Neahkahnie Mountain facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Neahkahnie Mountain |
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Neahkahnie Mountain from the North.
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,683+ feet (513 m) |
| Naming | |
| English translation | The place of the supreme deity |
| Language of name | Tillamook |
| Geography | |
 Neahkahnie Mountain
Location in Oregon
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| Parent range | Northern Oregon Coast Range |
| Topo map | USGS Nehalem |
Neahkahnie Mountain is a cool mountain on the Oregon Coast. It's also a 'headland,' which means it's a piece of land that sticks out into the ocean. You can find it north of Manzanita in Oswald West State Park. It looks over U.S. Route 101.
This mountain is part of the Northern Oregon Coast Range. It's most famous for exciting stories about Spanish treasure. People say this treasure is buried somewhere near the mountain or on its slopes.
Long ago, Native Americans would set fires on the mountain. This helped clear the slopes so deer and elk could find fresh, tender plants to eat in the spring. Later, pioneers did the same for their cattle and sheep. This practice stopped around 1990. Now, many parts of the slopes are covered with thick forests.
The mountain's name comes from the Tillamook language. The exact meaning is a bit of a mystery. Some say Neah-Kah-Nie means "the place of the god."
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The Legend of Neahkahnie Treasure
There's a famous legend about Neahkahnie Mountain. It says that Spanish sailors hid a lost treasure there a long, long time ago. This story goes back to the late 1500s!
Many versions of the legend exist. Most say a group of sailors carried a heavy chest up the hillside. They dug a hole and carefully lowered the treasure inside. The story often includes a sad part where one of the sailors is killed and buried with the treasure. The idea was that Native Americans would not disturb a grave, keeping the treasure safe.
The "lost treasure" even inspired a movie called Tillamook Treasure in 2006. Hundreds of people have searched for it over the years. Some used big digging machines, while others dug by hand. Sadly, in the 1930s, two treasure hunters died when their digging hole collapsed.
Searching for Treasure
Today, digging for treasure is not allowed on parts of the mountain. This includes areas controlled by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. It's also against the rules to dig on the beach nearby.
Some interesting items, possibly from Spain, have been found on the mountain. In the 1870s, a treasure hunter named Pat Smith found stones with arrows carved on them. One stone even had the letters D E W.
For many years, chunks of Beeswax have been found on the beach near the mountain. As early as 1814, people dug up these chunks to trade. One piece of beeswax looked like polished stone. It had a cross with a circle carved deeply into it. But so far, no actual treasure or clear proof of it has been found.
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Spanish Ships and the Coast
It's possible that Spanish ships came to this area in the 1500s. Spanish ships often sailed a trade route called the Manila galleon route. They usually landed in southern California. But some might have sailed as far north as Oregon.
- In 1543, the voyage of Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo reached California. His pilot, Bartolomé Ferrelo, might have even reached the Oregon coast.
- The first European voyage definitely known to reach the Oregon coast was in 1774 by Juan Pérez.
It is almost certain that a Spanish ship wrecked near Neahkahnie Mountain. Spanish records show 33 ships were lost during the Manila galleon period. Researchers believe the ship that wrecked here was probably the Santo Cristo de Burgos from 1693. This shipwreck is famous for the beeswax found on the beach, and it's called the Beeswax wreck.
Another Idea for the Stones
In 1971, two people had a different idea about the carved stones. M. Wayne Jensen Jr. and Don Vlies thought the stones were not about treasure. They suggested the stones were part of a survey made by Sir Francis Drake in 1579. This survey might have been a way for England to claim this part of Western North America. They thought it could link New Albion to Short Sand Beach north of the mountain.
