Curtis Gold Mines

Recorded 1971

John Warren Curtis, Sr. was an early pioneer settler of Parker County and Weatherford, owned some land from where the courthouse is now to three miles south of it.

His sons were clearing some land in what is now the Roselawn addition.  Don Carlos Curtis, Sr. (Carl), with his brothers, were going to cut down a tree when he looked up and saw an iron spike driven into the trunk, fifteen feet off the ground. He climbed up the tree to investigate and he saw the spike was sighted with a tree one hundred and fifty feet away.  This tree had two branches grafted together to make a large circle and the spike was sighted through this circle.

He started checking out nearby trees at random by tapping on them with the handle of his pocket-knife.  When he tapped several of these trees a hollow sound would result.  He would then peel off the bark and there would be a little geometric sign … etc.  All of these marks were at an odd level.  3, 5, 6, 9 feet. The Mexicans did this so they would know that these marks were done by them and not by an Indian.  If the Indians would happen to discover one of these marks they would be thrown off trying to locate the mine because no sign matched and each was at an odd level.

He followed a pattern tapping trees and then he came upon a large, flat rock two miles northeast of the spike.  He turned over this rock and it was ovaled out underneath.  There were markings on this rock, the same as on the trees.  Four marks were on this rock and they were arranged in a pattern the way the trees were. 

He began digging a shaft six feet square where the spike he had first found had pointed.  At twenty-five feet down (this is another of the Mexican’s off numbered measurements), he found a Bowie knife scabbard embedded in a block of black cement and next to it was the hip bone of a buffalo.  This bone was cut at a 45 degree angle and it was sitting on top of the block.  He dug twenty-five feet north, found some more markers and then decided these meant to go toward the Bowie knife and bone.  He found some more markers by the knife and these said to dig east, do he did.  He tunneled about two hundred feet east, when an old Mexican from Old Mexico came over.  This Mexican was a perfect stranger and he came over to introduce himself and started talking about this mine.  He told Mr. Curtis about everything he had already found.  Mr. Curtis did not let on that he knew all of this.  The Mexican said there was an old gold smelter, several hundred yards away at the creek.  Mr. Curtis still did not let on and the Mexican walked straight to the smelter.  Mr. Curtis then said that he knew it was there because he had found it earlier.  The Mexican said the reason he knew all of this was because his daddy had worked at the mine and the smelter many years before.  The gold was mined, smelted, and taken to Mexico on burros for Santa Anna.  He went down into the mine with his daddy and hung around there when he was a little boy.

When Santa Anna declared war on Texas he was working several mines here.  He ordered the rich mines to be sealed in and marked above and below.  The ones that were not so productive he ordered to be filled up and not even marked.   These mines were packed tight, not only the shafts but all of the tunnels too.  Santa Anna ordered these shut two years before he declared war because he could see the trouble coming.  (That is how long it took to fill this mine, two years).  He had mines in Texas because these had more gold and silver than Old Mexico’s and were much richer.  He had these marked because he thought this was a little rebellion in Texas and he would be returning soon to open them.  There were three mines in North Texas that were rich.  This one was called the Half-Moon mine because the hills around there are shaped like a half moon.  Two other rich mines are within thirty miles from here,  they are the Buffalo and the Bowie.  The scabbard and bone found at first are representing the Bowie and the Buffalo mines.

The Mexicans built a cement vault in the main tunnel, thirty-five feet away from the face of the tunnel where they mixed the raw gold.  They stored some already smelted bars in this vault, along with their copper picks, shovels and tools.  On a sheepskin run in this vault were the maps of the Bowie and Buffalo mines.  These two mines each had their own vaults that were just like the Half-Moon’s.  So, if one was uncovered the other two could be found.  (The workers of the mine took an oath never to tell where the mines were).  The Mexican said he would make a deal; he would get 50% of the gold if he told Mr. Curtis where the vault was.  He left for Old Mexico and said he would return soon.  He said in the vault there was $12,000,000 in smelted gold (this was in the 1830’s when gold was worth a fraction of what it is now).  He took flu in 1917 and he died, he was in his nineties.  His wife sent Mrs. Curtis a telegram saying he died.

Mr. Curtis and his son pat and some hired hands were on their own.  He kept finding more signs, an eagle killing a bear, a Catholic Nun with a shroud, a cart, an Indian’s head and a cowboy boot.

One day a hard rain came and filled up the first shaft completely full at about one p.m.  At two p.m. an hour later, the shaft was empty and there was not any water in it.  A ravine ran by the shaft and when it over flowed the water spilled over into the shaft.  This water drained out of a small hole about six inches big on the east side of the shaft.  This water somehow managed to go from the shaft to the vacant part of the tunnel.  This tunnel is about thirty feet lower than the bottom of the shaft which is three hundred feet away.  The one Mr. Curtis dug was a few feet below this unfilled Mexican’s and as the water flowed downhill, into Mr. Curtis’ tunnel, it sounded like water pouring through a half filled jug (with the suction and gurgling sounds).  This abruptly stopped after a few hours, so it was known that this was not an underground stream.

After all of Mr. Curtis’ work he was finally near his reward.  Then he became ill.  This was just a month after the water came through the tunnel.  But in those days it took a long time to dig a shaft and this was in progress when he became ill.  He was sick for three months and then he died.  The doctor said his lungs were in terrible shape from breathing in all of the sand from the mine for so many years.  This was something like coal miner’s “Black Lung” is today.  His health was in this state when he caught the flu.  He could not get over it.  He planned to sink another test shaft several feet in front of where the water had come out, but after his death his sons lost interest in the min and they sold the land.  The shafts were filed in with refuse and garbage so no one or any cows that were grazing would fall in.  The tunnels still remain open today.

Today houses have been built over this land and several could fall through and into the ground because they are sitting directly over some tunnels that are still open and the vault where the Mexicans stored the $12,000,000 to be gotten after a quick war, still remains undisturbed after one hundred and thirty-eight years.

Interview (with Grandfather)

Joe (author)

Family Stories  as told by Melvin Wilson Current.

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