Lost Mines & Buried Treasures of Old Wyoming
by W.C. Jameson, High Plains Press, Glendo, Wyo., 2010, $15.
W.C. Jameson must be an eccentric millionaire by now. He is still churning out words after gaining prominence as a professional fortune hunter; writing some 60 books and 1,500 articles and a few poems to boot; appearing as an adviser and actor on everything from the Unsolved Mysteries TV series to the Nicolas Cage film National Treasure; and performing his music around the country. No matter how much the versatile Willie Nelson look-alike has in the bank (he doesn’t like to talk about how many of his treasure hunts were successful), his fans are delighted he is continuing the Lost Mines & Buried Treasures series. In this latest entry Jameson addresses 16 lost-and-found projects in Wyoming, including the Hallelujah Gulch robbery loot, the lost treasure of Big Nose George Parrot and the Lost Cabin Gold Mine of the Wind River Range. In his preface, Jameson reminds readers his quests are not all about silver and gold. He also appreciates the “greater treasure: the grandness and glory of the land,” in this case “the stunning, beautiful settings of the Wyoming mountains and plains.
Originally published in the April 2011 issue of Wild West. To subscribe, click here.