Lost Silver Mine Drama

[orient express]

oh awesome!  thanx so much

[rubedugans]

If you are planning on visiting the site. Know this First. It is privately owned at this time, and construction is taking place where the old lot used to be. I took nothing but pictures, and left nothing but footprints. I recorded a place that has been abandoned and for many lost to history. My goal, like many of ours on this site was to help someone remember a place from our past, and preserve those memories, and share them. There were plenty of remnants that could be removed, and many unfortunately have been over the course of the years,By this time it is mostly bare- but I would hope that no one on here would enter and attmpt to destroy the place. I am not the first to go there, I will not be the last. I know by the evidence there, many have been in with malintent. If by your own decision you decide to go, Please don't be one of the latter. I will get off my soapbox now.

[orient express]

im only going for more pictures and to just check it out. i always saw the silver mine signs in branson west when i was a kid but never knew what it was. now im interested!

[rubedugans]

Then have a blast orient!!!!!! I wish I had more time that I could have spent there. With the storm blowing in I had about 5 -7 minutes of rainless photography. I still took nearly 100 photos there. With hail and sleet blowing in not even 5 minutes after I was back in the car, that was cutting in pretty close!

[KBCraig]

I honestly don't remember this one. We missed going in 1984 (I was off at ROTC camp all summer, plus my dad had a serious medical issue), but I'm pretty sure we went in '85. Then I graduated and went off to play Army in Germany for three years, and didn't make it back until '98.

[Junior]

Artie Ayres, the guy that owned the place, really did hunt for years for the treasure. He found his treasure in buying the land and developing it. I think he owned "Silver Square" across the road from the theater location, too. Probably other real estate in the immediate area. I think he was living a comfortable life by the mid-late 80s. When he sold the land to Wal Mart, well, my guess is he didn't have to worry where dinner was coming from after that. My copy of "Traces of Silver" was autographed by him. He was very nice to me when I met him at the play in 83. The SDC citizens working for him were always young and enthusiastic about being involved in the play. Ayres later became mayor of Lakeview (Branson West) but I don't know what he's doing now. He might be dead. Anybody know?

[rubedugans]

I did a search and came up with nothing but a site mentioning him dedicated to how corrupt business has made its way into Branson West. It seemed like an exremist site that was attempting to target one or two key people. I don't know if he is still around, but the site sounded that way.

[Junior]

There were some...back in the old days...who thought Ayers was a bit of fast talker. A con-artist. I never saw it, personally. He seemed like a nice, older guy. Pleasant to be around. However, I never had any business deals with him. He was serious about the ole treasure hunt. Most locals thought him a little nuts about that.

[rubedugans]

Apparently his father in the 1920's found a coin under floorboards while renovating a cabin=sparking his, and his sons interest, and silver fever.

[Junior]

Yeah, I remember that story. He told it in interviews, and I think it's in the book, too.

[saladdays]

I cannot find a "closed date" in any publications...seems by the looks of the place about 15-20 years I would guess early-mid 90's. Just a guess.. I have been in many empty and abandoned places, and it appears to have the same overgrowth/decayas some outdoor locations like Dogpatch and a few others abandoned mid 90's.

Oh well.  No worries.  It had to have been open for a substantial amount of years, as I recall seeing the logo somewhere in that area quite often when I was a kid.

[Junior]

In one of the little booklets picked up in the Branson area in the last five years, there is a short paragraph saying that in the 1990's some gift shop in downtown Branson was selling what they billed as reproduction Yoakum Dollars made from the ORIGINAL ANTIQUE COIN PRESS the Yoakum's used. Anybody know anything about this? I would love to get my hands on something like that. I did ask about this in the last two or three years at one of the gift shops in the downtown area that has been there for decades, but the guy I asked knew nothing about it, and looked at me like I was nutty.

[History Buff]

^It wasn't you - that guy looks at everybody like that.

(I don't know who you're talking about, but that fits the description of several of the guys walking around down there.)

[thelarsonsix]

There's a bench in front of the office at Compton Ridge Campground that still has an ad for this painted on it. I meant to get a picture all week, but never had my camera any time I went up there. I've probably got a pic of it somewhere from one of our other trips, I'll try to find it. Does anyone know if any of this is left, or did the Hwy 13 bypass take it all out?

[biscuitcreek]

When I drove by last year, there was still part of an old cabin that could be seen from the road.