Golden Circle Research Society's Eighth
Annual Meeting held in the Ouachitas
Hatfield, Arkansas October 30, 2003
By Larry Armstrong, Secretary, Golden Circle Research.
The annual Golden Circle Research Society's campout, also called "the treasure
hunter's show and tell" got underway around 2 P.M. October 24th. Golden
Circle Research members and their invited guests assembled at a pre-arranged
site in Mena, Arkansas for coffee and a final fast food meal before leaving
civilization for an extended weekend retreat. After a small fiasco of mis-given
directions was corrected, the long caravan of vehicles departed Mena for the
scenic trip over the Shady Mountains to Camp Richard in the Brushy Creek valley.
Sadly the group was downsized by the late cancellations of several invitees
so only about half of the invited 28 people attended. The early onset of the
flu season took its toll on several, unpreventable conflicts in the schedules
of working spouses dropped a couple, press deadlines for one of the special
guests x'ed her out and GCR's favorite Archeologist/Spelunking Expert was required
to argue her thesis for a degree on Monday causing her to cancel. Another was
on her way when the car broke down on the highway in Texas. All of those were
sorely missed and everyone attending voiced hope that next year everyone can
be present. One thing for sure is Hillbilly Bob and Linda won't need to buy
groceries for a long time as they had prepared for the larger number and much
of the food was not used.
The GCR campout got underway with a "get acquainted" chili supper
on Friday evening (24th) and concluded around 10:30 Tuesday morning (28th)
Friday night the group was entertained with video compliments of John London,
showing GCR's recent recovery of another part of the KGC's "Lost Dutchman"
treasure map from a sealed, underground, concrete vault in the Arizona desert.
(Electricity provided by generator as there are no electric or phone lines to
the camp and the mountains prevent even cell phone use. Guys, this is really
out in the boondocks.) The discovery of the first part of this piecemeal map
is explained in the new book, "Shadow of the Sentinel" published by
Simon & Schuster.
Saturday morning most of the group joined in a field trip to the famous "Bible
Tree" KGC treasure map tree. Hillbilly Bob provide a brief demonstration
of how the symbols were interpreted and afterwards the group followed one of
the map's lines to the old (empty) treasure vault shown on the tree. This once
in a lifetime photo opportunity was well used by the group. Some posed with
their heads poked into the spooky looking vault. (It should be noted that this
vault is the exact location of an 1884 bushwhacking of a man named Vanetta.
He was murdered while trying to access the entrance to the vault. (No
doubt the KGC sentinel was just doing his job by eliminating another gold thief.)
Then most of group posed for a photo beside rock the outcropping showing a "7"
shadow sign symbol that indicates the gold was in the nearby vault. That evening,
after a supper of B-B-Q wild pig provided by Bob Brewer Jr., the group viewed
video of "Caren's Tree", a turtle and snake map tree making
up the second panel of the KGC treasure map of the Solomon's Temple depository.
Whyte Eagle, of Utah's well known Ancient Lost Treasures forum and Carrie Shinob
web site, provided later Saturday evening a special treat. Whyte Eagle shocked
the group with photographic evidence of several burials of giant people
in North and Meso-America. Those viewing this evidence for the first time were
appalled at the fact that scientists and universities refuse to discuss the
possibilities of "Giants" having existed in prehistoric times.
As expected, the scientific community doesn't give a hoot about artifacts and
topics we bring to their attention. Those who are blinded by pride in being
university educated cannot understand that they are not the only ones capable
of doing quality archeological work. Many of us are historians and archeologists
first and only treasure hunters because of the treasure involved in our work.
We are also very serious about bringing unknown civilizations and ancient sites
of habitation to the attention of those charged with preserving the past. Little
will ever be learned by someone with a mind closed by pride and intolerance
to those who have educated themselves and who were not influenced by professors
with their own agenda.
Sunday's outing was field trip through the Cossatot River Valley. This valley
is particularly beautiful this time of year with fall colors painting the surrounding
mountains. Several of America's best-known treasure legends were spawned in
the timeless forest along the sparkling clear waters of the Cossatot. Our tour
began near the Big Twin Springs made famous by, treasure hunter/author George
Mitchell's "Twin Springs Spanish Gold" story that appeared in Frontier
Times December 1969. (This was actually a KGC cache location.) On
the Cossatot trail the group visited the site of Wiley's Bluff where Confederate
veteran and KGC sentinel Bill Wiley resided for a number of years. Further north
a stop was made at Cold Spring. Now private property, this famous spring was
Albert Pike's famous camping place during his latter years. There can be little
doubt that Pike and Wiley were acquainted since the latter lived at Cold Springs
at exactly the same time Pike was known to camp there.
A final treat for the group this day was a stop at Mitchell "Rooster"
Cogburn's mountain home. 100-year-old Mitchell is the grandson of Dick Whisenhunt,
the carpenter who built Albert Pike's Montgomery County home in 1862. It was
Mitchell Cogburn's great uncle Page Cogburn who planned and led the attack that
burned Pike's home and stole some of his gold. Pike escaped by night in a hack
but one of his several treasure caches, some $100,000 in small gold coins was
discovered by the raiders under the front door step of his home. The history
of this gold and the Cogburn family who ended up with it is quite exciting.
Mitchell's father was a highly sought outlaw for many years and a close friend
to KGC sentinel, Bill Wiley. Our group visited with "Rooster" Cogburn,
had their pictures taken with him and purchased some of his hand whittled "hippie
walking sticks" and rolling pins.
Sunday night more videos and photos were shared along and a display of dozens
of KGC treasure clues and artifacts and maps found by the GCR at treasure sites
across the country. Most of this material is headed for a new KGC museum to
be built in the coming months at a location to be announced. Later, Larry
Armstrong showed some pictures of unbelievable appearing signs that they have
been working on in Kansas.
Monday the daily field trip was to the mysterious region of the Albert Pike
home on the Little Missouri River. Hillbilly Bob led the party over several
miles of a little used 4 wheeler trail that once was the main thoroughfare between
Dallas and Hot Springs, Arkansas. This old trail is the very route used by the
James Gang to escape from a posse after the second Malvern to Hot Springs stage
robbery in 1874. Although rough to the degree of acute discomfort, this trail
provides access to some of the best quality KGC carved treasure symbols remaining
in the Ouachita Mountains.
The rest of Monday afternoon was spent taking flat tires to Hatfield for repair.
This is an all too frequent reminder that the roads there are rough and the
rocks needle sharp. The area is best visited in a SUV with heavy off road tires.
Finally, the menu for the last night of the encampment included Hillbilly's
venison stew and biscuits baked in a B-B-Q grill. Hamburgers and hotdogs were
provided for those softhearted persons who couldn't bring themselves to eat
Bambi.
Larry Armstong and Gene Skalenda were inducted as life members of Golden Circle
Research and a certificate for seven years of service to the group was awarded.
Final business of 2003 Annual GCR meeting was conducted before adjournment of
the meeting. Camp Richard, a secluded mountain hideaway, owned by Hillbilly
Bob and Linda Brewer, was officially named in honor the memory of William Richard
Scott (forum I.D.: RichTX) who passed away earlier this year. Rich, a member
of Golden Circle Research, was instrumental in solving the mystery of the "Peralta
Stone Maps" and the Lost Dutchman enigma. He assisted with research and
field work on projects in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, New Mexico and
Arizona. He was a true friend, trusted partner and devoted team member to GCR.
We all miss him greatly.
Overall a great time was reported by the attendees and as they departed Camp
Richard "same time, same place? resounded deep in the Ouachita Mountain's
backwoods.