CopyWrite Mark House (2017) and Bob Rives (1958)
The old saying "for every picture, there's a thousand words" might actually be true and it was most interesting to run across a classic Oklahoma Historical Society iMage of ole G.A. Byrom who lived in the Binger, Oklahoma, area quite some time ago. The iMage was captioned with "G.A. Byrom, Binger, looks at the site where he and his helpers are staging a modern day treasure hunt."
Now that has to be enticing enough to see if I can "dig" up the details from this storyline dated in 1958. Out the front door goes the "modern day" part but this was new and exciting news back in '58.
I first sent the iMage to my Facebook friend Edna "Byrom" Myers as fact checking the last name and Binger led me to believe she would know something about this historical treasure hunter. Sure enough, Edna messaged me back with some enthusiasm. "Is this him? Wow! George Albert is my dad's father. He passed away in June around 1960 I believe. He was always out walking. Would walk to Binger from about five or six miles away."
Well, my enthusiasm level of diggin' up historical photofacts has increased while now knowing it is relative to someone I know. A quick search of archived information led me right to the storyline that goes with this newly discovered old iMage from 1958. The Oklahoma Publishing Company iMage was captured by an unidentified photographer near "Indian City" (Anadarko, Oklahoma). The storyline was written by a Bob Rives who was recognized as a "Correspondent" in the February 02, 1958, edition of the Sunday Oklahoman.
Ole Bob wrote a treasure chest full of text about George A. Byrom's great treasure hunt of 1958:
"A search for buried treasure that has all the ingredients of a Saturday matinee was being carried on here this week by five Caddo county farmers.
The men are seeking what they believe is $71,000 in silver and gold coins in a cave at Indian City, U.S.A. The treasure, if it's there, was hidden nearly 100 year ago by an area badman called Red Buck.
According to a story told by one of the hunters, G.A. Byrom, Binger, Buck stashed his hoard in the presence of a 12-year old Indian lad.
This Indian boy, as a man of 94, told Byrom the story some 14 years ago.
According to the tale, the money was stolen by Buck's band and hidden while he took advantage of a healthier climate in Texas.
But, that climate went wrong and Buck died there before he could reclaim the money.
Byrom, sworn to secrecy by the aged Indian, started his hunt years ago. He found the cave, he believed, but the farmer who owned the land wasn't interested and the search never got off the ground.
Now, it's believed a second entrance to the cave can be found.
This is the reason for all the diggin–a job that's being helped by the use of a $10-an-hour bulldozer.
Plans call for going down about 12 feet with the machine, then begin the tedious job of opening the cave with picks and shovels, That is, if it's there.
Indian City, the group which leases the land where hunters are searching, signed a contract with them calling for any artifacts that are found to be turned over to its museum.
All the romance involved doesn't come from the money. The old west atmosphere grows when you notice the herd of buffalo grazing within 50 yards of the workers.
They're there for the viewers at Indian City. A sign, painted in red, cautions "Danger, Wild Buffalo." There's been no trouble thus far.
One of the beasts walked to the bulldozer, sniffed then sauntered away. Other than that, there has been no man and animal contact.
Even if the treasure legend is not true, the hills have a story to tell.
The red bluff, at the base of which the prospectors are digging, overlooks the site of the Tonkawa tribe massacre.
This tribe, unpopular because other tribes thought it cannibalistic, was wiped out nearly to a man in a battle fought here years ago.
Descendants of the few who survived still live in this area.
Sandstone cliffs here are honeycombed with caves, many of them used for shelter by early day Indian tribes. Not 10 feet from the site of the diggins is a cave entrance.
Another 40 feet away is a large one, half-way up the steep bluff.
It's someplace in the vast network of caves Byrom and his helpers hope to locate the money. If not, 'well it's fun looking,' the grizzled old-timer says."
Now that has to be enticing enough to see if I can "dig" up the details from this storyline dated in 1958. Out the front door goes the "modern day" part but this was new and exciting news back in '58.
I first sent the iMage to my Facebook friend Edna "Byrom" Myers as fact checking the last name and Binger led me to believe she would know something about this historical treasure hunter. Sure enough, Edna messaged me back with some enthusiasm. "Is this him? Wow! George Albert is my dad's father. He passed away in June around 1960 I believe. He was always out walking. Would walk to Binger from about five or six miles away."
Well, my enthusiasm level of diggin' up historical photofacts has increased while now knowing it is relative to someone I know. A quick search of archived information led me right to the storyline that goes with this newly discovered old iMage from 1958. The Oklahoma Publishing Company iMage was captured by an unidentified photographer near "Indian City" (Anadarko, Oklahoma). The storyline was written by a Bob Rives who was recognized as a "Correspondent" in the February 02, 1958, edition of the Sunday Oklahoman.
Ole Bob wrote a treasure chest full of text about George A. Byrom's great treasure hunt of 1958:
"A search for buried treasure that has all the ingredients of a Saturday matinee was being carried on here this week by five Caddo county farmers.
The men are seeking what they believe is $71,000 in silver and gold coins in a cave at Indian City, U.S.A. The treasure, if it's there, was hidden nearly 100 year ago by an area badman called Red Buck.
According to a story told by one of the hunters, G.A. Byrom, Binger, Buck stashed his hoard in the presence of a 12-year old Indian lad.
This Indian boy, as a man of 94, told Byrom the story some 14 years ago.
According to the tale, the money was stolen by Buck's band and hidden while he took advantage of a healthier climate in Texas.
But, that climate went wrong and Buck died there before he could reclaim the money.
Byrom, sworn to secrecy by the aged Indian, started his hunt years ago. He found the cave, he believed, but the farmer who owned the land wasn't interested and the search never got off the ground.
Now, it's believed a second entrance to the cave can be found.
This is the reason for all the diggin–a job that's being helped by the use of a $10-an-hour bulldozer.
Plans call for going down about 12 feet with the machine, then begin the tedious job of opening the cave with picks and shovels, That is, if it's there.
Indian City, the group which leases the land where hunters are searching, signed a contract with them calling for any artifacts that are found to be turned over to its museum.
All the romance involved doesn't come from the money. The old west atmosphere grows when you notice the herd of buffalo grazing within 50 yards of the workers.
They're there for the viewers at Indian City. A sign, painted in red, cautions "Danger, Wild Buffalo." There's been no trouble thus far.
One of the beasts walked to the bulldozer, sniffed then sauntered away. Other than that, there has been no man and animal contact.
Even if the treasure legend is not true, the hills have a story to tell.
The red bluff, at the base of which the prospectors are digging, overlooks the site of the Tonkawa tribe massacre.
This tribe, unpopular because other tribes thought it cannibalistic, was wiped out nearly to a man in a battle fought here years ago.
Descendants of the few who survived still live in this area.
Sandstone cliffs here are honeycombed with caves, many of them used for shelter by early day Indian tribes. Not 10 feet from the site of the diggins is a cave entrance.
Another 40 feet away is a large one, half-way up the steep bluff.
It's someplace in the vast network of caves Byrom and his helpers hope to locate the money. If not, 'well it's fun looking,' the grizzled old-timer says."
