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Treasure cabin -

In 1853, brothers James and Henry Wilson teamed up with a group of prospectors and went looking for gold around Jacksonville, Oregon. After one of the men was killed by a Native American, the brothers continued on their own.

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Treasure cabin -

They eventually built a cabin and dug a hole inside, where they hid the gold they found. Henry died and James escaped to California. Years later, he wrote to his cousin Ted Harper.

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Treasure cabin -

Harper and a poet named Sam Simpson went looking for the cabin 15 years later. They found burned ruins with Henry's body inside. Later that year another group of men went looking for the treasure. They didn't find it. But what they did discover was the deepest lake in America: Crater Lake.

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Enigmatic duel -

In 1876, physician S.E. Solly received some letters from Alfred Schlesinger, who was private secretary to Denver & Rio Grande Railroad founder William Jackson Palmer (pictured). The letters said that he had gone to take part in a "fight" at the Lawson Ranch, and asked Solly to come find his body, in case he didn't return from the fight.

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Unexplained duel -

Solly discovered the lifeless body of Schlesinger, who had been fatally shot. A mark on the ground indicated a duel had taken place. In his letters, Schlesinger had stated that he would not disclose his opponent's identity for two years, if he lived. The identity of his murderer remains unknown.

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Bigfoot -

Bigfoot sightings have been reported for a long time, even in the Old West, with various newspapers documenting the presence of "giant wild men" and "wood apes."

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Bigfoot -

But there was a peculiar difference back then: Bigfoot stank! So much so that the creature was known as "Bad Smelling Tree Man."

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A Spanish vessel found in the desert -

Sightings of a Spanish ship stranded in the California desert were subject to much speculation and theories. Of course, this included the possibility of the existence of treasure.

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A Spanish vessel found in the desert -

In 1870, explorer Albert Evans reported discovering  "the wreck of a gallant ship." And so did Charley Clusker, later that same year.

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A Spanish vessel found in the desert -

However, despite the many sightings and personal accounts throughout the years, the Spanish ship is regarded as folklore. Is it really though?

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Servant Girl Annihilator -

The Servant Girl Annihilator, referred to as the Austin Axe Murderer and the Midnight Assassin, was a serial killer active in Austin, Texas, from 1884 to 1885.

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Servant Girl Annihilator -

The serial killer earned his nickname due to targeting primarily servants in his victims. Nathan Elgin, a suspect, was killed by the police. However, the true identity of the Servant Girl Annihilator remains unconfirmed, preserving the mystery surrounding the case to this day.

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Belle Starr's killer -

The infamous American outlaw Belle Starr was fatally shot in 1889 in Oklahoma.

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Belle Starr's killer -

Starr associated with many bad guys, and the killer remains a mystery. Potential suspects include her husband Jim July Starr, a neighbor named Watson, and even Belle's son, Ed.

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The disappearance of Albert and Henry Fountain -

Albert Fountain, an Army Lieutenant and attorney, gained fame as the trial lawyer for Billy the Kid, although he was unsuccessful. At a later point in time, Albert and his son Henry vanished after Albert received a troubling note following a trial in Lincoln, New Mexico.

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The disappearance of Albert and Henry Fountain -

Fountain's wagon was eventually found, with traces of blood and bullet shells. Outlaw Sam Ketchum claimed that it was him and his brother, Tom "Black Jack" Ketchum (pictured), who killed the Fountains. Though his story didn't add up, so this murder remains a mystery to this day.

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Tom "Black Jack" Ketchum's loot -

Tom "Black Jack" Ketchum may not have murdered the Fountains, yet he did engage in numerous unlawful activities that ultimately led to his execution in 1901.

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Tom "Black Jack" Ketchum's loot -

According to legend, there is a belief that Black Jack hid a large treasure in Wild Cat Canyon, located in the Chiricahua Mountains of Arizona. Author William Ascarza suggests that the bandit stowed it away in a cave referred to as "Room Forty Four." Tom "Black Jack" Ketchum's loot remains unfound to this day.

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What happened to Etta Place? -

Etta Place was the companion of two famous American outlaws. One of them was Butch Cassidy. 

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What happened to Etta Place? -

As for the other member, Harry Longabaugh, famously known as the Sundance Kid, details about Place remain elusive. Little is known about her true identity, what she did, or the reasons behind her disappearance.

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The murders of madam May Prescott and her husband -

In 1916, the corpses of May Prescott and her husband, Fred, were discovered at their residence in Flagstaff, Arizona. The killings were gruesome, with both having their throats slashed and bullet wounds found on their bodies.

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The murders of madam May Prescott and her husband -

A note apparently left by Fred said that he killed his wife and then himself, but things just didn't add up. Given the lack of evidence, the jury concluded that they had succumbed to "knife and gunshot wounds caused by the hands of unknown party or parties." Their tragic deaths remains a mystery.

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Pearl Hart's vanishing -

Canadian-born Pearl Hart became one of the most a well-known female outlaws of the American Old West.

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Pearl Hart's vanishing -

Pearl Hart gained fame for her criminal actions and for dressing like a man. She was eventually arrested, but in 1902, Arizona Territorial Governor Alexander Brodie granted her a pardon. It was rumored that Hart became pregnant during her time behind bars.

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Pearl Hart's vanishing -

Pearl Hart was arrested multiple times afterwards. Her last reported sighting was in Florence, Arizona in 1924. Afterwards, Hart's whereabouts became a mystery, other than rumors that she led a quiet life until she died in 1955.

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Catherine "Miss Kate" Arnold's ashes -

The Sheridan Inn in Sheridan, Wyoming, commenced operations in 1893. Showman "Buffalo Bill" Cody eventually bought the Inn in 1894 and employed Catherine "Miss Kate" Arnold.

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Catherine "Miss Kate" Arnold's ashes -

Arnold worked at the Inn until her passing in 1968. She requested to have her ashes placed within the walls of her room. Her wish was granted, but no one knows where exactly in the wall her ashes are. It's room 306, in case you'd like to stay the night!

Source: (Grunge) 

See also: John Wayne—the Wild West's favorite movie star

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