Tales of lost treasure in the desert- SandRazor.com

SandRazor.com, your source for Southern California desert history and the best collection of vintage dune buggies on the Internet. Sandrazor.com is the only web site on the Internet that has both genuine and historcal photogrpahs and videos of vintage water-pumper dune buggies from the 1960's.

Did you find what you were looking for prospector? SandRazor.com, the largest collection of desert related resources on the Internet. Historic dune buggy photos and videos as well as hundreds of links to desert related web sites.

SandRazor.com, the largest collection of desert related resources on the Internet. Historic dune buggy photos and videos as well as hundreds of links to desert related web sites.

The deserts of the American southwest have long been the discussion of lost mines and buried treasures. For hundreds of years, man has scoured the desert floor searching for any signs of the countless tales of lost riches. Some have claimed to have found the elusive treasures but only to be lost again, while others grew old or died trying. None the less, the legends live on as they are passed down from generation to generation. Maybe you will be the lucky one...

Do you have a favorite desert related lost treasure story that you'd like to see featured on the SandRazor folklore page? If so, send SandRazor a message using the contact form.

Stage Bandit Bucks

By Michael Paul Henson

From page 36 of the September 1986 issue of Lost Treasure magazine.
Copyright ©1986, 1998 Lost Treasure, Inc.

There are two buried treasure stories connected with the old Vallecito stage station in San Diego County.

In June of 1868, a group of Mexican bandits carrying $70,000 in gold they had taken in raids were on their way to Mexico. They stopped at the stage station to spend the night. The leader of the group told the others, "I'll take the gold and bury it in that little canyon we saw north of here. We can get it before we leave tomorrow."

Later that night a posse raided the station. During the fighting the leader and severai other bandits were killed. The rest fled to Mexico. The gold is believed to still be buried in the small canyon.

In 1873, two bandits held up the stage coach a few miles west of the Vallecito station and made off with an estimated $60,000. One of the bandits suggested, after the robbery, "Let's ride on ahead to the station and buy a few drinks. That way no one will think we robbed the stage."

Unfortunately for them, when the stage arrived a passenger recognized one of the bandits and a fight started in which both outlaws were killed. The gold was not on their horses and is believed to have been hidden within a 15-minute ride of the station, as the robbery occurred such a short distance away.

These two locations could pay a treasure hunter to check out.

-- Michael Paul Henson