GCTD04 Old Stones of 969: Bonus Cache (Unknown Cache) in Texas, United States created by Blind Yak

GCTD04 ▼

A cache by Blind Yak Message this owner

Hidden : 2/10/2006

Difficulty:

Terrain:

Size: Size: micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

Old Stones of 969: Bonus Cache

The coordinates at the top of the page are not for the cache. Be sure to bring a pen.

I have had much fun and reflection finding numerous cemeteries within about a mile of 969. The oldest settlers in Travis county settled in this area near 969. All along 969, pieces of history and architecture can be seen with the keen eye. The oldest legible tombstone that I found was in Hornsby cemetery. The oldest stone with a legible death date was 1840. I found a handful of legible birth dates from the late 1700s. I did not place a cache in Hornsby cemetery because it is maintained with private funds.

Here is an exerpt of the Hornsby history:
"The year was 1830. Reuben and Sarah Morrison Hornsby landed in Texas from the steamship Pocahontas. At Stephen F. Austin's colony at San Felipe, Reuben was joined with Austin and five other men: Webber, Walters, Duty, Barker, and Wilbarger.

Together these men surveyed the land around Austin's Upper Colony. When Reuben saw a large horse-shoe shaped bend in the Colorado River just 9 miles east of present day Austin, he told Austin that this was the land he wanted as his "headright."

Stephen F. Austin granted Reuben Hornsby 4500 acres on October 16, 1832. That land since has been named "Hornsby Bend" and, in the early days of the Republic of Texas, it stood at the most northern, remote tip of Austin's Colony."

and

"In the year 1832, Reuben Hornsby, a colonist of Stephen F. Austin, settled upon his league of land on the upper Colorado River about nine miles below where the city of Austin now stands. He was the first settler in what is now Travis County. The entire country at that time was of course, practically uninhabited. Over the plains of wild rye only deer, coyotes, and murderous Indians roamed. Families living as far as twelve or fifteen miles apart considered themselves near neighbors."

The rest of the very entertaining stories can be found at: (visit link)

If you are interested in more than the smiley’s (it could happen), you can get permission to enter the historic Hornsby cemetery. State historic markers identify graves as old as 1836. Hornsby cemetery has an awesome web page and stories of the Hornsby and Wilbarger families. The settlers in this area had to deal with Indians and even bears. In addition to the 11 cemeteries in this series, I visited at least 5 additional cemeteries near FM 969. A common theme amongst all the cemeteries was that life for these pioneers was very tough with many of their infants and children dying way too young. I hope you absorbed some of this history in your trip along 969. Happy Trails.

Since I am not very good at puzzles, the puzzle below is very simple. Here are the clues for the very easy puzzle to find the final "Old Stones of 969: Bonus Cache":

3
0
1
BROWN
DUTY
EASLEY
GLASSCOCK
HUNTER
JONES
MANOR
MORRIS
PUCKETT = 6 (provided due to restricted access)
ROGERS
WILSON

Happy Caching and smell the history along the way!

I suggest using the available parking Northeast of the cache location. It is easier approaching the cache from the Northeast.

Additional Hints ()

[Hints will be provided after FTF confirmed]

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)