Wednesday, August 29, 2012

This and That

    I'll be taking a break on this blog post this Labor Day Weekend but will be back on a regular bi-monthly schedule starting September 16th. We hope that you enjoy the blog posts and photographs we gather from around our beautiful state. There are so many things to see and do and it is the upcoming fall festival season.  Practically every weekend from now until Thanksgiving communities are having their annual festivals. These are a lot of fun and some are quite unusual. Here is a link to give a preview of upcoming events.

    If you enjoy reading my blogs and have suggestions or ideas of places and people, please tell me in the comment section below. I promise I will get back to you and keep in mind all comments must be approved before they are actually posted. So, if you don't want you comment posted,  but would like to contact me, well, the comment section is the best way. 

 My book is still available from  this secure link.  

   Kiowa Scott Muncie who guest posts on this site will have a new article with photographs in the days ahead. He has an amazing collection of rock carving photos. You can visit his Facebook page here.





Coming up in the next blog post will be devoted to a very unusual special event held annually in the Red River Gorge and the heart of Swift country!  Coming September 16! Also, I will be signing books Friday, August 31 at the Salyersville Public Library from 10-2. If you are in the area stop by and say hello.




Sunday, August 19, 2012

We called it the Light House

     There are so many version of the Swift Journal containing many landmarks that it can be downright confusing sometimes. Over the years, sifting through many variations there are few landmarks that seem common to all the different versions. One notable is the famous 'light house.'  Swift in describing one of the areas of his 'mines' claims to look  across the valley to cliff with a hole in it. "The slope across the hills west there is a big rock that looks like a buffalo rock. We cut our names on it: Swift,  Monday, Greser,Jefferson and others. You can stand on top of this hill above buffalo rock and look west through the hole in the top of the cliff and see the sky beyond. We called it the 'lighthouse.' Not far from the drying ground west we carved turkey tracks under a cliff pointing backwards to the mine." *
    The Red River Gorge country is famous for the numerous natural arch formations in the sandstone cliffs of the region. Of the hundreds in the area, two are more famous than all the rest and probably more visited each year than all the rest. One, of course is the famous Natural Bridge located near Slade, Ky. The second most notable arch is the beautiful Sky Bridge located on a ridge that overlooks the confluence of "Swift" Creek and the North Fork of the Red River.
    Yes, right there in the heart of the Swift country overlooking the very creek that is named for the legendary character are the landmarks described in his journals which tell of the amazing riches that supposedly still remain hidden somewhere in the wilds. No wonder this area became ground zero for the search decades ago. Since that time the search has expanded to other regions of the state and even to other states.  All have similar clues and landmarks.
   The  whole region of the Red River country is truly remarkable and certainly lends itself to all kinds of possibilities of discovery.
From the unofficial entrance to the gorge area, the Nada Tunnel, to the magnificence of the majestic Sky Bridge the landscape is wondrous.
    On this visit to Sky Bridge I discovered among the many names and symbols carved on the soft sandstone rock yet another turkey track pointing directly up the Swift Creek valley. With no way of knowing the age of the carving there is little evidence of anything other than someone at sometime took the time to carve a turkey track without any other information. Was it a traditional symbol pointing the way to something? The opposite direction from the Swift Creek side lies a huge rock cliff line with ledges, overhangs and boulders just like Swift described. Could the Sky Bridge be that light house, Swift mentioned?  Remember, it is on Swift Creek that the famous Rock Bridge is located which has another turkey track carved on the top of that bridge as well.  And Swift mentions a rock bridge that spanned a creek and he and his companions passed by that unusual formation headed for their precious mines.
    Aside from the search for the hidden treasure, the  Nada Tunnel itself is a marvel. Built in a mere nine months in 1910-11 it was built for the sole purpose of hauling the valuable timber from the remote gorge region by locomotive. Drilled by hand and steam drills the rock was blasted away with dynamite. One man was killed during the construction.  The tunnel provided a quick way to transport the timber wealth to the then largest sawmill in the world located at Clay City, Kentucky.
    On every trip I make into the Red River Gorge, it is always a thrill to drive through the Nada Tunnel passing by the cool spring that to this day furnishes fresh, mountain water to many folks in the immediate area. The spring has been there as long as I can remember and always tests as safe, pure water. 
    The mines may never be found. They may not even exist. But then again, there have been some discoveries of silver coins in various parts of the region. So whether these discoveries are connected to the Swift treasure or not will probably never be known. We do know that there in fact are 'light houses' located in the search zone.

*From a copy of Swift's Journal sent to C. E.Henson March 5 , 1962. The following handwritten note was written  in the margin: "Mr. Henson here's a copy of Swift's journal. I will contact you when I get to Louisville next trip – I want to see "settlers of SW Virginia." The note was signed by O.S. Green.

Sunday, August 5, 2012

High Rock Carving





    One of the strangest carved rocks is the High Rock petroglph. The strange symbols and carvings found on this large boulder have never been understood. And they are unlike any other carvings in the region. The rock was discovered under a small rock shelter near High Rock on the south fork of the Red River in Kentucky. Most of the Swift silver mine searches over the decades have been concentrated on the north fork of the the Red River and some on the middle  fork. To give perspective, the Red River is comprised of three different forks and watersheds. The north fork is the famous Red River Gorge area with many of the features and landmarks that I have written about in this blog.  The middle fork flows by the famous Natural Bridge State Park. The south fork is rarely mentioned but in the 1970's was the location for this unique carved rock.
    Many, of course, have speculated as to who produced the carvings ranging from the Adena culture "doodling" on a rock to pass away time, to some secret map, perhaps leading or describing the Swift mines. Interestingly in the early 80's         a Mr. Tipton (Wearing helmet in photograph) believed he had found the Swift mines within only hundreds of yards of the strangely carved rock. Mr. Tipton had studied his versions of the Swift journals and came to the conclusion the sliver treasure lay buried underneath a layer of top soil and rock. Whether Mr. Tipton ever connected any relation to the carved rock found near-by we do not know. This location is on the south fork of the Red River and not as famous search area. Even farther south into Estill and Jackson Counties, are search areas for the mines. 
    The unusual carved rock is now housed in the Red River Museum located at Clay City, Kentucky and is on prominent display. 

Swift Interview

    Just a quick update as promised. The Swift interview will air May 21 at 8:00 PM on KET. The last entry on this site covered the intervie...