. Becky nursed the sick in the area because there was only one doctor, even though she had her own household for which to care.

The Tishels (as their name had come to be spelled) were loved by everyone in the community and came to be known as Uncle Frank and Aunt Becky.

Their son and two sons-in-law all owned farms in the No. 8 district of Stewart County. Even after Becky's death in 1896, Frank and his son and son's family lived in the original house at Eagle Hill. Frank passed away in 1919 and was buried beside his beloved wife in Hendon Cemetery (there's a cache and a very unusual grave there).

In 1948, Mary Tishel Brandon, Frank and Becky's granddaughter, opened a school for speech- and hearing-impaired children in the house and its surroundings and renamed it Camp Joe Tishel in memory of her father. The school operated until the lake impoundment in the early 1960s. Surely a great many parents drove away in tears after depositing their weeping children in a place that changed their lives forever - for the better.

THINGS TO KNOW: The road may be impassable during rainy seasons, so use great caution. Pull as far off the road to park as you are able. Passing by the site and traveling approximately 1/4 mile will give you a place on the right in which to park if conditions are unfavorable. Use extreme caution while on the site; structures are decaying and unsafe. Also, use caution around the back of the well house; a sinkhole is forming there and could be dangerous. In short, STAY AWAY FROM THE STRUCTURES - LOOK BUT DON'T TOUCH!


Cache is an ammo can. Original contents:
FTF gift!; geodocument; log book; pencils (2); magnetic shopping list; smiley pellet puzzle; magic towel; double picture frame; Disney flying disc; light-up yoyo; mini playing cards; rubber snake; splash bomb ball; personal fan; Ralph W. TB & WriterGirl's signature hitchhiker item; Sarah Mae geocoin; The Boatman's signature item.

A special thank you to the original hiders WriterGirl and The Boatman for all their research and time spent creating and maintaining this cache over the years.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Sbetrg cvaf; jnyx ba arrqyrf gb trg gb gur pnpur. Sbyybj gur byq jbbq naq zrgny obhaqnel znexre.

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)