GCYCVP MENSA OR MEATHEAD..WHICH ONE ARE YOU? (Multi-cache) in West Virginia, United States created by PAFARMBOY

This cache has been archived.

pafarmboy: It's quite clear that the WV WMA officials don't see geocaching as an activity worthy of their lands (http://forums.groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=162408). It's a shame, because Hillcrest is a wonderful area that needs more visitation.

PAFARMBOY

GCYCVP ▼

A cache by PAFARMBOY Message this owner

Hidden : 4/3/2007

Difficulty:

Terrain:

Size: Size: regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

MENSA

...OR...

MEATHEAD

For the Meatheads only:

Thorns

Wading

Long pants suggested

Some Climbing (No special equipment required)
Mud

Mud!

Generated by The Selector

CHARLES (C. A.) SMITH

Mr. Charles A. Smith was born April 14, 1867, in Wellsville, a son of Alexander and Margaret Smith. He was the last of eight children. Smith was an energetic and out spoken man who set goals for himself and worked until they were achieved.

Smith was truly a success story in the true American tradition, a self-made men whose business acumen and vision at the turn of the century helped tremendously in the development of the upper Ohio Valley.

Through hard work, dogged determination, and a ruthless drive to succeed, he eventually owned a traction operation named the Steubenville/East Liverpool/Beaver Valley Traction Company, was part owner of two different potteries, Rock Springs Park, the Chester Bridge and Land Company, the Southside Water Works and The Chester Sewer Company.

He made Ripley's Believe It Or Not in 1935 when the Lincoln Highway bridge that is the final of another one of my caches, was rebuilt without stopping traffic. His former home is also seen at stage 3 of my Lincoln Highway cache.

Many also claim that he named Chester, WV after his uncle Chester Mahon.

But he may well be best known for the vast Hillcrest Farms with its enormous apple harvest and prize Herefords. It was known the world over and brought thousands of people to the Panhandle area in the mid-20th century.

Hillcrest Farms, which was Smith's principal interest the last ten years of his life, took form in 1917. He went into the Hereford cattle business in 1918 and began producing the championship stock. The herd at one time numbered seven hundred head. However, what isn't mentioned in his slightly-skewed life history is that the impressive 2,200 acre Hillcrest wasn't always so impressive. In fact, the heydeys he would see in the 40's and 50's were partially the result of the Great Depression.

Most of the eventual Hillcrest was a series of different family farms up until the Great Depression. At that time, a lot of farmers couldn't make ends meet, and in swooped Smith. He bought out all the farms around the original Hillcrest and expanded his beef and cattle operation. Trust me on this one. My grandparent's farm (currently my father's) was one of the few who escaped the "hostile takeover".

He was, and still is, either a hero or a villain, depending on who you talk to around these parts.

From Hillcrest came a grand champion bull of the Chicago International Livestock Exposition in 1947, 1949, and 1951 and the grand champion at Chicago in 1950 and 1951. Grand champions also paraded before judges at the Baltimore and Kansas City shows. Smith had the "best ten head" at Chicago from 1948 to 1951. In 1950, Smith sold one of his prize bulls for $70,500, a record price at that time. In January of 1951, another world record was set when a half interest in his main breeding bull,

HC Larry Domino 12th

was sold for $105,000, to E. C. McCormick, Jr. of Akron. Rumor has it that McCormick was actually a front man for Arthur Guthrie, a famous singer back in the day.

Domino produced the goods for a long time and was actually buried (I'm sure with a big smile on his snout) with a huge gravestone and plaque commemorating his prowess. It can be found at the waypoint listed below if you care to look. The gravestone is there, but the plaque is long gone.

CA Smith died on October 13, 1953 and the Hillcrest Farm soon went up for sale amongst family squabbles. The property was eventually split and formed the 1500-acre Rugh Hillcrest Farms, continuing the beef cattle operation, and another 700 acres to Hillcrest Farms, an apple and peach orchard. Both of these facilities slowly went downhill, and the 2 parcels of land were sold to the state of West Virginia in 1991 and 1993. (Still a sore spot with my father, who tried to buy the land when it went up for sale.) All the land was eventually designated the Hillcrest Wildlife Management Area.

Time to walk in the footsteps of Smith and Domino:

This cache is in a little known area of the Hillcrest WMA. Trust me, you'll know why they call it Hillcrest when you're done with this cache. Turn onto Cranberry Lane, even though it looks like you're going through somebody's farm, you are on the right road. Keep driving until you see the parking lot.

The theme of the cache:

Another legend of Mr. Smith detailed the day he was stopped by a State trooper on his way to New Cumberland. Mr. Smith liked to travel fast, as he was always in a hurry. He told the officer to "make out two citations, as I will soon be coming back, and traveling just as fast". This solidified his reputation as one who was "blunt and out spoken. He never minced words and always got to the point quickly"

Hmmm....Traveling fast and getting to the point quickly. Sound like some of your geocaching experiences?

The concept of a cache is born.........

MENSA is an elite group of people in the top 2% of the population, intelligence-wise anyway. Meatheads are...well...we all know one.

Each stage of the cache can be reached 2 ways...Mensa or Meathead. Mensa cachers like to think and strategize before attempting a cache, just as I'm sure Smith did in his various businesses. Meatheads like to plow through hellorhighwater to get the job done, also traits of Smith.

Which one are you? Both types are not required, though they might be useful if you have a split caching-personality. The terrain rating is the closest average of the 2 opposing strategies (3 for Mensas 4.5 for Meatheads). I guarantee you a fun time and great views, plus you might even surprise yourself at the M&M combo you morph into.

There are four stages altogether. The containers start from regular to small to small to a regular final. Each should be an easy find, as there are clues at each stage to tell you where to look next, but will you use brains or brawn to get there? The final is a .30 ammo can.

This is a semi-long hike, about 3 miles Mensa, probably a half mile shorter for Meatheads. It's a great area that is one of those spots you'd never know was there until you've been there. When you find the final, try to picture what the view would have looked like 70 years ago.... Prize bulls grazing in the pasture below you, row after row of cornfields being worked by horse-drawn pickers or maybe even the very latest in farm technology, the steel-wheeled tractor. Along the edge of the ridge, crews of apple pickers with their bags slung over their shoulders, balancing atop their ladders, would be plucking the first ripe fruit of the year. Maybe even Domino would be in the far fields, strutting his stuff.....Just like you will be when you're finally done with this cache.

Let us know in your log what you were on each stage, Mensa or Meathead? Be honest now! Have fun......PAFARMBOY

Mensa people might use this: