Lost Spanish Mine by Federal Prison Hospital

[monkeyman]

Anyone heard of this one???

There is an old treasure story that goes something like this.
Back in the late 1700's-early 1800's two spanish brothers aparently had a working mine in the springfield area. What they were mining is unknown. However the story claims that the mine was sealed up after one of the brothers got killed.
In the mine aparently was left a considerable about of gold or silver...I can't remember which...I can find out though. Anyway, years later a map was discovered that gave directions to the sealed mine or cave???
The directions lead from the Springfield square to an area in the general vicinaty of the Federal Medical Prison in Springfield.
Somewhere along Fassnight Creek if I recall correctly.

Has anyone heard of this story other then me????
Let me know!!!!!

[piplnr65656]

That is a nice story but the big problem is that the area is all wrong geologically for gold and silver. The only gold deposits ever found in missouri were glacial placer gold deposits in northern missouri. The only silver ever found was in madison county missouri and in very small quanties in some of the galena mines in south east missouri.

[monkeyman]

As I said, I don't know exactally what they were mining, the meat of the story is that they buried either gold or silver in the cave or mine.
Incidently there is a well documented story about a family named Yocum, that mined and minted silver "Yocum Dollors down in the branson area. I don't know if branson is in Madison County, however the story is true and they did mine silver in the branson area.

[gimpface]

Eh, the popular version of the Yoachum story is that they had a mine; in truth the supply of silver they made the coins from was more likely money melted down and recast from selling liquer to the indians (a crime at the time).

As for the Spanish cave, here are the directions according to Buried Treasures of the Ozarks:

...follow the creek that runs through Springfield and runs southwest. Follow it out to the flat or bottom where you will find a big spring, and just beyond the big spring about three hundred paces there is another creek coming into this creek a little south of east, and it comes together a little north of the east bluff where the cave is, dividing this bluff opposite the big spring and the bluff where the creek runs together. The creek here runs a little south of west.
I think the entrance to the mines was near the center of the bluff on the north side, fronting the creek and above high water...

According to the book, two guys found the place in 1939, and although they did find a big rock blocking the entrance, and a ton of fill dirt, they searched the place and never found any treasure.

[White Rabbit]

Actually, whether the mine was real or not, this story is true. The directions were printed in the Springfield paper many decades ago. I've looked at the actual article on the microfilm machines at the library. I think I scanned a copy of it and took it home, too, but I can't remember.

[greekspeak]

My two cents' worth on this. Maybe it is not even worth that much. I have heard this story. However, the version I have heard is that the precious metals are hidden, not in a mine, but a CAVE. It is in the form of coin-gold, silver. I think I read in Springfield magazine that the directions everyone is speaking of lead to an area around where the railrod runs (or ran). There is (or was--is there still...) a railroad bridge over Fassnight Creek, and the cave has likely been covered over with the bridge's construction.

[BROUSER]

I can't imagine a cave in that area, it's terribly flat. I suppose it could have had a sinkhole entrance or something like that. If it would be the current railroad bridge, that would be there at the Close Memorial Park/Horton Smith Golf Course area. I used to ride the creek bed on a mountain bike before they built Close Memorial.

[gimpface]

Ok... I have been re-reading the instructions to get there while looking at a topo of town... I'm led to believe that it is near where the RR crosses the creek... just to the east by my reckoning. Next time I'm in town, I'll scout out the area (there's an old quarry or two close to there I want to check out as well).

[BROUSER]

Looking it over and thinking it over, I'm more inclined to believe the location is on Wilson's Creek/Jordan creek just north of the Fed. Prison across Sunshine between Kansas Exp and Scenic. Given the time frame, 1930ish, "the creek that runs through Springfield" would more likely be that creek than South creek/Fassnight to the south of the Prison.

[FiReDiVeR]

Is the prison everyone is refering to still there today?

[Jesta]

Yes it is on the corner of sunshine and kansas expressway

[BROUSER]

The prison is actually the Federal Medical Center, where we have had such notable people as Larry Flynt, John Gotti, and all kinds of fund people.

[Willard]

Anyone actually been out looking for said cave/mine yet?

[FiReDiVeR]

Is the said prison still active(open)?

[BROUSER]

Very.