Texas Lead Mine

I have recently found out that there is a certain type of lead that is more valuable than “ordinary” lead. This special lead is used in the electronics industry and it is low in a specific type of radiation emissions and it gets that way from being “old”. Apparently, the longer it sits around the more the particles decay and the more valuable the lead becomes. The lowest rated lead in this category can sell for as much as $1000.00 per pound!

And that brings us to this article, it all about a lost lead mine in Texas. Near Giddings, Texas is a very rich lead mine that could make somebody very happy. It might not make you filthy rich but it could make you comfortable and who doesn’t want to be comfortable?

In 1835 there was a man named James Goacher who lived on Rabb Creek in Lee County, TX with his family. Mr. Goacher made his living selling "pure lead" from his “secret” lead mine to the settlers in the area so they could make their much-needed bullets to fend off the Indians. Mr. Goacher was very secretive about the location of his lead mine and took several precautions whenever he went to visit the mine.

The story goes that whenever he went to the mine he would leave going one direction and come back from another direction. Sometimes his trips to the mine took him hours and sometimes the trips would only take 20 minutes or so. It is unknown if he kept an already mined stash of lead handy so he would confuse those trying to time him or it could be some of the lead was just harder to dig out than the rest. Either way, he made sure no one knew where that lead mine was.

Unfortunately for Mr. Goacher the Indians were aware of his occupation and deemed it detrimental to their own health since the lead was being made into bullets to kill the Indians. Being the clever people that they were, the Indians decided to stop this flow of lead to the settlers by cutting off the supply. Mr. Goacher and his family were killed in their cabin and the location of the lead mine was lost forever.

Well, hopefully not forever. I’m sure some intrepid treasure hunter can relocate this lead mine with a little bit of research and a lot of hiking around. You may not get rich from it but you might be able to pay off your house!