Petrified Bear Mine

There is another Rhoades Mine located 3 or 4 miles over the mountain and to the east of the Pole Creek Mine. This mine is, by all accounts, located somewhere upon the eastern slope of Farm Creek on what is known today as Buck Ridge.

One of seven notes written by Aaron G. Daniels, which accompanied his journal of 1895, simply states; "When you go up Farm Creek, turn to the right at the big ledge where the old dead tree with the mark is on it (a Spanish symbol?) and go up that canyon. I have seen that tunnel many times and have had it pointed out to me by Cale Rhoades, but Happy Jack always warned me not to go near the Farm Creek diggings because they were always watched."

Jimmie Reed supposedly drew a map to this mine, placing it in the same general location, near the top of Buck Ridge where there was a tree marked C.B.R. (Caleb Baldwin Rhoades). (See Map #018.)

My old friend, who died a few years ago, talked to me about this old Rhoades Mine. He mentioned it quite often and even drew out maps for me on the ground at his ranch. I asked him shortly before his death if he would be willing to take me up there sometime on horses and point the mine out to me, and he said, "Sure -- come out next spring and we'll go. I'll show you." But I never had that opportunity, he died that year only weeks after he had agreed to take me there. However this is what he told me about the mine:

"You know where the old coal diggings are on Coal Mine Draw? (See Map #028.) The Rhoades Mine is on the opposite side of Farm Creek from that draw and about three fourths of the way up a draw on the side of Buck Ridge. Near the mine -- right next to it -- is a black deposit of, I guess, gilsonite (could be tar sands or something of that nature). A bear, which must have gotten stuck in the stuff a long time ago, is stuck there, laying upon his back-- kind of petrified, like rock. The mine is right there."--Lost Gold of the Uintah, pg. 138, almost the same thing can be found in Gold of Carre-Shinob, pg. 170.

See also: Map #25 from Lost Gold of the Uintah

A good mine or depository is suppose to be in [Farm Creek] canyon. I was told that there was a stack of silver bars in the mouth of a cave at the back of the canyon. I was told that up above, near Davis Park was a "Bear On it's back" and under some rocks near by were old Spanish symbols telling how to find the mine. I found the bear, found the symbols but I have never found the mine. Maybe you readers can find it. If you do, give me a silver bar is all I ask. --Steve Shaffer, from an Internet forum