The Lost Bill Kelley Mine
The allure of lost treasure, the promise of untold riches hidden within the earth, has captivated imaginations for centuries. Among the many tales of lost mines scattered across the American West, the story of The Lost Bill Kelley Mine stands out, shrouded in mystery, violence, and a whispered curse. This legendary mine, rumored to be located in the rugged Big Bend country of West Texas, is said to hold a wealth of gold beyond imagination, yet its location remains elusive, and its history is stained with tragedy.
The setting for this enduring legend is the formidable Big Bend region of Texas. This sprawling expanse of the Chihuahuan Desert is a land of stark beauty and unforgiving terrain. Towering mountains, deep canyons, and arid plains stretch as far as the eye can see, creating a landscape that is both awe-inspiring and perilous. Throughout history, this remote corner of Texas has been a haven for secrets and a testing ground for those who dared to venture within its boundaries.
The early pioneers who attempted to settle in this harsh environment faced immense challenges. The unforgiving climate, characterized by scorching summers and frigid winters, posed a constant threat to survival. Water was scarce, and the land offered little in the way of sustenance. Adding to these natural hardships were the dangers posed by the indigenous peoples, primarily the Apache and Comanche, who fiercely defended their ancestral lands. Encounters with Mexican raiders and desperate outlaws seeking refuge in the rugged terrain were also common, making life in Big Bend a constant struggle for survival. Many met their demise in this unforgiving landscape, succumbing to thirst, starvation, attacks, or simply getting lost within the vast, desolate mountains. The legend of The Lost Bill Kelley Mine is thus interwoven with the history of this harsh and unforgiving land.
According to the tales passed down through generations, the The Lost Bill Kelley Mine was not only exceptionally rich but also cursed. Many individuals who claimed to have found the gold or were on the verge of discovering its location met untimely and often violent deaths. This alleged curse has only added to the mystique and intrigue surrounding the mine, deterring some while further fueling the obsession of others.
The story of the The Lost Bill Kelley Mine begins in 1884 with the Reagan brothers – John, Jim, Frank, and Lee. These enterprising men established a cattle ranch near Reagan Canyon in southern Brewster County, a testament to their resilience and determination to carve a living out of the harsh West Texas landscape. To transport their cattle to market, the Reagans regularly drove their herds to the Southern Pacific Railroad at Dryden, Texas, a grueling 75-mile journey to the northeast.
It was during one of these cattle drives that the Reagans encountered a young man named Billy Kelley. Kelley, a Seminole-African American, was trekking from the old Indian settlement in northern Coahuila, Mexico, seeking employment in the burgeoning ranch country of West Texas. Despite being only 19 years old, dressed in tattered clothing, and unable to read or write, Kelley possessed a quiet confidence and a persuasive demeanor. He convinced the Reagan brothers that he was experienced with horses, and impressed by his earnestness, they hired him as a ranch hand.
Kelley quickly proved his worth, demonstrating a natural aptitude for horsemanship and a strong work ethic. The Reagans soon entrusted him with the responsibility of caring for their stock on his own. It was during one of these solo ventures, while rounding up stray cattle on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande, that Kelley stumbled upon what would become known as The Lost Bill Kelley Mine.
Upon returning to the ranch, Kelley excitedly told the Reagans about his discovery. He described a rich vein of gold embedded in quartz rock, a find that he believed could make them all wealthy beyond their wildest dreams. However, the Reagans, skeptical of Kelley’s claim and perhaps preoccupied with the daily challenges of ranching, simply laughed at him.
Undeterred, Kelley persisted. The following day, while he and Lee Reagan were rounding up stray horses near the location where Kelley claimed to have found the mine, Kelley offered to take Reagan to the site. Again, Reagan dismissed the idea, focusing instead on the task at hand. In a final attempt to convince Reagan of the significance of his find, Kelley retrieved a fist-sized piece of quartz from his saddlebag, revealing the rich gold vein that ran through it. However, Reagan, apparently unfamiliar with the appearance of gold ore, scoffed at the rock, tossed it to the ground, and instructed Kelley to focus on his work rather than chasing after fanciful dreams of gold mines.
Despite Reagan’s skepticism, Kelley remained convinced of the value of his discovery. A few weeks later, he boarded a train bound for San Antonio, where he befriended the train conductor, Locke Campbell. Kelley shared his story with Campbell, detailing the location of the mine and even providing him with a piece of the gold-laden quartz as proof. Campbell, intrigued by Kelley’s tale, promised to have the gold evaluated and to contact him with the results.
In the meantime, Kelley also took a piece of the quartz to an assayer, a professional who could determine the value of the ore. The assayer promised to send the results to the Reagan Ranch, further fueling Kelley’s hope that his discovery would finally be recognized.
Kelley returned to his work at the Reagan Ranch, patiently awaiting the assayer’s report. After several weeks, a letter arrived for him from the assayer. The Reagans, not believing that Kelley could read, opened the letter themselves. The contents of the letter were astonishing: the gold that Kelley had found was valued at an incredible $80,000 per ton, a sum that would have made him an immensely wealthy man.
Upon learning of the true value of Kelley’s discovery, the Reagans realized their mistake in dismissing his claims. However, their newfound interest in the mine was not met with enthusiasm by Kelley. Fearing that the Reagans would attempt to exploit him and potentially harm him in order to claim the mine for themselves, Kelley decided to flee. He stole a horse and disappeared southward, heading towards the Rio Grande and the safety of Mexico. The Reagans pursued him for two days, but eventually abandoned the chase when his tracks crossed the Rio Grande into Coahuila, Mexico. The legend of The Lost Bill Kelley Mine had begun.
Kelley then sought work at the Piedra Blanca Ranch, owned by George Chessman, in Coahuila, Mexico. Over time, he developed a trusting relationship with his foreman, John Stillwell, and confided in him the story of the lost mine. He even showed Stillwell a saddlebag filled with gold nuggets, further solidifying the reality of his discovery. However, Kelley also expressed his fear for his life and his intention to return to his relatives at the Seminole settlement in Coahuila, seeking refuge from those who might be pursuing him.
Shortly after driving a herd of cattle to Mexico City with other ranch hands, Kelley disappeared. It was later discovered that he had spent some time at the Seminole settlement before moving north to Oklahoma. There, he was arrested and imprisoned for illegal bootlegging. After his release, he relocated to San Antonio, where he lived until his death, never revealing the precise location of his fabled mine.
Meanwhile, Locke Campbell, the train conductor who had befriended Kelley, began his own search for the mine. In a twist of fate, Campbell met Jim Reagan at a cattlemen’s convention in San Antonio, and the two men exchanged stories about The Lost Bill Kelley Mine. Campbell partnered with the Reagan brothers and began a systematic search of the area where Kelley had claimed to have found the gold. Despite their efforts, they were unable to locate the mine, and the Reagan brothers continued their search for years, investing significant sums of money in their fruitless endeavors.
Around the same time, a black man, believed to be Bill Kelley himself, appeared at a store in Eagle Pass, Texas, offering to exchange a bag of gold nuggets and information about the mine’s location for $1,000. However, the storekeeper, perhaps unaware of the significance of the offer or suspicious of the man’s motives, refused.
In June 1899, Jim Reagan formed a partnership with ranchers D.C. Bourland and O.L. Mueller, along with a prospector named John Finky, to resume the search for the mine. While the ranchers provided the financial backing, Finky was tasked with locating the mine, and the five men agreed to share in any profits.
After weeks of searching, Finky returned to the Bourland ranch, claiming to have found the mine and presenting several large chunks of gold as proof. He also reported discovering the long-dead body of a black man in a remote canyon, approximately 300 yards below the mine. That very night, Finky was stung by a scorpion and required medical attention in Sanderson. While hospitalized, Bourland and Reagan visited him, attempting to persuade him to reveal the exact location of the mine. However, Finky, distrustful of the ranchers, refused and insisted that they would need to obtain permission from the Mexican government to work the mine.
Following his recovery, Finky planned to travel to Mexico City to secure the necessary permits. En route, he stopped in El Paso and spent several days drinking at a saloon. He befriended the bartender and shared the story of The Lost Bill Kelley Mine, inviting him to accompany him to Mexico City. Two days later, Finky was found dead, adding another layer of tragedy and mystery to the legend.
Shortly thereafter, Jim Reagan passed away, and his brothers eventually relocated their ranching operations to Arizona. Locke Campbell continued to search for the mine until his death in 1926, never realizing his dream of finding the lost gold.
In 1909, a man named Wattenburg arrived in the Big Bend area, armed with a map purportedly showing the location of a gold mine in the Ladrones Mountains. Wattenburg claimed that the information originated from his nephew, who was facing execution in an Oklahoma prison. According to the tale, Wattenburg’s nephew and his outlaw companions had stumbled upon an elderly man carrying two leather sacks filled with gold-laden quartz rock while stealing horses in Mexico. When they threatened the man, he led them to the mine. With a posse closing in, they killed the old miner, disposed of his body in a canyon, and fled.
Wattenburg partnered with John Young, who was familiar with the Ladrones Mountains and Reagan Canyon, and Felix Lowe, another local resident. However, their search was cut short in 1910 by the outbreak of the Mexican Revolution. With the border teeming with armed men, they abandoned their expedition.
Months later, Young recounted the entire story of The Lost Bill Kelley Mine in an interview with a San Antonio newspaper. Jack Haggard, a rancher in Coahuila, read the story and wrote a letter to Young, revealing that Kelley had worked on his ranch for several years and that one of his foremen had discovered the mine using Kelley’s directions. The foreman had returned with ore samples that were assayed as rich in gold, but he had tragically died in a gas explosion shortly after his return. Haggard also informed Young that he, too, was searching for the mine. Years later, Haggard drowned in a fishing accident while preparing for another expedition to the Ladrones Mountains.
Another individual who dedicated his life to searching for the mine was Will Stillwell, Kelley’s former foreman at the Piedras Blancas Ranch. In 1915, Stillwell confided in his brother, Roy, that he had located the mine. While potentially working the mine in secret, Stillwell also joined the Texas Rangers. Assigned to a post in the Big Bend area, he was fatally shot in the back by a Mexican outlaw in 1918.
Following Will’s death, his younger brother, Roy Stillwell, inherited the directions to The Lost Bill Kelley Mine. Despite numerous offers from individuals eager to finance an expedition to find the mine, Roy steadfastly refused, warning them that the mine was cursed and pointing to the numerous violent deaths associated with those who had claimed to be close to discovering its location.
Months later, a group of men offered Roy a substantial sum of money in exchange for the directions to the mine. Roy requested a few days to consider the offer, but he was killed two days later when a truck overturned on him.
In the late 1940s, two mining engineers from the eastern United States arrived in the area of the old Reagan Ranch. They hired a local guide but remained secretive about their true purpose. The guide suspected that they were searching for The Lost Bill Kelley Mine. According to the guide, the pair became extremely excited about something they found one day, paid him off, and dismissed him. The guide believed that the engineers had found the mine. However, the two miners were never seen leaving the mountains and never returned to their homes in the east, adding another layer of mystery to the legend.
The location of The Lost Bill Kelley Mine is rumored to be in the mountains on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande, south of Big Bend National Park. According to those who claimed to have found the mine, it is situated on a ridge approximately 300 yards up a canyon wall. The canyon is said to contain the stumps of several petrified trees, with a large boulder located beyond them. Somewhere above this boulder, the elusive Kelley Mine is supposedly hidden.
The legend of The Lost Bill Kelley Mine continues to captivate treasure hunters and adventurers to this day. While the existence of the mine remains unproven, the enduring tales of riches, violence, and a whispered curse serve as a powerful reminder of the allure and the dangers that lie hidden within the rugged landscapes of the American West.