8/19/2026
A Quiet Survivor: An Oregon Friendship Album from the 1880s
A small nineteenth-century friendship album preserves handwritten names, dates and messages from Damascus, Eagle Creek and early Clackamas County.
Lost Cabin Mine
Articles
Latest Articles
Historical research, treasure hunting, outdoor knowledge, practical regret-prevention advice, and the occasional rabbit hole that somehow started with one simple question.
8/14/2026
Beyond the Footprints
History is almost everywhere we go. This article explores the author’s fascination with following old traces, learning from the past, and the rare possibility of reaching somewhere no one may have stood before.
Lost Cabin Mine
8/10/2026
Exploring Althouse Creek: Years of Gold Country, History, and Discovery
Years spent living near and exploring Althouse Creek offered a close look at Southern Oregon gold country, old mining remains, surviving cabins, local stories, and the landscape that later shaped a search for the truth behind the Lost Cabin Mine.
Lost Cabin Mine
8/7/2026
The Missing Two Miles, Part II: Where Did the Gold Go?
Rich placer ground reportedly appeared above and below a puzzling section of Althouse Creek. Part II examines what that missing gold could have represented, why miners kept searching, and one historical interpretation of what may have happened.
Lost Cabin Mine
8/7/2026
The Missing Two Miles, Part I: The Search for the Lost Lead
For generations, miners searched the Althouse Creek country for a lost lead they believed could explain one of Southern Oregon’s richest placer districts. Part I follows William Mackey, his father Martin Mackey, and the extraordinary effort spent chasing that answer.
Lost Cabin Mine
8/7/2026
Built Over Time, Part 2: The Mine Above the Creek
An abandoned shaft, a shovel left in stone, and two nearby cabins raise new questions about repeated occupation in one of Southern Oregon's richest mining districts.
Lost Cabin Mine
8/7/2026
Built Over Time: Two Cabins and a Forgotten Mining Site
Two nearby cabins, older framing, square nails, canvas fragments, and reclaimed mine workings suggest a site used and rebuilt across generations.
Lost Cabin Mine
8/4/2026
Part XV: The Author's Historical Conclusion
The final chapter presents the author's historical conclusion, bringing together the earliest Lost Cabin accounts, the mining history of Althouse Creek, and the evidence examined throughout the investigation while clearly distinguishing documented history from historical interpretation.
Lost Cabin Mine
8/4/2026
Part XIV: The Strongest Historical Fit
After comparing the historical accounts with Southern Oregon's mining history, one landscape consistently explains more of the evidence than any other. Part XIV examines why the Illinois Valley and Althouse Creek provide the strongest historical fit while acknowledging what remains uncertain.
Lost TreasureLost Cabin Mine
8/4/2026
Part XIII: Weighing The Evidence
The stories have been gathered. Now Part XIII weighs the evidence and asks whether the surviving accounts point toward one larger historical picture.
Lost Cabin Mine
8/4/2026
Part XII: A Cabin Seen But Never Recognized
What if the Lost Cabin was never truly hidden? Part XII explores how an ordinary miner's cabin may have survived long enough to be seen, reused, or forgotten without anyone recognizing its place in the legend.
Lost Cabin Mine
8/4/2026
Part XI: The Missing Gold of Althouse Creek
Althouse Creek produced extraordinary placer gold, yet miners believed part of its wealth was missing. William Mackey’s account of the lost lead raises a possibility that may connect the district’s mining history with Oregon’s Lost Cabin Mine.
Lost Cabin Mine