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Salt Boiler John LbNA #5802

Owner:Bigguy
Plant date:Sep 26, 2003
Location:
City:Jackson
County:Jackson
State:Ohio
Boxes:1
Found by: Family Grave Seekers
Last found:Sep 24, 2006
Status:FFFFFFF
Last edited:Sep 26, 2003
Salt Boiler John

Difficulty: moderate
Terrain: fairly easy (requires stepping over things)
Placed by: Bigguy
Date placed: 9/26/03

***Alive and well on 10/29/2005***
***Refurbished 10/29/05***

***Note: This is a microbox – please bring stamp pad and pencil!***

This is the fifth in our Legends of Jackson County series.

For centuries before the arrival of white people, Native Americans and animals came to the banks of what was later named Salt Lick Creek because of the brine that percolated up from the salt deposits below and flowed in the creek bed. They knew that salt was essential to life and very hard to come by. Later, after the American Revolutionary War when the young country was poised for westward expansion, the newly formed Congress understood that settlers would need salt as well. As part of their framework for an orderly westward expansion embodied in the famous Northwest Ordinance of 1787, Congress set aside a tract of land known as the Scioto Salt Reserve that encompassed the salt licks in what is now the 21’st century city of Jackson. This land was intended to be used for the public good and, as such, was not to be owned or controlled by individuals. However, in the absence of law enforcement on the frontier and the presence of something of value, it’s not surprising that squatters soon arrived and set up salt boiling operations along the creek. It’s hard to believe looking at the scene now, but 200 years ago a series of rough and tumble boom towns much like the mining boom towns of the West that would appear half a century later sprang up along the creek. A particularly rough one named Purgatory stood about where the big apple water tower is now. Downstream a mile or two, about where the new Southview school stands today, was Paradise. Noteworthy among these early white settlers was a man named John Martin. He has come down through local lore to us as Salt Boiler John and his descendants live here still. This box was planted to honor him. If you know what is symbolized by the red disc in the middle of the Ohio flag, you should have no trouble finding this box.

HIVYX FIPFF BEGPS ICNHC TPNQX FPSBX

YKCJS PEKXK QSVNJ NSURU BGDVY GLMAY

YUMMF UOIYW XCVML QXBHF KXRLF MYSXA

LBHFV SMOOI TDLYF POVDA CRUSR KGCWB

QCICM YXCNV WCIBF CBKCX ILGOX PYOEG

NXPIF NJOFM BJMDO XUIFH VRIRV VHMC

As always, be discrete and rehide carefully. Please email us at bigguy9210@yahoo.com if you find it and let us know how it's doing.