--Legends Of America
For more than a century, rumors have abounded that there is a rich mine hidden in the Cascade Mountains. Said to have been located near the headwaters of the Lewis River somewhere in the wilderness between Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Adams, the mine was worked by an old Spaniard in the 1880's.
The miner often journeyed south to The Dalles, Oregon, to bank his gold at the French & Company Bank. On a number of occasions, other prospectors would attempt to follow him as he returned to the mine, but the old Spaniard was clever and always eluded them, using a number of tricks including putting the shoes on his mule backwards. Suddenly the old Spaniard stopped appearing to bank his gold and local miners began to wonder what had happened to him.
About a year later, numerous Yakama Indians began showing in a number of stores in Washington, paying for goods with gold nuggets. When asked where they had obtained the gold, the Indians refused to answer. Soon, rumors began to circulate that the Indians had found the Spaniard's mine.
Later, a skeleton of a man and a mule was discovered near Spirit Lake by Mt. St. Helens. It was thought to have been the old Spaniard who had been killed by the Indians. The mine, that some say is hidden behind a waterfall in a cavern, has never been found.
YOU ARE READING
Legends & Tales Of Mount St. Helens
Historical FictionA collection of legends and tales around Mount St. Helens. Collection contains oral accounts from survivors who witnessed the unknown, Native American legends, urban legends, newspaper articles, and first-hand eyewitness accounts from the mountain.
