Oro 1856 Pine Tree

There seems to be some uncertainty as to where the Oro 1856 tree actually stood, or still stands. It even seems possible that there are more than one. Below is some information that I have collected regarding this topic:

One of Caleb Rhoades' old mines was located about eight miles southeast of the old door mine, on a low pass which is a sort of dividing ridge between the Rock Creek and Lake Fork drainages. In 1897, Rhoades and Hathenbruck had sought a two by eight mile lease from the Indians upon this area, and before he died Caleb drew a map of this mine showing its location to be west of Moon Lake. At the site of the mine, he drew a tree and the date of 1856.

Today, that tree still stands near the southeast baseline of Rock Creek Peak, with large numbers carved in its bark --1856. Nearby are the Mecham and Bullock Mines, one of which is believed, by this author at least, to be the old Caleb Rhoades Mine.

It is doubtful that Caleb Rhoades carved the date of 1856 upon that particular tree; he never even had access to the old Antonio Reinaldo Spanish map showing the mine"s location until the late fall of 1857. The Antonio de Reinaldo map of the Moon Lake area makes no mention of a tree or the date of 1856 at or near the mines. Only Caleb°s map shows this, and he most likely discovered the mine or mines during the summer of 1858, or perhaps even later. The pine tree marked 1856 was probably already there when he found the mine and when he drew his map he used the tree and the date as a reference point or landmark for those who might search for the mine.--Lost Gold of the Uintah, pg. 113

Fellows, don't let your imagination run away from itself. If you referring to the 1856 tree which was on the small leather map about the size of a mans hand. That particular tree was at the head of Slate Canyon. That tree had been seen by several people before it was pushed down into the canyon by a cat. The old original shaft that was on the edge of canyon was first worked by Mecham and his sons. They didn't actually work the mine, but did attempt to clean it out to try to find out what kind of mine it might be.

Durring the process it caved in and they moved over to where most people associate the Mecham diggings. Lester Brown, Gordon Brown and Hazen Brown were the ones that took a cat in and made the road from Bear Wallow to the old diggings at the head of Slate Canyon. The road from that diggings that continued west to where it now ends was put in by Cecil Dalton and June Balaich. I talked to 2 people who had seen the tree as well as Don Foote who described the markings as well as the date.

There are other people who claim they also seen a tree with 1856 carved in it just north of Kidney Lake on the east side of a big meadow there.

Another tree with 1856 that had been claimed to have been seen by 2 people in Colorado was at the head of Dry Canyon, on the West side.

And the 4th tree with 1856 that is supposed to have been in existance is shown on an old indian map in the forks of Rock Creek River on a map that was drawn for John Pope in 1913.

The tree at the head of Slate Canyon was real and was the one on the original Spanish Map, and the last known owner was Joseph Sulster.

The tree shown on the Indian Map I beleive also is real and I have seen that map.

The other 2 trees that are in the head of Dry Canyon and North of Kidney lake on the East side of the big meadow, might be questionable, because of their source.

I hope this helps clear some things up.

--Jornada (from the Ancient Lost Treasures forum)