The Treasure Cave of Pedro Nevarez - 8

When New Mexican prospector Ben Brown found the 300 year old Spanish amidst the rubble he was excavating in 1913, he was certain that the lost treasure of Pedro Nevarez was within his grasp. After several days of removing dirt one bucketful at a time, he came to the adobe wall that the outlaws had described building across the cave entrance. He chipped away at this ancient wall until he reached a clear space beyond it, where he could stand upright. But after a few feet, the shaft was blocked again with dirt and rocks, and his labors began anew. While digging this section, he uncovered the crumbling remains of an old mattock - a common miners tool with both pickaxe and hatchet blades.

When Brown shipped the tool to Chicago, experts confirmed that the mattock was hand-forged Spanish steel. He knew the stolen riches were just beyond the backfill...but a year later he was still digging. To support his family, the miner had to take other work that kept him away from endeavor, but he still continued when he found the time. When Brown told his story to Dr Arthur Campa in 1923, the cave was still impassable as ever.

Doña Anas as seen from the nearby Organ Mountains.

But one vital clue was revealed to Campa, who later wrote about the treasure and his meeting with Ben Brown. While the legend had it that the hidden cave was located in Soledad Canyon in the Organ Mountains, Brown confided in Campa that this was a mistake. Only 15 miles west of the Organs lie the Doña Ana Mountains, complete with their own canyon named Soledad. Here it was that Brown had made his discovery, and he even took Campa to the spot and showed him his progress.