Secrets Locked

In the mid 1960’s, my dad was digging in a field that lay along the north banks of the Platte River in Nebraska. He felt the shovel hit something solid, so he reached into the hole and pulled out this rusty old padlock. It has a crown and “VR,” in honor of Queen Victoria, stamped on the brass lock cover which identifies it as a “Victoria Regina” padlock manufactured in England sometime between 1859 to 1899. Online adds for similar-appearing locks suggest it most likely was manufactured within a few years of 1870.

Later, Dad mused that he wished he had dug a little deeper and wider to see if anything else was associated with this find. He also wondered how it got there. From 1841 through 1866 teams of wagons traversed this area, known of the “Great Platte River Road.” Did it just fall off a wagon or was it discarded after someone lost its key? Might it be associated with lost treasure? In the 1867 Cheyenne warriors derailed a west-bound train a few miles from our farm. Gold was rumored to be on the train but was never found after the raid. What if…

Unfortunately, answers may never be found and will probably remain secrets locked in the passage of time.

#padlock #nebraska #platteriver #trainwreck