JESSE'S HIDEOUT
BY RANDY " JESSE JAMES" SUMPTER
Much has been written and said about the Jesse James Hideout located outside of Wapanucka, Oklahoma. There are legends and tales of lost treasure, killings, double crosses, Confederate Army occupation, Indian slavery, trespassers, night diggings, secret KGC activities, burials, deceit and the list goes on and on in reference to this mysterious property. Some is fact and much is fiction but each year brings more. There have been searches by individuals, teams, experts, amateurs and a whole list of others with different agendas. Rumors have circulated about gold being found and taken off the property only to be sold in a foreign land. Coins, jewelry, guns and other items of interest have been pulled from the ground and written about. There's a large rock quarry where evidence of prior workings can be found. The Delaware Creek snakes it way through the property amid the trees and rocks. The Chickasaw Rock Academy ruins are still visible and shrouded in mystery. Wildlife is abundant and some of it is deadly. Large boulders and caves dot the landscape and fuels the imagination of things buried in the ground. There are even headstones marking graves of those who once worked in the nearby Academy. You will find much on this land and the present owners try to guard it as best they can. Being private property, permission must be gained. The past is reflective about those who ignored the signs and came on the property to do illegal hunts. True, some items of interest were pulled from the ground but the spirits of long ago still guard the real treasures that others have sought but never found. Being an invitee to the property I found the genuine hospitality of the present owners very likable. I was treated with respect and learned much about the history in the area. I witnessed first hand many rock carvings, symbols and other markings that can be found amid the ever-growing wilderness. The stories were told about the various outlaw groups and individuals that once roamed and hid out on the property. I found evidence of the Confederate occupation of the old Chickasaw Rock Academy and was impressed by the various clues left behind by the Indians, Knights of the Golden Circle and yes, Jesse James. I took photographs of shadow signs, initials carved in rock, dates in stone and much more. To say the least, I was very impressed by this maze of mystery. I've known about the history of this area for many years. I knew about the exploits of Jesse James and those of the Confederate Army that once camped there and used the old Academy as a hospital. The Rock Academy was once home to a few teachers who taught the Chickasaw Indian girls and boys about present society during that time. One teacher was Mary Greenleaf who ventured out to this wild land to teach. Mary was born in Newburyport, Mass in 1800 and died in 1857. She was laid to rest on the property and her grave is still there. Much about the history of the Rock Academy can be found on the Chronicles of Oklahoma website so I'll won't dwell too much into it right now. For years, treasure hunters and others have come to this property in search of the fabled big ones. To date, none have found what they have searched for and much info has been publicized in the past to add more airs of mystery. Yes, there is a puzzle here, a very elaborate one filled with codes that somehow elude the brightest minds. There is a large underground tunnel system where reported KGC treasures lie in wait to be brought out. Some of the more famous ones were published in Schrader's book, "JESSE JAMES WAS ONE OF HIS NAMES." These are listed as, Fat Man's Greed, Fat Man's Misery and Old Rock Crossing Treasure. You can also throw in a few more that others don't like to talk about or know. Namely, Jesse James' hidden vault and an Indian Treasure cave. There's much more to all of this but I'm not at the point to reveal everything in this story.
Above taken from the webpage......
http://www.knightsofthegoldencircle-kgc.com/JessesHideout.htm