View the three stories of Mitchell
As you walk the beating of the world
At a distance in time
From three who lived there
At a distance in space
From woman, with harpsichord
Silently playing
Step on nature
Cast in copper
Ascend the 92 steps
After climbing the grand 200
Pass the compass and reach
The foot of the culvert
Below the bridge
Walk 100 paces
Southeast over rock and soil
To the first young birch
Pass three, staying west
You’ll see a letter from the country
Of wonderstone’s hearth
On a proud, tall fifth
At its southern foot
The treasure waits.

American Page / Japanese Page
Milwaukee Facebook Group

 

Fortress north
Cold as glass
Friendship south
Take your task
To the number
Nine eight two
Through the wood
No lion fears
In the sky the water veers
Small of scale
Step across
Perspective should not be lost
In the center of four alike
Small, split,
Three winged and slight
What we take to be
Our strongest tower of delight
Falls gently
In December night
Looking back from treasure ground
There’s the spout!
A whistle sounds.

American Page / Japanese Page

At the place where jewels abound
Fifteen rows down to the ground
In the middle of twenty-one
From end to end
Only three stand watch
As the sound of friends
Fills the afternoon hours
Here is a sovereign people
Who build palaces to shelter
Their heads for a night!
Gnomes admire
Fays delight
The namesakes meeting
Near this site.

American Page / Japanese Page

Solved – Boston, Massachusetts

If Thucydides is
North of Xenophon
Take five steps
In the area of his direction
A green tower of lights
In the middle section
Near those
Who pass the coliseum
With metal walls
Face the water
Your back to the stairs
Feel at home
All the letters
Are here to see
Eighteenth day
Twelfth hour
Lit by lamplight
In truth, be free.

American Page / Japanese Page
Acrostic: ITALIAN FENWAY

Lane
Two twenty two
You’ll see an arc of lights
Weight and roots extended
Together saved the site
Of granite walls
Wind swept halls
Citadel in the night
A wingless bird ascended
Born of ancient dreams of flight
Beneath the only standing member
Of a forest
To the south
White stone closest
At twelve paces
From the west side
Get permission
To dig out.

Acrostic: ABBOT/CABBOT
American Page / Japanese Page

Solved – Cleveland, Ohio

Beneath two countries
As the road curves
In a rectangular plot
Beneath the tenth stone
From right to left
Beneath the ninth row from the top
Of the wall including small bricks
Seven steps up you can hop
From the bottom level
Socrates, Pindar, Apelles
Free speech, couplet, birch
To find casques destination
Seek the columns
For the search.

American Page / Japanese Page

Of all the romance retold
Men of tales and tunes
Cruel and bold
Seen here
By eyes of old
Stand and listen to the birds
Hear the cool, clear song of water
Harken to the words:
Freedom at the birth of a century
Or May 1913
Edwin and Edwina named after him
Or on the eighth a scene
Where law defended
Between two arms extended
Below the bar that binds
Beside the long palm’s shadow
Embedded in the sand
Waits the Fair remuneration
White house close at hand.

American Page / Japanese Page

At stone wall’s door
The air smells sweet
Not far away
High posts are three
Education and Justice
For all to see
Sounds from the sky
Near ace is high
Running north, but first across
In jewel’s direction
Is an object
Of Twain’s attention
Giant pole
Giant step
To the place
The casque is kept.

American Page / Japanese Page

The first chapter
Written in water
Near men
With wind rose
Behind bending branches
And a green picket fence
At the base of a tall tree
You can still hear the honking
Shell, limestone, silver, salt
Stars move by day
Sails pass by night
Even in darkness
Like moonlight in teardrops
Over the tall grass
Years pass, rain falls.

Acrostic: SELOY
American Page / Japanese Page

In the shadow
Of the grey giant
Find the arm that
Extends over the slender path
In summer
You’ll often hear a whirring sound
Cars abound
Although the sign
Nearby
Speaks of Indies native
The natives still speak
Of him of Hard word in 3 Vols.
Take twice as many east steps as the hour
Or more
From the middle of one branch
Of the v
Look down
And see simple roots
In rhapsodic mans soil
Or gaze north
Toward the isle of B.

American Page / Japanese Page

Pass two friends of octave
In December
Ride the man of oz
To the land near the window
There’s a road that leads to
Dark forest
Where white is in color
With two maps
After circle and square
In July and August
A path beckons
To mica and driftwood
Under that
Which may be last touched
Or first seen standing
Look north at the wing
And dig
To achieve
By dauntless and inconquerable
Determination
Your goal.

American Page / Japanese Page

Solved – Chicago Illinois

Where M and B are set in stone
And to Congress, R is known
L sits and left
Beyond his shoulder
Is the Fair Folks’
Treasure holder
The end of ten by thirteen Is your clue
Fence and fixture
Central too
For finding jewel casque
Seek the sounds
Of rumble
Brush and music
Hush.

American Page / Japanese Page

Image 10 / Verse 8: Milwaukee
Painting Name: Unknown
Painting Inspired by: Unknown
Latatude Longitude: None (Rebus in Image)
Rebus Example (World Book 1962 credit: Cory Gilbert)
Month: February
Birthstone: Amethyst
Time: 2 o’clock
Flower: Primrose
Nation: Germany
Line tying verse to image: None
Litany quote: “Dwarves’ treasure: purple Amethyst,Β Imperial star of Germany.
Parks Department: Milwaukee County Parks
Official Contact:Β  Phone: 414-257-7275
Dig Status: This is a long process that requires multiple fees and permissions, each process is unique to the park in question.

Japanese HInts:
Line 1: three stories
The word stories has special meaning. It is referring to the three bedtime stories ofΒ  Mitchell? Or is it referring to the three stories of Mitchell as in a building? The editor said it means three stories as in a building.
Line 2: beating of the world
This is a difficult section (…even though every part is difficult). From beating, think β€œbeat”, and from β€œbeat”, think β€œdrum”. (Japanese β€œdrum”) is spelled β€œd.r.u.m.” From this you must think of a person’s name. Open up a relatively large English dictionary and find β€œdrum”, and search the vicinity to arrive at a person’s name. Without tedious effort there will be no treasures acquired.

Line 8: Step on nature
Line 9: Cast in copper
For this section, I was told to imagine β€œa leaf”… What does β€œa leaf” mean?

Line 11: grand 200
Line 13: culvert
Line 21: fifth
On a proud, tall fifth. What could this β€œfifth” be the fifth thing of? Mr. Preiss would not tell me at all. I barraged him with many names of things, and I soon started to think that the object is a β€œtree”. I cannot definitely say it’s a tree, and I won’t take responsibly, but personally I still think it’s a β€œtree”

Stephen Bryant’s Focus Crop
”secret Milwaukee focus crop

Common Verse Matches to City

None

Common Image Matches to City

Common Maps or City Name in Image

Japanese Pages

85 Comments

  1. Canuck

    At the base of the City Hall feature there are a fairly obvious set of eyes. They look animal, are located in the darker space with the much lighter space coming down between the set of eyes…honestly reminds me of a badger.

    Reply
  2. John Molnar

    JM, do you happen to have any information about the cannon that once stood by the lighthouse near the lion bridge. When was it there till, was there a plaque of any sort, where it was taken to? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Tom

      I too thought about the cannon. Proud, tall fifth as cannon, as in Cicero’s fifth canon of rhetoric which is delivery, where posture is emphasized. Also, the wooly bully, which inhabits Wisconsin in the book, is on a cannon and I tried to match the houses in the background. I could not find the cannon in the park or any picture that there was a cannon or a matching house. Cannon is still a great lead.

      Reply
      • Matthew S carey

        Are you still searching.

        Reply
  3. Jessica Liljegren

    Here is the Milwaukee puzzle solve: The treasure in the image is not an amethyst, even though amethyst is the gemstone of February. The gem in the image is Turquoise, because you will “view” the 3 stories of Mitchell (as in “consider the backstories of the three prominent Milwaukee Mitchells”) as you “walk the beating of the world” (Highland drumming is Scottish, like Alexander Mitchell, first to come to America/Milwaukee of the Mitchell clan). Because it starts with him, the walk we are taken on is centered around the river where he practiced curling on the ice. So W. Highland Ave to where? “At a distance in time” means walk Highland to Old World 3rd Street. “From three who lived there” means walking Old World 3rd you will pass intersections of Juneau Street (Solomon Juneau, one of Milwaukee’s three founders), Kilbourn Street (BYRON Kilbourn, one of the other three founders) and Well Street (most famous of all, author H.G. Wells native to Milwaukee). “At a distance in space” means “astronomical units or AU for short, which is also the elemental symbol for GOLD. So gold…”From woman, with harpsichord.” Go to the golden woman with harpsichord who is located on the exterior of the Pabst theatre building if you continue down Wells Street to the corner of Wells and Water Street. All Milwaukeeans know her. “Silently playing” is the next clue. You continue along Water Street and pass the famed Milwaukee City Hall (in JJP’s image) where Alexander Mitchell’s son John Mitchell served the city. I know where I go to see people silently playing on a regular basis on Water Street… at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts where the Milwaukee ballet performs. The next clue is “Step on Nature” and directly behind the Marcus Center for Performing Arts is Uihlein Hall (plays acted here) and the bronze sculpture “the Laureate” seen in JJP’s image in the juggler’s hair. It’s a nod as if to say “You are on the correct path!” The last clue left us standing behind Uihlein Hall on the “River Walk Way” path (nature) and also on the start of the State Street Bridge. The clue is step on nature, and we are to step on the State Street drawbridge LEAVES (stepping on nature). “Cast in copper” is our next line, and does not mean walk it down to Lincoln Memorial Drive. The State Street Bridge is a bascule bridge with two copper topped drawbridge houses like the Grand Avenue bascule drawbridge, which is what connected the three communities of Kilbourntown, Juneautown and Walker’s Point thus forming what is now Milwaukee. In the image, you see a juggler throwing a number of things in a counter-clockwise direction. Two red balls, a BLUE gem, a mill wheel, a primrose (February’s flower), a walking stick, and a key. In order to read the rebus puzzle which spells out Mil-wau-kee, you must travel counter-clockwise. The same is true for the walking path Preiss takes us on. The reason February is important is that you might not be able to see all of the landmarks on the path if the trees were fully leafed out. The next clue is ” Ascend the 92 steps.” This clue is telling us we will walk 92 steps across something that ascends – the State street Bridge. Cross it. Then the verse reads “After climbing the grand 200.” This clue is where everyone gets tripped up assuming that he meant the stairs by Lake Park. This clue is two fold, it means walk 92 steps over the bridge which can ascend at will, and get to 200 Kilbourn Ave (where the 92 steps take you) which happens to be Pere Marquette Park. The next clue is “Pass the compass and reach” and this doesn’t mean either of the conventional definitions of compass as a noun – it means neither an instrument containing a magnetized pointer which shows the direction of magnetic North, nor an instrument for drawing circles and arcs and measuring distance between points. Instead, it is the verb tense he was after: “Go around something in a circular course,” which of course is what we just did. On the other side of Pere Marquette park is Old World 3rd Street, WHERE WE BEGAN! He has walked us in a circle like the juggler showed us. Next line “The foot of the culvert” which would be the base of the State Street Bridge where there is a culvert (a channel – the Milwaukee River). Stand there. “Walk 100 paces” and “Southeast over rock and soil” are the only two straightforward passages so far! The path along the river through Pere Marquette park is on a southeast trajectory, easy to follow. “To the first young birch.” There were many birch trees planted here when Pere Marquette park was begun, freshly planted just about the time BP would have been there to bury the casque. “Pass three, staying west,” the walking path curves into the park past more birch trees and heads west toward Old World 3rd Street and toward the historical society building (all the windows have circles in the design…). Next two lines read: “You’ll see a letter from the country” “of wonderstone’s hearth.” In Pere Marquette park you come upon a red granite stone slab that has the words “Pere Marquette” and the engraved image of a Native American canoeing along a river with four pine trees on the banks. In the beginning of the book “The Secret,” the Nootka legend talks at large about a story with four Indians following a fifth Indian (the Grandfather), and pine trees are referred to as “proud, tall pines” in that part of the book. Wonderstone is defined as: the name given to a bed occurring in the Red Marl which is described as being a beautiful breccia, consisting of yellow transparent crystals of carbonate lime disseminated through a dark red earthy dolomite. This is a description of red granite. The slab here is red granite. “On a proud, tall fifth” “At its southern foot” “The treasure waits.” Pere Marquette park has an immigration story of course. The French priest Father Marquette who traveled with two Natives was the first to spend the night on the banks in that very park many moons ago when all was wild. So the casque will be located at the southern foot of the red granite slab in Pere Marquette park. The city of Milwaukee will not grant any dig permits, and my children do not wish to see me in jail, so there it will sit until someone gets permission to dig it up, and exchange it for the BLUE TURQUOISE gem featured in the image from the French Fairies. Alexander Mitchell’s son John Mitchell (born in Milwaukee, servant of City Hall (which you can keep in view for the duration of this circular walk around the three bridge area of Milwaukee) spent his military time in France serving in the Air Force, and John’s son William (Billy) Mitchell was born in France during that military stint.

    Reply
    • Dale

      Hi Jessica, I like parts of your theory. I’ve always wondered if Lake Park was the final spot as there seems to be nothing to tie it to the verse or painting other than β€œ92” steps. One problem with your theory right now is the Pere Marquette statue. It wasn’t there in 1981 when Byron was there. It was vandalized in 1965 and removed from the park. It was later restored and put back out but that was in 1987. So if the treasure is in that park it must be somewhere else.

      Reply
      • Robert farmer

        She might be talking about the large granite rock that’s behind the statue

        Reply
    • Jimbo

      It’s in Lake Park, bro.

      Reply
    • Robert farmer

      I’m sitting on the 9th floor of saint Kate’s hotel and looking at the state Street bridge over the river and pere Marquette park …guess what I see underneath the bridge…..two round red lights….must be for caution….hmm two red balls is what they look like

      Reply
      • Brandon Townsend

        Where?

        Reply
      • Brandon Townsend

        Can you post a pic on the fb page?

        Reply
  4. B

    Jessica, ORSON WellEs is from Kenosha. H.G. Wells was from Kent, England. Furthermore, Alexander Mitchell was born in Ellon, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, which is only politically (rather than geographically) considered part of the Highlands.

    Reply
  5. Darren

    The young birch – Robert Frost

    Reply
  6. Canuck

    The main issue why people aren’t having success with The Secret is they’ve never understood the WHOLE puzzle and how it works.
    Most people seem to think it is just about matching up the image with the verse, this is not true. You also need to match those two elements up with a third element, namely a fair people category. So you need to pair image, verse AND fair people in order to solve the puzzle.

    Let me demonstrate with Milwaukee and you can pick your jaws up later.

    Image 10, Verse 8 most people agree on. Now what fair people go with it? The answer is Mugwumps on pages 146-147.

    Mugwumps – first notice the syllables start “M.W.” which matches Milwaukee
    Also of note the Mugwumps political party had a heavy presence in Milwaukee and there is Nixon in the Mugwump image to support that theme.
    On page 146 you will clearly see a pretzel. Pretzels are of German origin much like the city roots of Milwaukee.
    Next notice the teeth in the lower right portion of Mugwumps jaw. They spell “WI” the abbreviation for Wisconsin.
    Mugwumps nose isn’t as clear cut, but I’d argue it is of similar shape to the “Grand 200” staircase in Lake Park.
    Next look at Mugwumps left side of the mouth and you will see the horse leg and hoof. This is a clear hint to the Erastus B. Wolcott statue.

    Time to focus on Wolcott.
    If you look at the design on the statues right sleeve it somewhat resembles a pretzel. Wolcott also wears a cape, much like the figure in Image 10.
    That hooked “J” shape in the image also matches a shape on the right side of Wolcott’s coat. The philtrum under Mugwumps nose again matches the “U” shape on the right side of Wolcott’s coat.

    Now it’s time to discuss the shape in the image most people call the “locust”. Are you sitting down? Wolcott has been credited with the 1st ever successful removal of a diseased kidney. I believe that shape in the image is a human kidney, looks similar to what you would find in an anatomy textbook.

    Back to the “pretzel gavel” on page 146. The base of the Wolcott statue was designed by Albert Ross. Ross also happens to be the same person who constructed the Milwaukee County Courthouse, so that gavel makes a whole lot of sense.

    The verse says “On a proud, tall fifth” …the Wolcott statue is tall and fifth could be a nod to the 4 Horsemen.
    “At its southern foot…The treasure waits”…you can use the lighthouse as a compass or just look at the orientation of the statue…either way the southern foot is on the right side of the Wolcott statue.

    There is lots more on Milwaukee, but everyone else has already talked about those aspects to death over the years so no sense rehashing here.

    Based on the clues the most likely burial spot for the Milwaukee casque is at the front right hoof of Gunpowder, Wolcott’s horse.
    If you look at the statue today the whole front half of the statue is surrounded by brick paver stones. Generally these stones aren’t set into the ground very deep, but they are impeding recovery of the casque.
    Any idea how long those brick paver stones have been there? If they pre-date the early 1980s it would point to the casque being at the rear right side, but my understanding is the rear portion of the Wolcott statue has been dug up extensively over the years.

    I’d run GPR around the right side of the statue or somehow convince Milwaukee Parks officials to open up the paver stones near the front right hoof to probe/dig. It wouldn’t take that much effort to pull up a few paver stones and you would think after this long it would be good to get this casque out of the ground and prevent further damage to Lake Park.

    George, too bad you didn’t have this information prior to your last visit to Milwaukee. I only got back into the Milwaukee puzzle about a week after you released the podcast.

    I’ll release information about others later, but felt it very important that everyone realize you need all 3 elements to really narrow down some of the casque locations.

    Thanks for listening and keep up the good work on the podcast!

    Reply
    • Jimbo

      Grand 200 refers to the Oak Leaf Trail. Former the 76 Trail which named after the bicentennial AKA 200.

      Reply
      • Patrick Quinlan

        On a proud tall 5th is a nod to the fact that the Wolcott/horse statue sits on the 5th riser of the monument. Count from the base, and the statue is on the 5th riser.
        It is buried under the south foot of the Wolcott statue.

        Reply
        • Richard M Bartlett

          If it was there it would have been destroyed after the landscaping and full restoration of the statue in 2006… I just read a full article on it and they dug around the whole statue and dug deep enough to destroy it… the pavers they put in are six inches deep… and if you add the substrate plus gravel they would have hit it and they went out about 10′ on all sides. I hope that he didn’t bury it anywhere around it…

          Reply
  7. Canuck

    The main issue why people aren’t having success with The Secret is they’ve never understood the WHOLE puzzle and how it works.
    Most people seem to think it is just about matching up the image with the verse, this is not true. You also need to match those two elements up with a third element, namely a fair people category. So you need to pair image, verse AND fair people in order to solve the puzzle.

    Let me demonstrate with Milwaukee and you can pick your jaws up later.

    Image 10, Verse 8 most people agree on. Now what fair people go with it? The answer is Mugwumps on pages 146-147.

    Mugwumps – first notice the syllables start β€œM.W.” which matches Milwaukee
    Also of note the Mugwumps political party had a heavy presence in Milwaukee and there is Nixon in the Mugwump image to support that theme.
    On page 146 you will clearly see a pretzel. Pretzels are of German origin much like the city roots of Milwaukee.
    Next notice the teeth in the lower right portion of Mugwumps jaw. They spell β€œWI” the abbreviation for Wisconsin.
    Mugwumps nose isn’t as clear cut, but I’d argue it is of similar shape to the β€œGrand 200” staircase in Lake Park.
    Next look at Mugwumps left side of the mouth and you will see the horse leg and hoof. This is a clear hint to the Erastus B. Wolcott statue.

    Time to focus on Wolcott.
    If you look at the design on the statues right sleeve it somewhat resembles a pretzel. Wolcott also wears a cape, much like the figure in Image 10.
    That hooked β€œJ” shape in the image also matches a shape on the right side of Wolcott’s coat. The philtrum under Mugwumps nose again matches the β€œU” shape on the right side of Wolcott’s coat.

    Now it’s time to discuss the shape in the image most people call the β€œlocust”. Are you sitting down? Wolcott has been credited with the 1st ever successful removal of a diseased kidney. I believe that shape in the image is a human kidney, looks similar to what you would find in an anatomy textbook.

    Back to the β€œpretzel gavel” on page 146. The base of the Wolcott statue was designed by Albert Ross. Ross also happens to be the same person who constructed the Milwaukee County Courthouse, so that gavel makes a whole lot of sense.

    The verse says β€œOn a proud, tall fifth” …the Wolcott statue is tall and fifth could be a nod to the 4 Horsemen.
    β€œAt its southern foot…The treasure waits”…you can use the lighthouse as a compass or just look at the orientation of the statue…either way the southern foot is on the right side of the Wolcott statue.

    There is lots more on Milwaukee, but everyone else has already talked about those aspects to death over the years so no sense rehashing here.

    Based on the clues the most likely burial spot for the Milwaukee casque is at the front right hoof of Gunpowder, Wolcott’s horse.
    If you look at the statue today the whole front half of the statue is surrounded by brick paver stones. Generally these stones aren’t set into the ground very deep, but they are impeding recovery of the casque.
    Any idea how long those brick paver stones have been there? If they pre-date the early 1980s it would point to the casque being at the rear right side, but my understanding is the rear portion of the Wolcott statue has been dug up extensively over the years.

    I’d run GPR around the right side of the statue or somehow convince Milwaukee Parks officials to open up the paver stones near the front right hoof to probe/dig. It wouldn’t take that much effort to pull up a few paver stones and you would think after this long it would be good to get this casque out of the ground and prevent further damage to Lake Park.

    George, too bad you didn’t have this information prior to your last visit to Milwaukee. I only got back into the Milwaukee puzzle about a week after you released the podcast.

    I’ll release information about others later, but felt it very important that everyone realize you need all 3 elements to really narrow down some of the casque locations.

    Reply
  8. Destiny Burnette

    I think everyone has some pretty cool ideas and theories. My husband and I are very new to this and maybe with that comes a fresh set of eyes? I have a few ideas but I am unsure how to post it?

    Reply
  9. SecretKeeper

    There are a lot of photographs on the internet of the Wolcott statute but not all are dated.
    The current stone was placed recently as there are numerous pictures with red borck
    I cannot say with 100% certainty but if the casque was there I believe it would have been found when they removed the bricks seen in this picture uploaded 4 years ago. http://wikimapia.org/6183323/Brigadier-General-Erastus-B-Wolcott-Statue#/photo/5416558
    https://www.google.com/search?q=wolcott+statue++IN+LAKE+PARK&rlz=1C1GCEV_en&sxsrf=ACYBGNSYFwut7TQSUbjRtO90GuSJlnYvSQ:1570376503239&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiEhY6t_IflAhXrna0KHQnHBaYQ_AUIFCgD&biw=1536&bih=755&dpr=1.25#imgrc=8De9_1MdT65QeM:

    red bricks are also not original and could have been placed post 1980 as well and I think that would have uncovered the casque.

    Reply
    • Canuck

      I’d really like to know if the front half of the Wolcott Statue had bricks or pavers in the early 1980s. If it did, then yes I’d tend to agree that it’s most likely not the right spot. However, if it did not then I still believe it could be the right spot. The casques are buried at a depth of not more than 3-3.5 feet, however to place bricks or pavers you really only have to dig down about 8 inches for a gravel base, the sand and the thickness of the paver to be even with the surrounding ground. It is possible to switch out bricks and pavers and not disturb a casque buried a bit further down.
      Did JM or anyone else ever run a GPR over this area and see any anomalies, particularly near that front right hoof of Gunpowder?

      Reply
      • Cyndi

        Looking into records and photos, it looks like there were no pavers in 2013 but show up in a photo in 2017. The Lake Park Friends did a “landscape enhancement” in 2014 which sounds to me like “added pavers”.

        Reply
        • Richard M Bartlett

          I just found a photo from 1919 and they planted flags in front of the statue … there is clearly paver bricks around the base… from my research they have been there since it was built.

          Reply
      • DJ

        The entire area around the statue has been GPR’d as recent as 2019. There is nothing around it. Recently there are several new dig attempts all around it. There is a big hole right behind Wolcott at the edge of the stone. The southern “foot” area near the bushes has also been recently dug out. A few of the stones on the south end have even been lifted and it appears someone dug underneath them.

        Reply
        • Zuleide

          My clue is at Mohawk av. At Lincoln Park. Because if you notice on the picture there is a image of a Mohawk on the right side.

          Reply
  10. Sharms

    Hello everyone,

    I am an Ex-Milwaukee resident and I have a novel solution to the verses that have not previously been proposed. I am a physician. Most people these days feel like we aren’t very skilled outside of what we do but the one thing that my profession has refined is my ability for pattern recognition and when we are trying to fit a diagnosis (solution) based on a single symptom (92 Steps). The current solutions take us in a circle, including past the spot where the treasure is supposedly buried. That’s not how scavenger hunts work. It didn’t work like that for the two that have been found. The site proposed also lacks things the other two shared in common. Think about it? The silent harpischord is a push reference. The three prominent locals is a push. Historians might know who they were but in my in depth research of the city, those three do not come up. There are many more prominent residents who lived in places in time and who have much more meaning. There IS a place where the world beats. There is a harpsichord. There is a place with 92 actual stairs :). There is a place with grand 200. They are ALL near each other. They allow for a view of the castle from the exact view. It’s much simpler than what we have made. I am a runner, I have run all over the city. It took pattern recognition to put it together.

    I was wondering if someone is willing to collaborate, I will help you in your thoughts if you help me in mine. We will share the credit for whatever comes out of it. I don’t want or need the prize at the end.

    Reply
    • Dale Christiansen

      I’m intrigued

      Reply
    • Bryce

      Sharms,

      I am 100% interested in collaborating. I used to live in Milwaukee as well and would love to go back and find this with you!

      Reply
      • Sharms

        Bryce – email me.

        Tim – Let me know where you think it is and if it’s close to where I think it is, I can work on getting a permit.

        Bob Ryals – Agree with you. 100%. I started out with the following thought process, no internet in 1980 and he wanted all of these to be found within a few years. Why would BP venture out all the way to a college campus, use a college building. The references to the three who lived there is so obscure. I had to dig really deep into primary sources to figure out who they were and I have internet to run complex search algorithms. The painting? I can find the Harpischord painting NOW with internet but it’s not a commonly produced painting. In the 1980s, would it be easy to find?

        I started with the three stories of Mitchell being the Mithcell/Mackie buildings. The Mitchell Building seems to have some historic connection because it’s built on Juneau’s old house.

        Riverside Theather has a historic Wurlitzer (German Immigrant) built organ (similar to harpsichord), that was silent in 1970.

        Walk past it, take left.

        Step onto nature cast in copper:
        What is now known as the Shops of Grand Avenue. Glass ceiling with bronze alloy frame, you can see nature from inside. The shops opened later but the inside arcade has been preserved since it was made. It looked the same after being originally build in the early 1900. I have the primary source and background to prove that.

        The center is a bronze (primarily copper alloy) column with a bronze statue of John Plankinton

        Plankinton Arcade – I am pretty sure there are 92 stairs around the bronze statue because I used to run up and down those stairs when it was cold.
        This used to be billiards/pool tables and bowling alleys! They used to play 9 pin here. The two balls in the picture look like billiard balls.

        The center of the fountain is a compass rose.

        This street used to be called Grand Avenue before it was renamed Wisconsin Avenue. It would have been Wisconsin Avenue when BP visited it but hence the name Shops of Grand Avenue. Primary source calls it Grand Avenue. This portion was open in the 1970s early 1980s. Pictures from that time prove it.

        The two blocks are connected by a bridge. You can cross the 200 block to Zeidler Union Square. This was the FIRST park in Milwaukee. It represents workers and the socialist political movement that emerged in Milwaukee. The Zeidler brothers were of German ancestry.

        Now the park was rebuilt but they didn’t dig deep into the plot.

        Pretty sure it’s hidden somewhere here.

        For everyone else. What are people’s thoughts on a social media platform for this? An instagram account where people can post post pictures and also request pictures that could then be posted? I can cover Chicago, Milwaukee, SF. It might already exist…

        Reply
        • Icaru5

          I gre up in MKE and just stumbled onto this whole thing a day ago. The Zeidler Park theory seems to make more sense. I grew up around Lake Park, and while it’s amazing, it doesn’t have nearly the same civic significance as either Zeidler or Marquette. The Marietta Ave reference seems WAY too obscure, especially in 1982. Yes, Wisconsin Ave used to be Grand Ave and the Grand Avenue Mall (I remember when it opened), became attached to the Plankinton Building (my dad used to work in there). Also, the 3 that have been found to date have al featured an ethnic group of some kind. It would make sense that the Milwaukee location would be closer to its more famous immigrant past (i.e. around Old World 3rd St, etc). Also, you can’t mention “the 3” in Milwaukee without it being some reference to the city founders, Juneau, Kilbourn, & Walker (though it may be Wells in this case). PLEASE keep us updated. I’m watching from afar and, frankly, getting obsessed with this one.

          Reply
        • DJ

          Sharms: I’m definitely interested. I currently live in Milwaukee and have been spending some time looking into several of these sites. Let’s chat sometime and compare notes.

          DJ

          Reply
      • Matthew S carey

        My name is Matt and live in kenosha i am going to milwaukee with my family on November 16th weekend. Would love to colaborate.

        Reply
      • Matthew S carey

        Me 2

        Reply
      • Cindy

        I was at Lake park last week with my kids. I believe the cache is by the wilcott statue.
        Wilcott also owned a flower mill.
        I would lo e to collaborate with anyone interested.
        I plan to go again soon. I dont live far from there.

        Reply
    • Matthew S carey

      Hi my name is Matt and i am very interesed but need help i live in kenosha and will be going to milwaukee November 16 over that weekend with my family to try and figure this one out.

      Reply
      • Cindy

        I live in round lake il.
        We were there last week and plan on going back soon.
        Would love to connect

        Reply
    • Maribeth

      I am brand new to the puzzle. I do think you are very correct. I am an artist and educator. I also look for patterns and visual parallels. I would love to collaborate on our theories as they develop.

      Reply
  11. Tim

    Hello all, I know exactly where it is but don’t want to dig without a permit I have the gps coordinates if anyone wants to dig and has authority to do so. Please let me know. Thx Tim

    Reply
    • Matthew S carey

      Could i get the GPS from you thank you

      Reply
  12. Bob Ryals

    Best I can tell, the exact view should be somewhere around Zeidler Park.

    Reply
    • Sharma

      I agree with you. See above comment.

      Reply
  13. Johnny B Goode

    I would be willing to collaborate

    Reply
    • Maribeth

      I don’t think it will be right out in public near the horse as they suggest. He will have burried it out of public view.

      Reply
      • Phil Schrauben

        you mean like in Boston, where he buried it right below home plate??1!!

        Reply
  14. rillegas08

    I have a much more likely solution for the “wonderstone’s hearth” part. On page 7 the book refers to the jewels that the Fair People brought over to the New World as their “wonderstones”, and in the Litany of the Jewels on page 21, it says that the casques were created by the “Viking craftsmen Elves”. Therefore, the “wonderstone’s hearth” refers to the casque, so the “letter from the country of wonderstone’s hearth” is a Nordic rune. It just so happens that one of the buildings on Wahl Avenue has an architectural feature that resembles the Nordic rune ᛉ. I just walked around all of Lake Park this weekend, and this architectural feature was the only Germanic/Nordic character I could find.

    Reply
    • Jon Stewart

      Wonderstone according to Google is simply volcanic rock. ALL over the wellhead site on Locust Ravine Trail is black and multi colored volcanic “looking” rock. I mean everywhere. Please see my solution below.

      Reply
      • rillegas08

        I’m pretty sure what the BOOK calls a wonderstone is more significant in this case than what google calls a wonderstone. Preiss called the jewels the “wonderstones” of the Fair People.

        Reply
    • Jacque

      I’m not local but have worked this and have a different Nordic rune I’ve found. This is a test to see if I can even reply also

      Reply
  15. Phyyll

    Hey all, well I found new very compelling evidence and this will blow you away..
    I am thing about being in Milwaukee tomorrow

    Reply
  16. Sharma

    Need help:
    1. The bend in the left arm sleeve seems to have two faces. Any thoughts or anything jump out? (Or have I just looked at it too long).

    2. Can someone take a look at the robe? It almost looks like columns. Do the raised portions have any significance or letters?

    3. This might have been brought up before. My interpretation of Wonderstones Hearth has been a unique letter in the language for where the diaspora came from? Such as letters unique to German. Any thoughts?

    Reply
    • MFalls34

      Sharma- digging into these areas. Open to collaborate. Let me know if you are still looking for assistance. I’m local to area as well.

      Reply
  17. Matthew S carey

    If anyone would like to coaborate please email me. Live in kenosha but am going to milwaukee on Nov 16th weekend. Have 3 days off from work and would love to spend it looking.

    Reply
  18. Luke Walrath

    Is everyone here on the Facebook group? I’m just wondering if we can consolidate posts/threads.

    Reply
    • Kristin S

      Off topic, but did you go to the U of MN? I knew someone there by that name when I was there in 1993-1995. I’m in Milwaukee now and just joined the Facebook groups, both the main and Milwaukee ones.

      Reply
  19. Jon Stewart

    Hi all. I am the guy from Chicago who has conclusively proved that the sewer and manhole cover on Locust Ravine Trail IS the spot.
    Ready???

    Do a closeup on the cloak and lighten the picture.
    Get an old picture of the old well head and tree.
    On the sleeve of the painting, if you closeup, you’ll see the actual well head; it looks like a mini short volcano.
    Look behind the painting well head, you’ll the rock marker and the other rock that are in the old photo.
    Wait!!!
    Look at one of the trees…its a candy cane shape.
    Look at the old picture and the candy cane shaped ventilation shaft!

    Wonderstone is any type of volcanic rock. There is black volcanic rock everywhere so BP must have placed volcanic rock on top of box.
    Hearth is simply the top of a fireplace. So the “top” of the box, heart, had volcanic rock (wonderstone) over it!

    Step on nature.
    There is a nature trail running all along Lincoln Highway. So walking (stepping) on the trail IS “stepping on nature”!

    Go Past the compass.
    There is a Masonic Compass on the lamppost at the bridge. to go past means you have to cross the bridge.

    From under the bridge 100 paces.
    100 paces leads you directly to the old well head and tree.

    Tall proud fifth. Thats the lone tree right next to the wellhead.

    Country’s letter.
    Its not a letter that you mail, its the letter G from the Girl Scout Trail Badges left on the trees.

    I did NOT find the location, other smart people did, but with the cloak I have figure it out that the old wellhead IS the spot!

    Please feel free to email me….. [email protected]

    Reply
    • Nick Fisher

      Soooo…. In hopes to drum up some more or new conversations! I don’t want to come off totally negative but why is it noone seems to be looking for some solid starting points instead of guessing what they WANT the end solve to be and stretching roads, points, markers ect… and so far we know where it’s NOT buried! Why not try something more strategic or something new out that is more plausible of a solve? I really haven’t seen much from a single person mentioning possibilities of Roads or pathways that can coincide with “Beating or beat” or “drum/drumming” a bit better than, once a guy was from Scotland maybe he likes drum beats ?!? Or Kenwood food beater or hifi stereo!! Perhaps something like drums named after a famous drummer from the 70s! Or Pearl, Milwaukee, Cherry, Rogers, Union streets…. ALL DRUMSET names! Or the world’s most famous drum beat tempo “16th” !! The Olympics, the Bucks perhaps… DEFINITELY the Braves have Beating the world! Also Braves and Brewers have gotten beat the world! Panthers.. Admirals…. We got famous Generals from Milwaukee… then we can get “Beating” the WW1 or WW2. I’ll even throw out my 2 favorites!! CONGO and CANNAL !!! both pretty good beating or drumming Is everybody’s Spidey sense tingle broken or what? The Menomonee have D.R.U.M.S. group for tribes people…. Milwaukee has literal multiple Drum and Bugle corps! Common sense things! 3 founders, 3 Mitchells, 3 MacArthurs 3 any 3 story building on Mitchell st. I just did a quarter of everyone’s work as a freebie! I literally don’t post much because i see Johny DinkDink post the most thoughtless things and reach for things like a leaf was laying there for 40 years making a shadow…. I don’t expect much from people that click on Google maps 40 years later trying to solve something with roads and compass’s built last year! I just watched a guy on YouTube talking about some spaceship lights on the Art Museum that wasn’t even around 20 years ago.. trying to use what I’ll guess is the Montreal verse to solve this. A good laugh brings the blood pressure down i guess. πŸ™‚ All that said now….. I myself have something im onto that i think is super solid and better than what I’ve already given out as freebies 4 everyone…. So im not scared to share something in hopes I can find 1 or maybe a few semi educated people with a lick of common sense or a slight “Peter Tingle going on!”(comic book sarcasm for the non-nerds) and perhaps strike up something new or get some teamwork and/or find a frickin plastic box already!! Although I’m reaching out like this because Milwaukee likes to tear down stuff only to put up crappy old empty blacktop parking lots! :-\ Hopefully I can stir up some new insight or maybe just get a few new haters that will occupy my extra free time with 3rd grade hate mail! πŸ˜‰

      and………. Go!

      Reply
      • Nick Fisher

        p.s. in the case i get some convo going..
        please, PLEASE lets skip the answers that people didn’t take the time to research IE: Parks that had different names, or roads that didn’t exist or buildings that do exist now! I read alot of comments that use things like Malls that probably were built AFTER the casque was buried… which also leads to roads no longer existing. A Harpsichord is not a Harp… Edison invented the light, distance in space can be measured in “LIGHT” years… In the early 80s Edison street ran between Marcus and Blatz Theaters. Many road names have changed most likely AFTER Byron so things like Old 3rd World or MLK St. were post casque! I’m trying to weed out people senselessly answering or replying BEFORE πŸ™ƒ it happens. πŸ‘

        Reply
  20. Scott

    “Big day arrives for a Cedarburg treasure hunter, in Journal parking lot”
    {See article in Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel}

    It appears the treasure has been found. I don’t think too much can be given away at this time.

    Reply
    • burnstyle

      It wasn’t found. The article kind of poked fun at the hunters.

      Reply
  21. burnstyle

    Membership isnt open yet. I’ll approve you once it is.

    Reply
  22. Todd Archon

    I discovered this mystery a few years ago. I live in Kenosha and would love to spend a day searching. My question is wouldn’t Preiss have needed a permit to bury this in the first place? I realized it was a long time ago. Has anyone tried to FOIA requests for digging at that time?

    Reply
    • Danny Gattis

      Hey Todd would you be interested in digging it up. The casque is still there. it has not been disturbed and is in Lake Park. I’ve known for awhile it’s burial spot. I need someone from the area to partner up with and dig it up. I live too far away to make it worthwhile. If so get back to me.

      Reply
  23. Harald

    Just came across this site after watching the Expedition Unknown episode where they find the third key. Lots of smart people here with lots of compelling ideas.

    I just wanted to see if anyone has looked around the Mitchell Park Domes for matches to the clues? That’s the first thing that came to mind when I read the first line of the poem.

    Reply
    • Ann Barrowclift

      That was the first thing I thought of as well. And guess what there is a giant compass in the sidewalk right in front of the entrance to the domes. In either copper or wonderstone (from the picture I saw the plaque in the middle of the compass looks kind of swirly)

      Reply
  24. Amanda

    I have a slightly different idea on what is meant by “As you walk the beating of the world”. According to the Japanese hint it has to do with the word DRUM and in the vicinity of it find a name. Downer is a name and also if you take the Down for it, a drum has a down beat. To mean it seems like following Downer not Kenwood makes sense. Also with the faint locust larvae in the image, if you take Downer south you would come to locust st. If you follow the idea of a distance in time and take the e in time to mean east as mentioned in others ideas (I believe the Whites had it there), and go east on Locust, you still pass the same streets you do off Kenwood. Going this way just means you enter the Park and Oak Leaf Trail at a different point. Following different paths you would still (if my maps are right) get to Lincoln and around to the Grand Staircase. Would entering at a different point than off Kenwood make a difference?

    Reply
  25. Adam Weidl

    I believe with almost 70% certainty I have found the bridge, the sand and stone walk the birch tree’s and the compass.i have proof but do to covid I cannot get boots on the ground there.. anyone wanna follow my lead here? or know of someone that might, you’ll need shovel lol but I have proof and my google work is excellent to prove it to anyone before they go, I just want equal credit and have the value.
    I can be contacted at [email protected] you guys have great cast it led me to the spot. found but he made it difficult, there’s three sets of fiver groups of tree’s, only two south groups south of the bridge over sand and stone…second clue I have is 10 paces is equal to 400 ft..thats all I’ll say..for now though.

    I need boot’s on the ground.

    Reply
    • adam weidl

      typo’s:
      100 paces is equal to 400 ft.

      Reply
      • Mark

        Made a few solves of my own (mostly inspired by popular solves but with my own ideas) and have probed A LOT of lake park spots. “Southern foot” of each culvert, locust tree, lion statue foot, and the Wolcott statue. As well as a lot of other suspect areas around these and other locations. Ran across several dig sites, a few at some of the ends of my solves, several all around the popular solves and more along the way. Between the steep landscape in the park and the well searched area I’m not so sure the lake park solves at correct. Based on the clues in the image it seems to me that the casque is likely located somewhere around the Pere Marquette park. Based on the laureate statue seen in the painting in his hair. While standing at the laureate the view of city hall is identical to that of the painting. The person in the painting would seem from that location to be looking directly at Pere Marquette park. Also there’s some interesting “copper cast” fixtures along the bridge leading there. I have a few other theories of why I believe this could be the area. Any opinions??

        Reply
        • Mark

          *** to add there is certainly 95 steps on the grand staircase at lake park. Counted countless times by both me and my partner… The lack of 92 stairs is what started me questioning all of my (and others) lake park theories.. am I missing something here??

          Reply
          • Andy

            I’ve also been up and down the staircase 50 times and counted 95, I was only informed later that the bottom portion with brick was added and it has 3 steps there. So 95- those 3 would be 92.

            Reply
  26. Fung Chi

    My posts dont seem to show up, maybe I need to sign up somewhere? In any event, Im sure someone will look into it. Saving rational behind it. Milwaukee lat/lon is 43.064525. -87.869525. Fung Chi.

    Reply
  27. Fung Chi

    Picking up the verse at pass three ( 3 is the road of the Linwood water treatment plant). Staying west of the 3 and moving south, the letter from the country is M from aMerica (parking lot of golf course). Moving south to north point the trees are laid out like a wiskey bottle (a proud tall fifth). Southern foot is the sand area. Casque is within feet of lat/lon 43.064452. -87.869571.

    Reply
  28. KEH14

    If anyone is able to dig in Lake Park, I can tell you exactly where to dig. If you want to team up to recover this casque, please let me know.

    Reply
    • Bendell Lee

      I would love to team up with anyone!! I was born and raised in Milwaukee, WI and I am very familiar with the areas! I’m new to this and I’m having fun reading everything! I would love to team up with someone!! I will do all the digging! [email protected] (414.418.9499)

      Reply
  29. Jon

    Anyone have a permit to dig? Are they site specific? I was told by Milwaukee County Park Services that they are no longer issuing permits in regards to “The Secret” If you have more info on obtaining the permit, or ideas on obtaining one please contact me at [email protected]

    Reply
  30. Debbie

    Has anyone ever been inside the North Point Water Tower? Years ago people referred to it as the St. Mary’s Water Tower. There are stairs inside. I have never been inside myself but I have heard sometimes they have special tours. Everytime I look at that Milwaukee drawing I think of St. Mary.

    Reply
  31. ROBERT J FARMER

    3 stories of Mitchell…Mitchell Building

    As you walk the beating of the world at a distance in time….from Mitchell Building look north and see” clock on City Hall”….City Hall was the tallest occupied skyscraper in the world when it was built….it beat the world for first occupied skyscraper and the world would have to beat City Hall to become number 1.

    Three who lived there…Kilbourn, Juneau, Walker

    At a distance in space
    From woman, with harpsichord
    Silently playing…………………………Pabst Theater, women with harpschord is the relief sculpture on Pabst Theater

    Step on Nature….Red Arrow Park

    Cast in copper
    Ascend the 92 steps
    After climbing the grand 200…..Again references City Hall roof….92 steps up to bell tower and ring Juneau’s bell….after climbing the grand 200 once again” City Hall is 200 East Wells St”.

    Pass the compass ….ice skating rink Red Arrow Park

    The foot of the culvert
    Below the bridge………..State St Bridge….where Jugglers Balls are….which are the Red caution lights underneath Draw bridge to warn boaters of height….there under all the bridges ….they go up and down when draw bridge opens, ya know

    Well that’s about all I’m going to tell you but…..A wonderstones hearth” is a big Granite stone” …….good luck with the rest!!!

    Reply
  32. trove arts

    FROM/IN MILWAUKEE A FEW THOUGHTS AND NEWBY QUESTIONS
    Hello.
    Pretty new to this.
    I’m in Milwaukee and visited a few of the suggested places to see dig holes, etc.

    For me the Lake Park “solution” definitely feels the most “magical” as you walk it with the steps and circular path that teasingly takes you past the proposed location at the “mill stone,” and the nearly hidden mason compass symbols on the lamp posts, and the bridge, etc.

    So far TO ME it seems THE MOST possible.

    Also taking into consideration someone visiting the city to plant a treasure…
    Love the town but it’s a big, gray grid. Cruising up Lake drive would be an appealing choice and even using paper maps of the day would indicate LOTS of park area to potentially hide an item vs bopping around the city and checking out various other parks that may or may not have any significance to an out-of-towner.

    If thinking in those terms alone, cruising down Lake Drive, one the most “stand out” areas you come across is the steps up to what was the old pavilion (now Lake Park Bistro) and the neat bridge over a fun, twisty road.
    It would make sense for someone to pull over, explore the area, and plant a treasure.

    If it was there, it’s definitely gone. The “mill stone” was the cover of what seems to be some sort of storm sewer pipe. (I’m sure others have chimed in about what it’s function was.)
    That entire area was completely dug up and replaced with an updated version with metal pipes in a slightly different location.
    Also that area is prone to LOTS of landscape repairs due to lots of snow plow abuse, tons of water drainage, and plenty of cars cutting that corner too close (or perhaps park maintenance vehicles?) There are often DEEP tire ruts criss crossing in that area.

    QUESTIONS:

    Has Sandi Mendelson (or anyone else) ever suggested that they know all of the solutions?

    IF SO, has anyone ever offered ANY advice even as generic as “at least one of the casks is most likely lost to development.”

    I’ve mostly witnessed “good spirits” in those searching and this game seems surrounded by plenty of positivity.
    So it seems that, in the spirit of the game, anyone with any actual inside knowledge of casks “very likely lost to time” would want to share the solution.

    ONE LAST THING:
    I actually came here to check if anyone had thought of the MITCHELL Park Domes (three of them… each with a different “story” – tropical, arid, show)
    Looks as though they have been considered.

    Going, again, with the “out of towner looking for a spot to plant a treasure” idea – our three glass domes shine pretty bright from the expressway in our (especially early 80’s) VERY gray, industrial city.
    They absolutely catch your eye during a drive from the airport towards down town and have plenty of park land around them.

    Reply
  33. Vince van den Berg

    Hi! Has anyone else noticed any musical connections in this verse? Beating / Drumming, Harpsichord, Playing, etc? It can be noted that “Grand 200” also refers to a type of grand piano. Climbing steps reminds me of someone playing notes on a piano, but thats just a stretch.

    But, if Wonderstone’s Hearth is indeed Germany, the letter would be G. In musical terms, the G Major Chord is also referred to as a Fifth ( G Major = proud, tall Fifth?)

    If anyone knows the area, perhaps seek a very prominent “G”? I know they are cast into the street poles cover plates, but perhaps “proud” and “tall” have a double meaning i.e. a prominent G letter somewhere. I am still looking through archive footage of the area as I am nowhere near the USA, but it might be plausible? Just putting ideas out there haha. Happy hunting!

    Reply
  34. SamJac55

    I would like to submit that I believe the line “To the first young birch” refers to Solomon Laurent Juneau.
    He was the first mayor and the first of the three founders of MKE.
    Juneau mean “young one” as a French name.
    His middle name “Laurent” isn’t often known but it means “bright one” or “shining one”.
    The etymology of the word birch is “to shine, bright, white”.
    It’s one line with three strong matches which changes what is typically thought of with this line.

    Reply
  35. M j o

    The horizontal β€˜trees’ in the cape could represent cigars. Look at old cigar boxes from Milwaukee.

    Reply
  36. Matt R

    In the Boston image, JJP revealed that he wrote “Boston” on the witch’s sleves. The juggler is wearing the same color robe as that witch and I see something on the juggler’s left sleeve but I can’t make it out. There could be a number “5” at the elbow.

    Reply

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