Horse Camp Ranch 1879 Cattle Company Strongbox — Golden Valley County

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Horse Camp Ranch 1879 Cattle Company Strongbox — Golden Valley County

Lost Treasure MT • Golden Valley County County
Description
Big Coulee Valley legend of an empty stagecoach strongbox found in 1922 near Horse Camp Ranch — an outlaw hideout of John T. Murphy's sprawling 1879 Cattle Company east of Lavina.
Historical Notes
Peter Netzel's Lost Treasures of Montana "Could There Be More" chapter describes John Thom finding a busted-open stagecoach strongbox near an old cellar at Horse Camp Ranch in 1922, supporting rumors that the 1879 Cattle Company camp sheltered horse thieves and rustlers. The 1879 Cattle Company grazed up to 800,000 acres from the Yellowstone to the Musselshell mouth; Murphy's headquarters moved to Big Coulee Creek south of Ryegate with Painted Robe and River Ranch satellite camps. Pinkerton records note a Lavina-area shootout wounding Kid Curry. Coordinates approximate Big Coulee Valley east of Lavina. Private ranch land — legend only.
Status / Verification legend — Legendary or approximate

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