Smoothing Iron Mountain is a large sandstone mesa that towers over the surrounding landscape of northwestern Llano County, Texas. Located along Hwy. 71 between Brady and Llano, just a few miles outside of the little community of Valley Springs, Smoothing Iron Mountain has been a landmark for explorers, soldiers, Rangers, and settlers for years. According to local folklore, the jagged hill may also have served as a treasure hold...and possibly still could.
According to the legend of Smoothing Iron Mountain, during the years of the Mexican Revolution in the early 1900s, a company of Rangers were sent out from San Antonio to New Mexico to retrieve a large payment of gold and to escort it back to Texas. To avoid being detected by Revolutionary bandits that were said to have been operating in New Mexico, the Rangers decided to steer clear of the border as best as they could and decided to take a route through the northwestern portion of the Texas Hill Country to remain undetected as they made their way back to San Antonio.
As they proceeded towards Llano County, several farmers, ranchers, and locals informed them of group of bandits that had been operating in the region at nights, rustling cattle and likely herding them to Mexico to aid the rebellion. Already being delayed enough, the company of Rangers decided to continue their present course but to camp in areas where they could be hidden. One of the men in the company was a veteran Ranger who had been in the Llano country before tracking a well known crook. He told the men that he knew of an old log cabin located on the back side of Smoothing Iron Mountain where he had discovered the bandit long ago.
According to the Ranger, the bandit's cabin was located near a small spring on the mountain and also near a large cavern where the man would hide his horses during the day. With the news of the bandits, the Rangers decided that they would ride to Smoothing Iron Mountain and use the cavern as a campsite. According to what is told, there was only one trail that provided an easy route to scale the jagged mesa and it was located about a mile or so down Cold Creek just a few ways behind the present day Cold Creek Cemetery along Hwy. 71.
Maneuvering their wagon with the four crates of gold, the mules hauling the team, along with the mounted Rangers, managed to use the Cold Creek trail to scale the side of Smoothing Iron Mountain and easily found the cabin which was located on the backside of the hill. According to what is told, the cavern they camped inside was under a high bluff but provided enough space inside to turn the wagon around and also to keep the horses.
Late that night, the Rangers were awaken when they heard gunshots, shouting, and cattle being rustled away from a ranch at the base of the mountain. Now knowing that the rumors they were told were indeed true, the company of Rangers decided to leave two of the crates inside the cavern and to proceed to San Antonio with the remaining chests in order to move with a lighter load. They planned to later return for the other crates after delivering their first load.
Knowing that the cavern could easily be found, because they knew where the trail was, and also that they were likely going to be returning very soon, the Rangers are said not to have buried the crates but just concealed them from the entrance well enough that if someone did enter the cavern while they were away, that person would not be able to see them unless looking for them. As the legend goes, the Rangers reached San Antonio successfully but were quickly transferred to the border areas because of the Mexican Revolution getting hotter.
In 1935, the last member of the company named George Gregg approached the owner of the ranch which the cavern was upon. He told the owner of the ranch the whole story and the two men made a deal to try and retrieve the gold. It is said that they did find the remains of the cabin, but the spring had dried up and only flowed after a thunderstorm. The entrance to the cave however, was buried after the ledge above it had collapsed. The two men are said to have never retrieved it because they could not get through the fallen wall of rocks.
From Hwy. 71 today, if one is coming from Llano towards Brady, a collapsed rock ledge can still be seen on the backside of Smoothing Iron Mountain. Is this where the lost cavern is located? Are the crates of gold still inside? No one knows.
Linkback: You are not allowed to view links.
Please Register or Login
http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,37317.msg229532.html#msg229532
|
|
Logged
|
|
