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The hollow you are referring to is known as Furnace Hollow.
The historical context you provided aligns with the area around Marlinton, in Pocahontas County, West Virginia. The structures were a central mystery for generations of inhabitants.
The Mystery of the "Ancient Furnaces"
The early white settlers, including prominent pioneer John Warwick (who established a settlement, later the site of Fort Warwick, around 1770), discovered a "score or more" of these puzzling, precisely built stone-mason enclosures at the mouth of the hollow.
The true purpose of these structures was entirely unknown to the settlers. While rumors suggested they had been built by Indigenous peoples, the Indigenous tribes known to have used the valley for hunting—such as the Shawnee—did not have a history of constructing such stone-masonry ovens. Settlers speculated they could have been used for anything from drying meat or salt production to processing other materials, but no definitive evidence was ever found.
The Site in the 1940s
The description of their state in the 1940s—having collapsed into "ordinary-looking piles of rocks"—is consistent with the condition of many of Pocahontas County's historical frontier sites by that period. Today, Fort Warwick itself has been the subject of extensive archaeological study, which has rediscovered and preserved its location, but the unique small "furnaces" at Furnace Hollow remain a lost, enigmatic feature of the landscape described by early pioneers.
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The hollow you are referring to is known as Furnace Hollow.
The historical context you provided aligns with the area around Marlinton, in Pocahontas County, West Virginia. The structures were a central mystery for generations of inhabitants.
The Mystery of the "Ancient Furnaces"
The early white settlers, including prominent pioneer John Warwick (who established a settlement, later the site of Fort Warwick, around 1770), discovered a "score or more" of these puzzling, precisely built stone-mason enclosures at the mouth of the hollow.
The true purpose of these structures was entirely unknown to the settlers. While rumors suggested they had been built by Indigenous peoples, the Indigenous tribes known to have used the valley for hunting—such as the Shawnee—did not have a history of constructing such stone-masonry ovens. Settlers speculated they could have been used for anything from drying meat or salt production to processing other materials, but no definitive evidence was ever found.
The Site in the 1940s
The description of their state in the 1940s—having collapsed into "ordinary-looking piles of rocks"—is consistent with the condition of many of Pocahontas County's historical frontier sites by that period. Today, Fort Warwick itself has been the subject of extensive archaeological study, which has rediscovered and preserved its location, but the unique small "furnaces" at Furnace Hollow remain a lost, enigmatic feature of the landscape described by early pioneers.
The "profound secret" of Furnace Hollow—situated on the north side of Deer Creek along the Little Mountain side—is an unsolved regional mystery involving prehistoric stone ruins, ancient tribal crossroads, and legends of a hidden, coded treasure map.
According to the WPA historical surveys, the secret is woven from several fascinating threads:
1. The Enigma of the Stone Furnaces
The hollow received its name from a score or more of ancient, stone-mason furnaces (or enclosed fireplaces) discovered at its mouth by early white settlers. These structures were about three feet wide, six feet long, and three feet high.
- Although they were rumored to have been built by Indigenous peoples, their true purpose was entirely unknown.
- Even John Warwick, the prominent pioneer who settled the area around 1770, could never uncover what they were used for. By the 1940s, these structures had collapsed into ordinary-looking piles of rocks.
2. A Prehistoric Indian Crossroads
The pioneers learned from local tribes that a "profound secret" enshrouded the hollow and the neighboring Mine Bank. For generations, tribal travelers had beaten deep, heavily worn paths through the forest floor to this exact location. The trails diverged in every direction from the forks of Deer Creek, indicating that this mysterious valley had served as a vital, sacred, or political meeting place in prehistoric times.
3. Coded Maps and Hidden Treasure
The legend of the "profound secret" eventually lured numerous prospectors to the valley. These treasure hunters arrived armed with old maps and plats detailing the junction of North Fork Creek, Deer Creek, the Mine Bank, and Furnace Hollow.
- According to these maps, finding a specific "keystone" or rock would reveal a precise geographical bearing.
- Following this bearing was said to lead directly to a "hidden treasure, mineral, or some natural compound of metal, or other treasure".
4. An Unbroken Enigma
Ultimately, the WPA recorders note that the true secret of Furnace Hollow remains an unsolved mystery, leaving the final answer "for the writer of romance". Adding to the valley's eerie reputation, the adjacent Mine Bank has caught fire underground twice, burning continuously for a year at a time.
The legend of the hidden treasure bearing is one of the most intriguing mysteries associated with the junction of North Fork Creek, Deer Creek, the Mine Bank, and Furnace Hollow.
According to the historical WPA surveys, the details of this secret bearing unfold as follows:
- The Prospectors' Maps: Over the years, numerous treasure hunters and prospectors visited the area armed with old maps and plats. These documents specifically delineated the rugged terrain at the junction of the two creeks, the Mine Bank, and Furnace Hollow.
- The "Keystone" starting point: The maps revealed that the secret to unlocking the treasure required first finding a specific, designated "keystone" or unique rock situated within this junction.
- The Bearing: Once this physical keystone was located, a certain geographical bearing projected from the rock was supposed to guide the seeker directly to the location of "some hidden treasure, mineral, or some natural compound of metal, or other treasure".
- An Unsolved Enigma: While the maps promised a specific trajectory, the exact directional bearing was either coded or lost. The WPA recorders note that the true nature of this bearing and what it leads to remains an unbroken enigma "left for the writer of romance".
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