Gateway to Little Egypt Mystery Cache

The New Madrid (Missouri) quake of 1811- the quake that caused the Mississippi River to flow backwards and church bells to ring as far away as Boston - sent Capt. Samuel Young, along with his son Matthew, searching for a more hospitable home. Capt. Young found things more to his liking upon reaching Salem...abundant game and tranquility. He made camp on what is now the courthouse square. He decided to return to Tennessee and bring the remaining part of his family to Illinois Territory. In what year did Capt. Young bring the remainder of his family to Salem? The fourth digit in this answer is equal to digit #1 in the coordinates.

The southern section of Illinois from an imaginary line that runs west from Vincennes, Indiana to St. Louis, Missouri is nicknamed, "Little Egypt". The most prevalent idea why Southern Illinois got this nickname happened after a severe winter in northern & central IL, that created so many planting problems for the northern farmers, they ran out of grain to feed their livestock. Wagon loads of farmers sought corn in southern Illinois, the only part of the state that escaped the severe winter weather. This was compared to the Biblical story of Joseph's brothers traveling to Egypt to purchase grain, and southern Illinois became known as "Little Egypt" and Salem became known as, "The Gateway to Little Egypt". In what year did the severe winter weather occur? The second digit in this answer is equal to digit #2 in the coordinates.

Luther B. Easley Post #128 of the American Legion in Salem is the home of the G.I. Bill of Rights. The idea was written on a paper table cover at the Legion Home, and it grew int legislation that passed Congress. It was drafted by Omar J. McMackin, Earl W. Merritt, both of Salem, former Gov. John Stelle of McLeansboro, Dr. Leonard W. Esper of Springfield, George H. Bauer of Effingham, William R. McCauley of Olney, James P. Ringley of Lemont, and A.L. Starshak of Chicago. The plan was taken to Washington D.C. by Gov. Stelle, who was with President Franklin Delano Roosevelt when he signed it into law. The official title is the Servicemen's Readjustment Act and it was created to assist veterans of active service in the Armed Forces during World War II, but it was labeled the G.I. Bill of Rights. Using the format mm/dd/yyyy, what date was the G.I. Bill of Rights signed into law by President Roosevelt? The second digit in this answer is equal to digit #7 in the coordinates.

Max Crossett's X-tra Fine Salad Dressing was a salad dressing and sandwich spread at Max Crosset's Cafe in Salem, IL. Crosset sold the recipe to Kraft Foods for 300. Kraft changed the name to Miracle Whip, and still manufactures it today. It is advertised as having the taste of mayonnaise with half the fat. Miracle Whip debuted at the Chicago World's Fair during the height of the Great Depression. Not only was it tasty, but it was inexpensive, making it very appealing to consumers. In what year did Kraft Foods introduce Miracle Whip at the Chicago World's Fair? Add the last two digits of the answer together and this number is equal to digit #8 in the coordinates.

The oil boom transformed the City of Salem drastically... from a small, quiet town recovering from the depression in the 1930's, to a city hit with a different kind of jolt in its economy. Only this time, the economy quickly turned upward instead of downward. Trying to meet the immediate housing, food and everyday essential needs of hundreds of people who had moved into the Salem area, seemingly overnight, was almost paralyzing at first. When the initial shock of the boom calmed down, the Salem oil businesses were part of the second highest amount of oil production in any one area. In 1939, how many millions of barrels of oil were being pumped out of Marion Co.? The first digit in your answer is equal to digit #4 in the coordinates. For how much a barrel were producers selling oil at that time? The first digit in your answer is equal to digit #6 in the coordinates.

The house still stands in Salem, in which William Jennings Bryan was born on March 19, 1860. Bryan had an active political career during his entire life, from working as a young lawyer, to serving as Secretary of State for Woodrow Wilson, to working as a powerful prosecuting attorney. Because Bryan had deep religious convictions and cared about ordinary citizens, he became known as the "The Great Commoner". He was also a powerful speaker, and was often called The Silver-Tongued Orator". Bryan unsuccessfully ran for President of the U.S. an unprecedented three times. In 1925, he served as the prosecuting attorney at the famous Scopes Monkey Trial, where the issue of whether evolution should be taught in school was argued. John Scopes, the teacher accused in the trial, graduated from Salem High School in 1919, and Wm. Jennings Bryan delivered the address to Scope's graduating class. A 32,000 lb. statue of Bryan that once stood near the Potomac River in Washington D.C., was brought to Salem and dedicated in Bryan's honor in 1961. What three years did Bryan unsuccessfully run for the Presidency? Add the three 4-digit numbers together. The third digit in this answer is equal to digit #10. The last digit in this answer is equal to digit #3 in the coordinates.

A few miles east of Salem, alongside U.S. 50, sits the Half-Way Tavern. Half-Way Tavern got its name because it was the halfway point between St. Louis, MO and Vincennes, IN. As a young attorney, Abraham Lincoln would "ride the circuit" from courthouse to courthouse trying cases in his early days, and most likely visited the Half-Way Tavern from time to time. Captain George Rogers Clark also followed this trail across Illinois in his march from Kaskaskia to Vincennes. What year did Captain Clark march across Illinois and through Salem? The second digit in the answer is equal to digit #9 in the coordinates.

Henry Lee Borden, was the bachelor son of Gail Borden of the Borden Condensed Milk Co. in Chicago. Henry married a widow and legally adopted her two sons. In 1884, Henry acquired 964 acres northwest of Tonti in Marion Co., IL where he built a 22-room mansion and 40 outbuildings on the property in 1888. Mr. Borden was a wealthy man, and he intended to make the farm the essence of gracious rural living. The home was made entirely of soft pine. Everything about the farm was spectacular. It had its own water tower and ice house. It even had its own generating device for supplying electricity to the house and barns at a time when few farmers had the service. The Borden farm was always "lit up like a Christmas tree and quite a splendid sight at night". As many as 30 hired hands lived on the Borden farm; families in tenant houses, and single men in bunkhouse quarters. Employees of the Bordens were treated as a big family and not as servants in any way. It is said Borden had ice cut from Lake Michigan and shipped down by railroad car to Tonti station. The farm also had gardens and a deer park, and people came from miles around to view the place. Mr. Borden, who was an avid hunter, died in 1904 from a lethal case of botulism he contracted from eating a duck he had shot that had not been properly iced. Mrs. Borden and her two sons continued to spend their summers at the Tonti farm until fire destroyed the extravagant mansion in 1920. In what year was the mansion built? How many rooms were in the mansion? Add these two answers together. The fourth digit in the answer is equal to digit #5 in the coordinates.

You now have all the digits in the coordinates to the cache, and you have learned some interesting Salem area history. It has taken some time and effort, but we hope you enjoyed your journey through "Gateway to Little Egypt".

You can check your answers for this puzzle on Geochecker.com.

Happy Caching!

N38* ____ ____ . ____ ____ ____

W088* ____ ____.____ ____ ____