Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Buried Treasure in Ohio ? Read on...


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Buried Treasure in Ohio? Read on...

THE LOST FRENCH GOLD OF MINERVA, OHIO
    
     There are many legends in Ohio concerning the existence of buried gold, lost silver mines, and caches of ill-gotten gains hidden from bank robberies, and other crimes. Some of these legends, have been proven factual, others haven’t been proven either way. These legends are at least interesting to learn. These stories have been handed down through history. They may, or may not, be entirely factual. The legends range from demented millionaires burying their hoard in a secret hiding place, to wartime caches hidden from enemy hands, to ill-gotten gains stolen and hidden from the law.
     One such military treasure, hidden in the heat of the moment is said to be buried near Minerva, Ohio. During British campaign, led by General Forbes, against Fort Duquesne (now Pittsburg) in 1758, a small detachment of 10 men, and 16 horses, were sent out of the fort carrying two tons of gold to Fort Detroit. This was done, of course, to prevent the British from acquiring the gold. On the way to Fort Detroit, on the Tuscarawas Trail, the French soldiers were overtaken by a British unit. Just before they were attacked, they had time to bury the gold and silver. All but two of the French soldiers were killed in the skirmish.
     Through my research, I located a copy of a letter supposedly written by one of the surviving French soldiers, and found by his nephew. As the legend goes, in 1829, an elderly man came to the Columbiana County area in search of the lost gold mentioned in his uncle’s letter. He never found the gold, and to this day, unless it has been unreported, the gold has never been found. Here is the letter as it was presented on the web site I discovered: “"We of the French Army were defending Fort Duquesne against the British when it was learned that the English were attacking in force. A detail of 10 men and 16 pack horses was selected to carry the French Army's gold and silver away from the fort. I was chosen for this detail. Three days and a forenoon later, Northwest of West from the fort, while on the Tuscarawas Trail, our advance guard returned to our little column and reported British soldiers advancing on us. The officer in charge of our detail ordered us to stop in our tracks and dig a hole in the ground. He posted a few guards while the rest dug. The gold was unloaded from the horses and placed in the hole. Then the silver was lowered into the hole. On top of this we shoveled the dirt and covered it with branches. The British started firing at this time. The digging shovels were put under a log on the hillside. No sooner was this done than the British were upon us. Eight were killed, and only Henry Muselle and I were spared. The English had not noticed where the two of us hid. We made the following marks in the area before we fled. The gold was buried in the center of a sort of square formed by four springs. About one half mile to the West of the hole where the gold was buried, Muselle jammed a rock into the fork of a tree so that it would stay. Six hundred steps to the North of the hole, the shovels we hid under a log. As we left by the East I carved a deer into a tree which I judged to be about one mile east of the hole.” 
Turkeyfoot Creek Treasure

     The Indians buried $40,000 worth of gold in Summit County near the inside bend of Turkeyfoot Creek. According to legend, just after their defeat at the hands of Mad Anthony Wayne at Fallen Timbers, the Indians buried gold stolen from the army paymaster near the inside bend of Turkeyfoot Creek. The legend goes on to say the Indians left behind a guard, in the form of an Indian ghost, riding a large white horse. The Indians had all intentions of returning to the area to retrieve the gold, however, their return was not to be. Treasure seekers have tried over the years to locate the legendary treasure. Some have claimed actually seeing the ghost Indian on the large white horse, who guards the treasure. 
     So, if you’re brave enough to confront a ghost Indian, and you can locate the treasure; how about sending me a finder’s fee?

John Dillinger’s Loot
Hidden in Jackson, Ohio?

     According to this story, $825,000 stolen by the John Dillinger gang remains unrecovered by authorities. Some believe there is a possibility at least some of that money  is hidden on a farm near Jackson, Ohio.
     A man known only as “Bailey” lived on a farm just outside of Jackson, Ohio. Although Bailey was never implicated as being a member of the infamous  Dillinger Gang, he was known as a friend and a confidant. It was also known that Dillinger stayed at Bailey’s farm from time to time.
     One day Bailey came to town and purchased a brand new car. Nothing unusual, except that he paid cash for the car during height of The Depression. The rumors started flying. Did the money come from Dillinger’s ill-gotten gains?
     The farm where Bailey lived is 11 miles north of Jackson. It is believed, there is a good possibility that the Dillinger gang’s cache could be hidden somewhere on, or near, the old farm.

“King of the Bootleggers”
Where is the Hidden Vault 

     George Remus was a former lawyer from Chicago. Remus became known as the king of the bootleggers. He invested in connections with distilleries to obtain whiskey. He owned drug stores and distributed the whisky for medicinal purposes, which was legal. Remus’ headquarters was near the Indiana state line, west of Cincinnati. From here, he distributed whisky throughout the central United States. Remus built an empire, and reportedly made around $70,000,000.00 per year.
     Uncle Sam soon caught up to Remus, and he was indicted for income tax evasion. The government raided his Cincinnati mansion, a gunfight ensued, and several government agents, and Remus’ men were killed is a gun battle. Remus was sent to prison in January of 1924.
     Sometime between 1918 and 1923 it is believed Remus built a vault in a hidden location to protect his millions.
     After his release from prison, Remus lived a life of ease until his death of natural causes at the age of 76.
     It is believed that Remus’ hidden vault could be in Cincinnati, or near the home of his business partner, Buck Brady, near Newport, Kentucky. Remus never disclosed the location of his safe, and local legend maintains, the United States government is still looking for the safe.

Gold Bars Buried Near
Fairport Harbor, Ohio?

     During the time of the Civil War (1862), three daring men robbed a Canadian bank and made off with $50,000 in gold bars. The robbers then made their way across Lake Erie to the United States. Upon their arrival in the United Sates, the trio argued with each other over the division of their spoils. Eventually, one man shot the other two, and buried the gold near Fairport Harbor, the called just Fairport. The surviving bank robber ended up in a Chicago hospital, dying of a pulmonary disease. On his deathbed, he told his caregivers the story of the bank robbery. His dying confession went in part, "The gold is buried three feet deep, all the bars together, 20 paces northwest from a large oak tree near the west bank of Grand River, in Ohio, about two miles south of the lake."
     Grab yourself a deep-seeking metal detector, and head for Fairport Harbor—maybe you’ll find the missing gold, and validate this story.



More Ohio History...


THE CHRISTY KNIFE COMPANY

     All businesses take on a life of their own. They face everyday challenges, experiencing ups and downs. They grow and mature. Some die young, and some enjoy long lives. The Christy Company of Fremont, Ohio has lived a very long and interesting life, and continues to live today.
     With a life history that began in 1889, the Christy Company is one of the oldest continuous businesses in Ohio. The fourth generation of the Christy family is now at the helm of the business.
   Russ J. Christy designed and patented a nickel-plated, serrated, bread knife. The production of Christy’s invention was the birth of The Christy Knife Company, formed in 1889.
     Local investors purchased stock in the new company, and the  Christy Knife Company was born. The business was originally located on Arch Street. Just five years into its existence, in 1894, the company needed to expand the building. Again, local investors raised the funds to insure The Christy Knife Company remained in Fremont. At this time, 60 people were employed by the company, and they were distributing cutlery nationwide, and worldwide through an office in London, England.
     In 1902, and again in 1910, the company experienced devastating fires. Each time, the Christy Knife Company rebuilt and expanded.
     The company began production of a single-edge safety razor in 1906. The addition of the safety razor to the company’s line enabled them to actually grow at a time of material shortages during World War I.
     In 1917, the need for more production room was, once again, a concern, and the building at the corner of Dickinson and State Streets became the new home of The Christy Knife Company. At this time the company employed 100 workers, producing a complete line of cutlery.
     R.J. Christy retired in 1920, and his son, D. Lamar Christy took over the business management responsibilities. It was during the tenure of D. Lamar Christy that the Christy Knife was developed. Evidently, even in retirement, R.J. Christy couldn’t keep cutlery off of his mind. The retractable-blade “Christy Knife” idea came to him in a dream. He awoke from his dream and sketched the idea on a bedside pad. The next day, he made a wooden prototype and sent it to his son. They began tooling for the knife in 1936.
     The handy knife features a unique sliding blade, easily operated with one hand. The blade also locks in three positions, and its slim size makes it very convenient to carry.
     During World War II, military post exchanges around the world sold Christy Knives to service personnel. At one point, the United States Customs agent training school issued the Christy Knife to their graduates. Many police and firemen, order the Christy Knife through their supply catalog. The Christy Knife is sold all over the world. “The handiest pocket knife ever designed” has been a keep-sake item handed down from generation to generation for many years.
     D. Lamar Christy managed the company from 1920—1955. Upon his retirement, third-generation, Earl B. Christy began his tenure overseeing the operations of the plant. At this time, nearly 80% of the company’s business was manufacturing surgical steel blades for a Cincinnati surgical instrument company. In 1961, The Christy Knife Company lost the contract with the Cincinnati firm, and nearly collapsed. The drastically reduced work-force was able to continue on by manufacturing their famous Christy Knife.
     Earl Christy passed away in November of 2006. Fourth generation, Randy “Hal” Christy, and his wife, Donna, continue to carefully maintain the high quality of standards established more than 100 years manufacturing excellence. The Christy Knife is still manufactured in Fremont, Ohio, on the same 1936 equipment.
THE FAME OF THE CHRISTY KNIFE


     Over the years, The Christy Knife Company has been privileged to hear real-life drama stories that have helped to earn the title: “The Handiest Pocket Knife Ever Designed.”

     “The Christy Knife saved the life of a Navy pilot in the South Pacific during WWII. Injured and without the use of one hand, the pilot removed his Christy Knife from his sleeve pocket, opened it with one hand, cut his shoulder harness, replaced the knife in the sleeve pocket, opened the canopy, bailed out and parachuted to safety.”
     “Coming upon a bad accident on the turnpike, a doctor saved a man’s life. The injured man couldn’t breathe because of facial injuries. The doctor used his Christy Knife to perform a tracheotomy, inserted a tube in the throat incision, thus allowing the man to breathe and saved his life.”