Golden Circle Research Society's
Campout in Arkansas

Golden Circle Research Society’s Eighth Annual Meeting held in the Ouachitas

Hatfield, Arkansas October 30, 2003

By Larry Armstrong, Secretary, Golden Circle Research.

Golden Circle Research Society’s campout, also called "The treasure hunter’s show and tell" got underway around 2 P.M. October 24th. Golden Circle Research members and their invited guests assembled at a pre-arranged site in Mena, Arkansas for coffee and a final fast food meal before leaving civilization for an extended weekend retreat. After a small fiasco of mis-given directions was corrected, the long caravan of vehicles departed Mena for the scenic trip over the Shady Mountains to Camp Richard in the Brushy Creek valley.

Sadly the group was downsized by the late cancellations of several invitees so only about half of the invited 28 people attended. The early onset of the flu season took its toll on several, unpreventable conflicts in the schedules of working spouses dropped a couple, press deadlines for one of the special guests x’ed her out and GCR’s favorite Archeologist/Spelunking Expert was required to argue her thesis for a degree on Monday causing her to cancel. Another was on her way when the car broke down on the highway in Texas. All of those were sorely missed and everyone attending voiced hope that next year everyone can be present. One thing for sure is Hillbilly Bob and Linda won’t need to buy groceries for a long time as they had prepared for the larger number and much of the food was not used.

The GCR campout got underway with a "get acquainted" chili supper on Friday evening (24th) and concluded around 10:30 Tuesday morning (28th).

Friday night the group was entertained with video compliments of John London, showing GCR’s recent recovery of another part of the KGC’s "Lost Dutchman" treasure map from a sealed, underground, concrete vault in the Arizona desert. (Electricity provided by generator as there are no electric or phone lines to the camp and the mountains prevent even cell phone use. Guys, this is really out in the boondocks.) The discovery of the first part of this piecemeal map is explained in the new book, "Shadow of the Sentinel" published by Simon & Schuster.

most of the group joined in a field trip to the famous "Bible Tree" KGC treasure map tree. Hillbilly Bob provide a brief demonstration of how the symbols were interpreted and afterwards the group followed one of the map’s lines to the old (empty) treasure vault shown on the tree. This once in a lifetime photo opportunity was well used by the group. Some posed with their heads poked into the spooky looking vault. (It should be noted that this vault is the exact location of an 1884 bushwhacking of a man named Vanetta. He was murdered while trying to access the entrance to the vault. (No doubt the KGC sentinel was just doing his job by eliminating another gold thief.) Then most of group posed for a photo beside rock the outcropping showing a "7" shadow sign symbol that indicates the gold was in the nearby vault. That evening, after a supper of B-B-Q wild pig provided by Bob Brewer Jr., the group viewed video of "Caren’s Tree", a turtle and snake map tree making up the second panel of the KGC treasure map of the Solomon’s Temple depository.

of Utah’s well known Ancient Lost Treasures forum and Carrie Shinob web site, provided later Saturday evening a special treat. Whyte Eagle shocked the group with photographic evidence of several burials of giant people in North and Meso-America. Those viewing this evidence for the first time were appalled at the fact that scientists and universities refuse to discuss the possibilities of "Giants" having existed in prehistoric times. As expected, the scientific community doesn’t give a hoot about artifacts and topics we bring to their attention. Those who are blinded by pride in being university educated cannot understand that they are not the only ones capable of doing quality archeological work. Many of us are historians and archeologists first and only treasure hunters because of the treasure involved in our work. We are also very serious about bringing unknown civilizations and ancient sites of habitation to the attention of those charged with preserving the past. Little will ever be learned by someone with a mind closed by pride and intolerance to those who have educated themselves and who were not influenced by professors with their own agenda.

was a field trip through the Cossatot River Valley. This valley is particularly beautiful this time of year with fall colors painting the surrounding mountains. Several of America’s best-known treasure legends were spawned in the timeless forest along the sparkling clear waters of the Cossatot. Our tour began near the Big Twin Springs made famous by, treasure hunter/author George Mitchell’s "Twin Springs Spanish Gold" story that appeared in Frontier Times December 1969. (This was actually a KGC cache location.) On the Cossatot trail the group visited the site of Wiley’s Bluff where Confederate veteran and KGC sentinel Bill Wiley resided for a number of years. Further north a stop was made at Cold Spring. Now private property, this famous spring was Albert Pike’s famous camping place during his latter years. There can be little doubt that Pike and Wiley were acquainted since the latter lived at Cold Springs at exactly the same time Pike was known to camp there.

for the group this day was a stop at Mitchell "Rooster" Cogburn’s mountain home. 100-year-old Mitchell is the grandson of Dick Whisenhunt, the carpenter who built Albert Pike’s Montgomery County home in 1862. It was Mitchell Cogburn’s great uncle Page Cogburn who planned and led the attack that burned Pike’s home and stole some of his gold. Pike escaped by night in a hack but one of his several treasure caches, some $100,000 in small gold coins was discovered by the raiders under the front door step of his home. The history of this gold and the Cogburn family who ended up with it is quite exciting. Mitchell’s father was a highly sought outlaw for many years and a close friend to KGC sentinel, Bill Wiley. Our group visited with "Rooster" Cogburn, had their pictures taken with him and purchased some of his hand whittled "hippie walking sticks" and rolling pins.

more videos and photos were shared along and a display of dozens of KGC treasure clues and artifacts and maps found by the GCR at treasure sites across the country. Most of this material is headed for a new KGC museum to be built in the coming months at a location to be announced. Later, Larry Armstrong showed some pictures of unbelievable appearing signs that they have been working on in Kansas.

the daily field trip was to the mysterious region of the Albert Pike home on the Little Missouri River. Hillbilly Bob led the party over several miles of a little used 4 wheeler trail that once was the main thoroughfare between Dallas and Hot Springs, Arkansas. This old trail is the very route used by the James Gang to escape from a posse after the second Malvern to Hot Springs stage robbery in 1874. Although rough to the degree of acute discomfort, this trail provides access to some of the best quality KGC carved treasure symbols remaining in the Ouachita Mountains.

The rest of Monday afternoon was spent taking flat tires to Hatfield for repair. This is an all too frequent reminder that the roads there are rough and the rocks needle sharp. The area is best visited in a SUV with heavy off road tires.

the menu for the last night of the encampment included Hillbilly’s venison stew and biscuits baked in a B-B-Q grill. Hamburgers and hotdogs were provided for those softhearted persons who couldn’t bring themselves to eat Bambi.

were inducted as Life members of Golden Circle Research and a certificate for seven years of service to the group was awarded.

of 2003 Annual GCR meeting was conducted before adjournment of the meeting. Camp Richard, a secluded mountain hideaway, owned by Hillbilly Bob and Linda Brewer, was officially named in honor the memory of William Richard Scott (forum I.D.: RichTX) who passed away earlier this year. Rich, a member of Golden Circle Research, was instrumental in solving the mystery of the "Peralta Stone Maps" and the Lost Dutchman enigma. He assisted with research and field work on projects in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, New Mexico and Arizona. He was a true friend, trusted partner and devoted team member to GCR. We all miss him greatly.

Overall a great time was reported by the attendees and as they departed Camp Richard "same time, same place" resounded deep in the Ouachita Mountain’s backwoods.


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