Become a Virtual Tourist Member Today!  Sign Up for Free | Sign In

"Legend of the Lost Creek Gold mine" a Pitt Lake Travel Page by Darby2

Search:
email to friend | help
Home » North America » Canada » Province of British Columbia » Pitt Lake » Darby2 Pitt Lake Travel Page

Pitt Lake Pages by Darby2


"Legend of the Lost Creek Gold mine" a Pitt Lake Travel Page by Darby2
See the Entire Pitt Lake Travel Guide
Click Picture to enlarge.
 email me
 add as friend


Darby2   
"Stay Calm, Be Brave, and Watch for the Signs"


Real Name: Darbkitten, Darbydoggy, Darbushka, Lovemuffin, Notary Sojac, Igor Beaver, or just plain Dave
Lives In: Darby Delight, US
Member Since: May 05, 2002
VT Rank: 934

Sponsored Links for Pitt Lake

Pittsburgh Airport Hotels
Quickly Find & Book the Right Hotel PIT Airport in Pittsburgh

SoHo Metropolitan Hotel
Luxury Boutique Hotel Best Rates Online

Pit Hotels
Weather got you Stranded? Find Last Minute Hotel Deals at 800-449-4167.

Upscale Hotel Pittsburgh
Plush beds and quiet zone floors. Sleep Better at Crowne Plaza!

Univ of Pittsburgh Hotels
Reserve Your Hotel Near Campus Guaranteed Lowest Rates.



 

Page Views: 2,766            Last Visit to Pitt Lake: -      

Legend of the Lost Creek Gold mine

by Darby2 - last update: Jun 12, 2004

Gold nuggets the size of walnuts!

Examining the tent shaped rock
Back in the 1800's, there was a native indian named Slumach who claims to have found a fortune in gold in mountains north of Pitt Lake. It location still remains a mystery to this day.

Read about the story here The Lost Gold Mine of Pitt Lake

Excerpt:

The first recorded prospector to go in search of Slumach's Gold after his death was a veteran prospector from the Gold Fields of Alaska named Jackson, who heard about the gold in San Francisco. When he arrived in the New Westminster area he interviewed several of the local Indians and headed off into the mountains behind Pitt Lake to try his hand at finding the fabled eldorado. No one heard or saw Jackson for several months until local Katzie Indian chief Peter Pierre found him on the east side of Pitt Lake. When Peter first found Jackson his skin was cut, his clothes were in rags, and he was clutching his backpack. Peter brought Jackson back out to New Westminster where Jackson caught the first boat back to California. When Jackson returned home, he got very sick and feared he would not be able to return to the Pitt Lake country again. He wrote a letter to a friend of his named Shotwell describing what he found in those forbidden mountains. His letter reads as follows:

The letter

I had been out for over two months and found myself running short of grub, I had lived mostly on fresh meat for one can't carry much of a pack in those hills. I found a few very promising ledges and colours in the little creeks but nothing I cared to stay with. I had almost made up my mind to light out the next day. I climbed to the top of a sharp ridge and looked down into the canyon or valley about one and a half miles long, and what struck me as singular; it appeared to have no outlet for the creek that flowed at the bottom. Afterwards I found that the creek entered a ------- and was lost. After some difficulty I found my way down to the creek. The water was almost white; the formation for the most part had been slate.
Now comes the interesting part. I had only a small prospecting pan but I found colours at once right at the surface, and such colours they were. I knew then that I had struck it right at last. In going upstream I came to a place where the bedrock was bare, and there, you could hardly believe me, the bedrock was yellow with gold. Some of the nuggets were as big as walnuts and there were many chunks carrying quartz.
After sizing it up, I saw there was millions stowed around in the little cracks. On account of the weight I buried part of the gold at the foot of a large tent shaped rock facing the creek. You can't miss it. There is a mark cut in it. Taking with me what I supposed to be ten thousand dollars (in gold) but afterwards it proved to be a little over eight thousand dollars.
After three days hard travelling, it would not have been over two days good going, but the way was rough and I was not feeling well, I arrived at the lake and while resting there was taken sick and never since been able to return, and now I fear I never shall. I am alone in the world, no relatives, no one to look after me for anything. Of course I have never spoken of this find during any of this time for fear of it being discovered. It has caused me many anxious hours, but the place is so well guarded by surrounding ridges and mountains that it should not be found for many years, unless someone knew of it being there.
Oh, how I wish I could go with you to show you this wonderful place, for I cannot give you any exact directions, and it may take a year or more to find. Don't give up but keep at it and you will be repaid beyond your wildest dreams. I believe any further directions would only tend to confuse it, so I will only suggest further that you go alone or at least only take one or two trusty Indians to pack food and no one need know but that you are going on a hunting trip until you find the place and get everything for yourself. When you find it and I am sure you will, should you care to see me, advertise in the 'Frisco Exam.' and if I am still living I will either come to see you, or let you know where you can find me, but once more I say to you, don't fail to look this great opportunity up and don't give up until you find it. Now good bye and may success attend you.

Yours truly, W. Jackson
The search party that brought Brown out in 1928.
If this letter is true, as many prospectors believe that it is, then there is indeed a fortune in gold waiting to be found somewhere in the mountains at the head of Pitt Lake. The origin of this letter comes from a local author by the name of N.L. Barlee who says that it was found among some papers belonging to another prospector who followed in Jackson's footsteps. This fellow went by the name of Robert A Brown or Volcanic Brown as he was called by those who knew him in British Columbia.

> Add to your Custom Travel Guide [What's This?]

In A Nutshell:"Will the mystery ever be resolved????"

Comments for Darby2 about Pitt Lake
SharpSword Thu Dec 16, 2004 23:34 UTC
 Well Hi there to another Adventurer I must be the only one who found an abandoned mine in Pitt lake Area,Not all is lost there is Gold in those mountains I brought some out only a couple of weeks ago and you can bet on it I am heading back in soon.

More Sponsored Links for Pitt Lake

Saskatchewan Canada Lakes
Beautiful Canadian Parks, Camping, 100,000 Lakes. Great New Website

Holiday Inn Pittsburgh
Book your hotel accommodations in Pennsylvania. Official Site.

Hotels
View Hotel Photos, Reviews & More. Compare & Save on Hotels at ORBITZ!

Find:       Matching:  Advanced