A stranger from Kansas

Yea, yea, yea, I’m a little strange but this story isn’t about me.

This is about one of the many Spanish treasures left behind in this country. This one, “nine cartloads of Spanish silver and gold” is hidden in Oklahoma and only about twenty miles from Marlow, Oklahoma where we will be meeting this year.

According to the stories, back in 1905 “a stranger from Kansas” arrived in the Lawton, Oklahoma area with a map to this fabulous treasure. He said that the treasure was supposed to be located at a group of seven springs that are (were?) located between Big Beaver Creek and Cache Creek.

This un-named man had decided the spot he was looking for was located on what was then the Charlie Thomas farm. This farm was located approximately seven miles east and two miles south of Lawton, OK. The Kansan spent months searching this area for the treasure but went away empty handed. I can tell you from experience, he wasn’t the last person from Kansas to leave Oklahoma empty handed!

According to Steve Wilson, in his book Oklahoma Treasures and Treasure Tales, a man known only as “Dad” arrived several years later and rented some land from Charlie Thomas to “raise a truck garden”. Sorry Steve, but I guess I’m not old enough to know what a truck garden is. Maybe that’s a good thing!

Anyway, Dad spent three or four years on the land and occasionally Charlie Thomas or one of his sons would catch him poking a steel probe into the ground in different areas. Was he searching for the lost Spanish treasure? According to Dad’s own tales he had already found one treasure near Perry, Oklahoma that was supposed to have been worth $100,000. It would appear that Dad was trying to add to his success.

It would also appear that Dad may have been successful in his hunt because one year Dad just up and disappeared, leaving behind his horses, crop, wagon and everything in the home. It was thought Dad had come across an old cottonwood tree at the area of the springs that had a cross carved into it. Did this tell him exactly where to dig? Dig he make a recovery and just ride off into the sunset?

Dad disappeared never to be seen or heard from again. The logical side of me says Dad couldn’t have gotten the biggest part of the treasure or very much at all for that matter. How would you move nine cart loads of gold and silver if you left behind your horses and wagon? I would say Dad may have been a little premature in leaving but maybe he found enough to satisfy his needs and packed up anyway. Maybe he was murdered and buried somewhere near the springs by someone trying to learn his secret or get what was left of the first treasure he found. Dad never seemed to run out of money while he was there so maybe he did dig up that treasure near Perry. The cynical side of me says something nefarious happened to Dad and the Spanish treasure is probably still there, hidden near the seven springs (and Dad's bones).

If you go looking for this treasure you just might solve the mystery of the missing gold and the disappearance of Dad.

Did I mention this was close to where the get together on June 13th will be? See you there!