Part V: Hillman, Skeeters, and the Lost Cabin Search
In 1853, Isaac Skeeters and John Wesley Hillman followed a California party searching for the Lost Cabin Mine. Their route led them far off course and unexpectedly to Crater Lake.
Oregon Lost Mines, Legends &
Fieldwork
Lost Cabin Mine
Explore Oregon's lost-mine legends through historical research, annotated maps, treasure-hunting adventures, field notes, and campfire humor.
Along the way, Jimmy and his sketchy raccoon companion turn fieldwork, folklore, and questionable decisions into stories worth telling.
Research
Legends
Oregon lost mines, treasure legends, folklore, and historical mysteries, researched source by source.
Research & Evidence
Articles
Deep dives into historical records, documented sources, maps, and the evidence behind Oregon legends.
Ground Truth
Adventures
Treasure-hunting trips, field observations, route stories, and outdoor misadventures from the places behind the legends.
Articles
Latest Articles
Part IV: Hall, Thompson, and the First Trail Back
While prospecting parties continued exploring the mountains of Southern Oregon, another account was quietly taking shape farther south in the Siskiyou country.
Part III: Following Set Em Up's Trail
Whether he perished in the mountains or simply vanished from history remains unknown, but his disappearance left behind something almost as valuable as the gold itself... a destination.
Legend Files
Featured Legends
Campfire
Campfire
Could Public Statements Become Virtual Breadcrumbs?
Jimmy wonders whether certain videos, interviews, photographs, or public statements may become meaningful only after a searcher reaches the right location.
Field Humor
Funnies
Trip 6 - The Raccoon Who Got In Trouble
The Sketchy Raccoon turns a simple situation into snack-related chaos in this Lost Cabin Mine comic.
Trip 5 - The Hotel In The Woods
One more hill. One more bad decision. Jimmy pushes ahead while her exhausted partner questions everything, only for the soggy raccoon supervisor to claim the final victory.
Trip 4 - The Hill That Lied
One more hill. One more bad decision. Jimmy pushes ahead while her exhausted partner questions everything, only for the soggy raccoon supervisor to claim the final victory.
Adventures
In the Field
Adventure #5: The Hotel In The Woods
Mabel and her search partner find shelter in a strange hotel where the woods seem determined to follow them inside.
Adventure #4: The Hill That Lied
Mabel and her search partner had a disagreement before they even reached the trail.
Adventure #3 - The Dog Who Knew Something
By the time Trip Three began, Mabel had a theory. ...It was not a very scientific theory.