W.C. Jameson - Böcker

Arizona's history is liberally seasoned with legends of lost mines, buried treasures, and significant deposits of gold and silver. The famous Lost Dutchman Mine has lured treasure hunters for over a century into the remote, treacherous, and reportedly cursed Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix. Gold and silver bars discovered in Huachuca Canyon by a soldier stationed at nearby Fort Huachuca just before World War II remain inaccessible despite years of laborious attempts at recovery. Outside the town of Yucca, bandits eager to make a fast getaway buried a strongbox filled with gold, unaware they wouldn't survive the pursuit of a law-enforcing posse to recover their plunder. And somewhere in the Little Horn Mountains northeast of Yuma lies an elusive wash containing hundreds of odd gold-filled rocks. Selected from hundreds of tales passed down from generation to generation since the days of the gold-seeking Spanish explorers, the tales included here are among the most compelling that Arizona has to offer.

From the Guadalupe Mountains of the Chihuahuan Desert to the Hill Country to the Red River, the vast landscape of Texas has afforded the cultural depth and diversity to inspire its writers. The richness of Texas folklore, history, and traditions has left an unmistakable mark on the art of the region. Both native and transplant Texas writers alike have been keenly shaped by the distinctive aroma of fresh corn tortillas, tales of Mescalero Apaches, and Tejano and ranchera music.W.C. Jameson has compiled an assorted collection of fourteen essays by some of the most prominent Texas writers through which he hopes to explore the following questions: How did they accomplish their goals? Why did they choose the writing life? What influence did the history, lore, and culture of Texas play in their creative process? While readily citing the ""decidedly Texas flavor"" in his own fiction, Jameson seeks to uncover the inspirations in other writers from both the expansive and rugged Texas terrain as well as the varied people therein.The fourteen writers who comprise ""Notes from Texas"" range from the captivating and often humorous essayist Larry L. King to the beloved historical novelist Elmer Kelton. Other contributors include James Ward Lee, known for his expertise in Texas cuisine and culture, and poet and songwriter Red Steagall. This collection bestows each with a ""chance to express what they wished to share about their art and their life as a Texas writer.

Border Bandits is an account of the many, many stories of back and forth skirmishes between the Mexicans and Texans during the late 1800s and early 1900s. There practically wasn't a border, which caused a lot of problems and thievery between the two countries. These seventeen tales in this book re-create border raids that originated from both sides of the fluid and much contested line and tells the stories of colorful characters – Mexican and American – that have since secured their place in history.

In this series, private investigators pick up where the historians left off, taking on a series of major cold cases in history, starting with the mishandling of evidence relating to the life and times of Billy the Kid. Cold Case: Billy the Kid tackles the myths and legends about the misadventures and eventual killing of the notorious outlaw one by one, considering the evidence surrounding his life, death, and crimes from contemporary sources and looking at the physical evidence still extant today to consider the veracity of historical claims and considering the evidence through the lens of a legal investigation. In this first book, the writers tackle the evolution of an outlaw in myth and lore, claiming that Billy the Kid as a notorious outlaw is a manufactured concept. They offer evidence that the Kid was little more than one of several small time cattle and horse thieves whose rustling netted him only a small amount of intermittent income. He killed no fewer, and probably no more, than four or five men. For the most part he worked on ranches, notably those of John Chisum and John Henry Tunstall. The Kid, as a cattle thief, was known to many in southern New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle, along with a number of other troublesome rustlers.

One of the most colorful parts of American History is the time of train robberies and the daring outlaws who undertook them in the period covering from just after the Civil War to 1924. For decades, the railroads were the principal transporters of payrolls, gold and silver, bonds, and passengers who often carried large sums of money as well as valuable jewelry. For the creative outlaw, trains became an obvious target for robbery. The list of America’s train robbers is a veritable Who’s Who of American outlawry and includes: Frank and Jesse James, Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid, Charles Searcy, Charles Morganfield, Sam Bass, Black Jack Ketchum, Seaborn Barnes, and others. To this cast of train robbery-related characters can be added the relentless investigations and pursuit by individuals associated with the Pinkerton Detectives, Texas Rangers, Wells Fargo detectives, railroad company detectives, as well as local and area law enforcement authorities. In addition, there are numerous tales of bravery that took place during train robberies involving heroic express car messengers, conductors, engineers, brakemen, and even passengers.

The most compelling and exciting tales of lost and buried treasures associated with the Civil War have been collected, extensively researched and investigated, and are included in this entertaining book from one of America's foremost treasure hunters. They represent fortunes that have been lost for over one-and-a-half centuries and involve colorful characters from lowly privates up to famous officers, including Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederacy. The thirty-one tales in this book provide backstory and pertinent information, are distributed between the Union and Confederate armies, and range from Texas to the Atlantic Cost, from Louisiana to the Canadian border.

In a little-known mountain range in southern New Mexico is an unremarkable mountain called Victorio Peak. In a cavern in that mountain, it is rumored that billions of dollars’ worth of artifacts and thousands of gold and silver ingots and coins have been cached for decades, a treasure that dwarfs all others. Its existence, or the belief in its existence, has been responsible for millions of dollars’ worth of recovery efforts, blatant violation of laws and trampling of legal rights by the United States government as well as dozens of citizens, and the involvement of a wide variety of infamous characters. It has also been responsible for a number of deaths.For generations, people all over the world have been fascinated and enthralled by tales and legends of lost mines and buried treasures. There is something in the human DNA that embraces such things. North America has served as a setting for hundreds of such tales, and every now and then one of these treasures is found. Most can identify the Lost Dutchman Mine of Arizona’s Superstition Mountains and the so-called Oak Island Treasure in Nova Scotia as prominent examples of legends that have seized the attention of millions. If one were to write a mystery/thriller incorporating colorful characters, murder, unexplained deaths, intrigue, theft, deceit, and political and legal machinations, one need not look any further than the incredible treasure mystery associated with Victorio Peak. It is, in fact, one of the most bizarre and confounding mysteries in American history and involves what my well be the largest treasure cache known to man.

CSI the Old West! WC Jameson takes on the myths and discovers what really happened in the Old West, storytelling by consulting private investigators, using modern forensic techniques, and examining the original evidence.

CSI the Old West! WC Jameson takes on the myths and discovers what really happened in the Old West, storytelling by consulting private investigators, using modern forensic techniques, and examining the original evidence.

One of the most colorful parts of American History is the time of train robberies and the daring outlaws who undertook them in the period covering from just after the Civil War to 1924. For decades, the railroads were the principal transporters of payrolls, gold and silver, bonds, and passengers who often carried large sums of money as well as valuable jewelry. For the creative outlaw, trains became an obvious target for robbery. Willis Newton has never enjoyed the recognition and fame of the better known train robbing outlaws of our time such as Frank and Jesse James, Butch Cassidy, the Daltons, and the Doolins, but he was the most prolific and successful train robber in the history of North America. Newton stole more money from the railroads than all of the others put together. During his lifetime, Newton robbed six trains and an estimated eighty banks, pulled off the greatest train robbery ever, netting $3,000,000, yet remains virtually unknown. So unknown was he that, of all of his successful robberies, he was rarely identified as a suspect.Following his greatest heist, Newton and his gang member, composed of his brothers, were arrested, tried, convicted, and sent to serve long terms at Leavenworth Prison. When they were granted early release for good behavior, they lost no time in returning to robbing banks.Willis Newton’s life and times as America’s greatest, and last, train robber has been gleaned and developed from extensive interviews he granted during the 1970s when he was in his eighties. In addition, newspaper reports of his numerous train and bank robberies have been obtained and researched for precise details of robberies and pursuit.

When it comes to historical mysteries, Texas offers numerous long-perplexing conundrums for readers. Several of the Lone Star state’s enduring legends are associated with historical figures including Davy Crockett, Billy the Kid, John Wilkes Booth, the outlaws Sam Bass and Bill Longley, and the pirate Jean Lafitte. Lost mines and buried treasures are also a long-standing part of Texas history and lore, and the location of several of these riches has baffled searches for well over a century. Searches for these elusive treasures, represented by gold and silver ingots and coins, have ranged from Texas’ mountain ranges to the prairies to the coast, and continue to this day. Texas may also have been the site of several “lost civilizations. Growing evidence suggests that Mayans, a culture long associated with southern Mexican and Central America may have established settlements in the state after having disappeared from their homeland. The Caddo Mounds spread out over a large section of southeast Texas represent what amounted of a city that was once inhabited by thousands of natives. The questions of where they came from and what became of them continue to intrigue researchers. This lively, easy-to-read book will cover these and many other mysterious happenings and will be popular with residents and tourists.

What sort of person undertakes to rob a multi-ton train surging down a set of rails at high speed? For the Old West’s most famous outlaws, including Jesse James, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, the Dalton Gang, and Black Jack Ketchum, it was as much about the thrill of the crime as the riches to be won, thumbing their noses at the authorities, and getting away with their crimes more often than not. These men, and at least one woman, were dare devils, rule breakers, adventurers, and rebels. In addition to their train robberies, they led colorful, dramatic, and dangerous lives. The Old West's Infamous Train Robbers and their Historic Heists profiles sixteen noted train robbers (or train robbing gangs) along with the details of each their forty-seven hold-ups. The mechanics of each of their train robberies—planning, execution, and escape—are dissected and discussed. Pertinent background information relating to each outlaw/gang is included as well as what became of them following their train robbery days.

In a little-known mountain range in southern New Mexico is an unremarkable mountain called Victorio Peak. In a cavern in that mountain, it is rumored that billions of dollars’ worth of artifacts and thousands of gold and silver ingots and coins have been cached for decades, a treasure that dwarfs all others. Its existence, or the belief in its existence, has been responsible for millions of dollars’ worth of recovery efforts, blatant violation of laws and trampling of legal rights by the United States government as well as dozens of citizens, and the involvement of a wide variety of infamous characters. It has also been responsible for a number of deaths.For generations, people all over the world have been fascinated and enthralled by tales and legends of lost mines and buried treasures. There is something in the human DNA that embraces such things. North America has served as a setting for hundreds of such tales, and every now and then one of these treasures is found. Most can identify the Lost Dutchman Mine of Arizona’s Superstition Mountains and the so-called Oak Island Treasure in Nova Scotia as prominent examples of legends that have seized the attention of millions. If one were to write a mystery/thriller incorporating colorful characters, murder, unexplained deaths, intrigue, theft, deceit, and political and legal machinations, one need not look any further than the incredible treasure mystery associated with Victorio Peak. It is, in fact, one of the most bizarre and confounding mysteries in American history and involves what my well be the largest treasure cache known to man.

Branson offers the beauty of the Ozark Mountains, rivers, and lakes as well as a variety of family activities and diverse entertainment. Join author W.C. Jameson as he explores the historical background of the region, the music scene, the surrounding countryside, and the local attractions.

To promote the movie National Treasure starring Nicolas Cage, Walt Disney Pictures identified W.C. Jameson as one of the three experts in the U.S. on finding lost treasures. Disney representatives interviewed him for publicity of the film and then spent two days with him in the mountains filming what will become part of the trailer for the film on DVD. Well known for his compelling series on America's lost mines and buried treasure, Jameson ties stories of adventurous treasure hunting to American history to add this book to Taylor's growing "fun history" series. With his storyteller's gift, he relates episodes from early explorers through the colonial period, the Civil War, and the settling of the West. As a professional treasure hunter, he has followed the trails of many of the lost mines and buried treasures he describes. Sample treasures: Sir Francis Drake Treasure, Nez Pierce Gold, Benedict Arnold Treasure, Lafayette's Sunken Riches, Maryland's Lost Silver Mine, The Wandering Confederate Treasury, Lost Treasure of the Gray Ghost, Oklahoma Outlaw Cashe, Jacob Fagan's Lost Loot, Missouri River Gold Cache, Lost Spanish Gold in the Sandia Mountains.

Billy the Kid: Beyond the Grave traces the life of this famous desperado through his role in the Lincoln County War, the alleged killing by Sheriff Pat Garrett, Billy's escape, and his life for the next sixty-nine years. In 1948, an old man named William Henry Roberts was confronted with evidence that he was Billy the Kid. At first he denied his identity, but reluctantly admitted who he was. Based on taped interviews with Roberts, new evidence discovered in the 1990s, and sophisticated photo comparison technology by the FBI, the conclusion that Roberts was Billy the Kid gains support.

Leading the reader through a series of amazing coincidences and details, this book presents startling evidence that John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Lincoln, was never captured but escaped to live for decades, continue his acting career, marry, and have children. Compelling and revealing information in the form of papers and diaries has recently been found in private collections—materials that provide greater insight into the events leading up to the assassination of Lincoln as well as details of the pursuit and capture of the man the government claimed was Booth.

Join the Search for Lost TreasureFirst popularized by folklorist and author J. Frank Dobie in his book Apache Gold and Yaqui Silver in 1928, the legend of the Lost Adams Diggings is one of the most mythologized tales of lost treasure on the continent. In the 1860s, Gold was taken from Adams’ canyon in enormous quantities, with nuggets ranging from dust-size to some as large as hen’s eggs, all being plucked from the bottom of a shallow stream. This true story of the Lost Adams Diggings starts with the discovery of the rich deposit of gold in a remote mountain range, and ends with the author’s own story of search and discovery in the twentieth century.