SEPTEMBER 2016

THE GOLD TREE Thought Leader Crossword Puzzle EDM Without Reflectors 2nd NCEES meeting Just for surveyors Accuracies and errors » JERRY PENRY, PS

he are a scenic area of buttes and evidence that at certain times a military escort accompanied them canyons forested with pine and cedar located in the for protection from the Indians. Fairfield is credited as the surveyor Panhandle region of between the North who subdivided T20N-R56W in the late summer of 1873. Platte River and . In the 1830-60’s, On August 19, 1873, while surveying east on a random line at early emigrants passed through the northern region 6.00 chains across the north line of Section 25, Fairfield’s crew of the Wildcat Hills en route to the Pacific Northwest on the reached the western edge of a canyon which offered a magnificent now famous . Unique sandstone formations rise up view of the country for many miles to the east. Just ahead, near a hundreds of feet above the surrounding landscape. Many promi- small spring fed creek, stood a cedar tree so large that it defied their nent landmarks such as Courthouse Rock, Chimney Rock, Scotts imagination. At 33.00 chains, the crew tied in the tree and found it Bluff, and were reference points for travelers as they to be 2 chains south of their line. Fairfield stated in his notes that it progressed westward. was the largest cedar tree he had ever seen. The crew measured its The General Land Office surveys in this area commenced in the circumference to be 33 links (21.78’) and scribed upon it Sec. 25, Twp early 1870’s after several hundred thousand people had already 20, Range 56. The crew continued east and intersected LaMunyan’s passed through. One particular township, T20N-R56W, located east range line at 80.70 chains. Returning west on true line, a approximately 10 miles south of the present-day city of Gering, had limestone was placed at the proportional distance of 40.35 chains its exterior lines run by the crew of Ira W. LaMunyan in October for the N ¼ Corner of Section 25. of 1872. Lamunyan typically worked joint contracts with another One year later in 1874, gold was discovered in the Black Hills deputy surveyor named George W. Fairfield. Together, the two region of southwestern Dakota Territory. The gold was rumored crews had a large force of men working in the Wildcat Hills. There is to be so abundant that thousands of fortune seekers raced to the

Displayed with permission • The American Surveyor • September 2016 • Copyright 2016 Cheves Media • www.Amerisurv.com The Gold Tree area that belonged to the great Sioux Indian Nation. The Black Hills Gold Rush of 1876 gave rise to the immediate establishment of mining camps and frontier towns like Custer and Deadwood. As the gold was extracted, it had to be routinely shipped to the Union Pacific Railroad in Nebraska. Stage coaches along the Cheyenne & Black Hills Stage Line were the only means available to ship the gold. This line had two routes from Deadwood. One went southwest to the Union Pacific Railroad at Cheyenne, , and the other south to Sidney, Nebraska. Special armored coaches known as “treasure coaches” were lined with steel plates and had strong boxes bolted to the stage. They sometimes carried up to a quarter of a million dollars in gold bars, nuggets, and dust in iron. Naturally, these coaches became prime targets for outlaws on the three day journey to the railroad. One of the more notorious treasure coach robberies occurred on September 28, 1878, when five bandits held up the coach and escaped with $27,000 in gold. Most of the gold was eventually recovered, but a legend said that at least two bars were still out there. A typical gold bar measured 10” long, 6” wide, and 5” thick. Other smaller robberies

Displayed with permission • The American Surveyor • September 2016 • Copyright 2016 Cheves Media • www.Amerisurv.com The Gold Tree An old roll of woven fence wire rests in one of the many depressions in the area where early fortune seekers dug for the legendary gold.

to locate the large tree. In exchange, he proposed cutting Pitcher in on the deal. Records do not indicate whether Pitcher was part of Fairfield’s crew in 1873 when the large cedar tree was discovered. All of the crew’s names were not listed in the notes. Pitcher might have learned about the tree from those he worked with while employed by Fairfield. Regardless, Pitcher immedi- ately recalled the cedar tree, but incorrectly recollected it marking an actual section corner since it had been scribed upon. The distance to Gering from Rushville was over 100 miles. Pitcher travelled to Gering by wagon where he tarried several days for the Denver man to arrive. Although occurred, but by 1886 the railroads reached decided to stay in western Nebraska. He the man never showed, Pitcher decided to the Black Hills and the days of the treasure eventually settled near Rushville where he find the tree himself. With the tree stated coach ended. became the Sheridan County surveyor. in the GLO notes and it marked on the By 1883, most of the GLO surveys were Sometime later, Pitcher received an township plat, the location was identified. completed in Nebraska. With the stage line unexpected letter from a Denver man who After proceeding to the location, Pitcher still in operation at this time, the location claimed to have knowledge of a large quan- found the tree already cut down, probably of the route and various stage stops were tity of gold taken during a stage robbery and used for fence posts. Pitcher returned home recorded on the plats. The surveyors who buried a certain distance and direction from to Rushville where another letter from the travelled west to work on the crews gener- a very large marked cedar tree. The Denver man in Denver had arrived in his absence. ally returned east to their homes. Solomon man wanted to meet Pitcher in Gering The letter stated that he had been ill and Pitcher, a compassman on Fairfield’s crew, and use Pitcher’s knowledge of surveying unable to travel, but wanted to meet on a

Carl Gilbert obtains a position on the original 1873 GLO stone at the N ¼ Corner of Section 25, T20N, T56W, 6PM.

Displayed with permission • The American Surveyor • September 2016 • Copyright 2016 Cheves Media • www.Amerisurv.com This large cedar, most likely from a seed of the legendary tree, pales in comparison to the 7-foot diameter tree that was once in this area and noted by the GLO surveyors.

L. Shumway, story recounted that a man named Carr authored a three with the help of others had removed many volume set titled cubic yards of earth attempting to find the History of Western gold. Perhaps this was the famed Sheriff Jeff Nebraska and Its Carr from Cheyenne. The flurry of activity People. Shumway around the location of the famed tree was was a friend enough to build the story into a legend. of Nebraska Gold fever struck the minds of many men State Surveyor who all endeavored to be the one to recover Robert Harvey the gold. and frequently When I first read about the gold recorded historical near the legendary cedar tree, I gave it tales from the little credence. A cedar tree over 7 feet in different date. Considering himself played surveyor. Volume II retold the story of a diameter would truly be an amazing record. for a fool after having invested a consider- 7-foot diameter cedar tree in the Wildcat The current record for an Eastern red cedar able amount of time and expense, Pitcher Hills that marked the location of a large in Nebraska is 2.9 feet in diameter. A state did not continue the “wild goose chase”. quantity of gold and how Solomon Pitcher arborist could not rule out the possible Pitcher later moved to California where he had been contacted to assist in finding it. existence of a cedar 7 feet in diameter, but died in 1920. The story, however, is contradictory stating stated it would have had to have been over In 1921, western historian and State both that the stump had never been located 500 years old. Most of the early trees in Commissioner of Public Lands, Grant and that Pitcher had found the stump. The western Nebraska were kept in check by

Displayed with permission • The American Surveyor • September 2016 • Copyright 2016 Cheves Media • www.Amerisurv.com Top: George Fairfield’s N ¼ Corner of Section 25, T20N, R56W, still bears the markings made by his crew in 1873. The famed cedar was S85°50’W - 7.70 chains from this corner. Bottom: Carl Gilbert takes notes while landowner Rick Henderson holds the recovered stone which was measured and then replaced where found.

I contacted Carl Gilbert who is the county surveyor of Banner County in the Wildcat Hills. He, in turn, contacted the landowner, 71-year-old Rick Henderson, to obtain permission to search for original section corners on his property. Although I had disclosed the story about the gold and that the noted tree was assuredly at the right location, I waited to see what the landowner would reveal when we all met in person. Almost immediately, Henderson recalled the stories passed down to him by his father and grandfather. The land had been in the Henderson family since 1906, so the legend was well known to the family. Details, as to whether anyone in the family had actually seen the tree while it was still standing were sketchy. During the 1950’s, the legend of the buried gold resurfaced. Henderson remem- bered numerous people coming to the property for permission to search. One was a psychic, absolutely sure of the location, but upon digging found nothing. One man had legal papers drawn up for the family to sign to assure him of part of the bounty if found. Another was a dowser who unsuc- cessfully attempted to find the location with wires. Others brought Geiger counters and metal detectors and canvassed the area. Craters left on the property are still visible, but have long since grassed over. According to local tradition, three robbers buried the gold near the famed tree and before leaving made a map showing how to recover it. The map was supposedly constructed in such a way that when cut in annual prairie fires. I initially decided the marked the corner for the southwest corner thirds each piece had to be joined together story of the tree and the hidden gold was a of Section 25 in the same township. I then to reveal the location. This assured that tall tale. noticed near the N ¼ Corner of Section 25 each man would have to be present in order In early 2016, I decided to research the words “Large Cedar” on the plat. Upon to find the gold at a later date. Each went his section corners in the Wildcat Hills marked examining the notes, I was struck by the separate way until enough time passed and by the GLO surveyors as coinciding with words detailing its massive size and that law enforcement would no longer search trees. A township corner at the southeast the tree had been scribed with its location for them. The legend further states that one corner of township T20N-R56W was a referenced from the N ¼ Corner. Facts were robber was shot and killed; the second was 10” pine. Another tree of an unstated size now lining up with the legend. captured and sent to prison, and the third

Displayed with permission • The American Surveyor • September 2016 • Copyright 2016 Cheves Media • www.Amerisurv.com Alec McNabb and Carl Gilbert record the location of the ridge line west of where the large cedar was discovered to compare with the GLO notes.

evaded capture. Some believe this was the man from Denver who contacted Solomon Pitcher years later. Henderson recalled dif- ferent stories being passed around and that at least one portion of the map had been recovered. Distinguishing fact from fiction is impossible since the story had been retold with so many different versions. I met with Carl Gilbert, his coworker Alec McNabb, and Rick Henderson at the site on March 18, 2016. A light dusting of snow had fallen during the night, but melted by noon. Henderson took us to a location of the tree which matched the general location I had predetermined based upon the GLO notes. Depressions were still visible where others already searched. A large rolled up coil of woven wire sat in the center of one hole. Many cedar trees were in the area, but most were 12”-18” in diameter, far smaller than the 84” legendary tree. Closer to the creek one large cedar measured just over 27”. Gilbert and McNabb began searching for the section corners along the north line of Section 25. I brought along two metal detectors capable of detecting non-ferrous metals. Henderson and I randomly searched the area where others had dug. We walked a grid of the entire area, one following behind and to the side of the other. Back and forth across the prairie, we methodically and slowly walked while listening intently. Although I had not logically expected to find anything, I equally anticipated that we might be the ones to solve the mystery. Collectively, we decided to find Fairfield’s was not a stump or a hole where a tree reveal their discovery? Despite many N ¼ Corner of Section 25 to calculate the should have been. The stump of a tree this exhaustive hours of searching to prove to bearing and distance to where the tree once size should have left a noticeable depres- myself that nothing was there, the legend stood. A limestone was recovered which sion if it had rotted. Since cedars are mostly remains alive. closely matched the size from the notes. decay resistant, it seemed odd that there The day, however, was not a loss. We Upon close examination, removing the soil was no visible sign of its prior existence. uncovered three original 1873 GLO stones embedded in the sides, an unmistakable Had someone removed the stump and filled and the landowner was grateful. We shared numeral “4” appeared deeply cut into one in the hole more than a century ago? Were experiences together as surveyors in one of side with a chipped out area above it which the holes dug in the other area the result of the most scenic portions of the state and left was once the “1” of the 1/4. We determined a distance found on a map? feeling richer than before we arrived. ◾ the tree’s location as stated in the notes - Unfortunately, the legend of the buried S85°50’W a distance of 7 chains 70 links gold near the massive cedar tree remains (508.2’). There was nothing there or any- unsolved. Was this a hoax retold so many Jerry Penry is a licensed land surveyor in where near this location, perhaps 100 feet times it took on the form of truth? Did Nebraska and South Dakota. He is a frequent south of where others dug long ago. There someone find the gold long ago and not contributor to the magazine.

Displayed with permission • The American Surveyor • September 2016 • Copyright 2016 Cheves Media • www.Amerisurv.com