The Lost Treasure of Lincoln County
A Great American Adventure
by
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THE NEXT DAY, Jonas and Dale decided to walk down the street to do some exploring in a park that had a small creek running through it. The creek seldom had enough water in it to fish or play in, but recent rains had helped to fill it enough to play in. The creek was fed by a couple of natural springs which helped to keep some water flowing all the time. Sometimes the boys would find interesting rocks or bugs or something entirely unexpected.
Jonas and Dale were on the lookout for lizards. Jonas hoped to capture one and put it in the Mason jar he had brought along with them. Jonas ran ahead of Dale hoping to be the first one to spot a lizard and begin the chase.
Dale never really liked lizards or any other creepy-crawly creatures, but he didn't want to tell Jonas. He thought lizards were creepy, and it scared him when they took off running. He was afraid they would run over to him and up his leg. They never did, but Dale could only imagine the horror of it.
Dale ran to catch up with Jonas. The creek had more water in it than they had seen in a long time. Rather than look for lizards, the boys decided to build a boat out of some sticks and tall grass that had grown along the banks of the creek. They tried several different ways to make it work, and finally found a way to keep two sticks together with string they found on the ground. Each of the boys made a boat. They placed them in the moving water to test them.
“Hey, Dale!” Jonas shouted. Jonas loved teasing Dale. He reached into his pocket and threw a rubber snake at Dale's feet. Dale screamed.
“You scream like a girl!” Jonas laughed. Dale didn't think it was funny.
“I don't either!” Dale yelled back. Dale knew that his scream did sound like a girl's scream but he couldn't help it. He didn't like snakes or lizards.
The boats sailed quickly down the creek bumping off rocks as they went. “Hey, Dale!” Jonas yelled. “Look!” Dale didn't really want to look. He thought Jonas had seen a lizard or had another trick to play on him.
On the side of the creek bank, Jonas had spied an old box. Dale saw it, too. The boys snatched up their boats and splashed over to it. They stood over it for a few seconds and each one tried to guess what was in it.
“Maybe it's a pirate's treasure that was lost a long time ago,” said Jonas.
“Or, maybe it was left by a bank robber….like Jesse James….and it's full of money,” Dale imagined.
“Yee-haw! Wouldn't that be great?” exclaimed Jonas. “Let's open it!”
“Be careful. You never know what might be in it….or under it,” said Dale hoping something creepy wouldn't crawl out from under it when Jonas picked it up. The box was definitely old and had been in that spot for a long while. It was halfway buried under dirt and weeds. Dale was surprised Jonas had seen it at all. He took a step back as Jonas used his hands to dig it out of the dirt.
Jonas pulled it out and showed Dale. They both stood and looked at it, turning it over and looking at the bottom of it. They sat down on a large rock with the box between them. It was so old that the lid was stuck to it. They weren't quite sure how they would open it.
Jonas found a stone on the ground that had a sharp edge. He ran the stone around the rim of the lid, and that seemed to help break away some dirt. Jonas placed his fingers on the lid and began pulling. Dale stood by watching every move that Jonas made. He hoped to be the first to catch a glimpse of what was inside the box. Jonas pulled again and again. Then with one final pull, the lid flew off.
Jonas and Dale stood with the box between them and looked in amazement at its contents. Inside the box, covered with an old velvet cloth were a piece of paper that had yellowed with age and an old photograph of a man, woman, and several small children. The boys sat back down on the large rock.
Dale reached for the photograph. The photo was faded, had “Sifford” written on the back, and was dated 1840. He did not know of anyone named Sifford and was not even sure that it was a family name, but it could have been. He put the photo back into the box.
Dale held onto the box while Jonas picked up the piece of paper that had been folded in half. Very slowly, Jonas unfolded the paper.
“What is this?” asked Jonas. “Looks like some sort of a drawing. What do you think, Dale?”
“Hold it over here in the sunlight. It has faded so badly it's hard to see what's on it,” said Dale as he squinted to look at it. “I think we need to take it away from the creek and find a sunny area so we can see it better.”
The boys carefully placed the paper and the velvet cloth back into the box with the photo and put the lid back on it. They retraced their steps and walked far enough away from the creek that the darkness from the trees ended and the sunlight began. Jonas and Dale sat down in a grassy area and opened the box again.
“It looks like a map, Dale. Do you see these marks? A couple of squiggly lines and three circles…and there is an `X' right here,” said Jonas as he pointed at the paper.
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About the Book
A Great American Adventure – The Lost Treasure of Lincoln County is a children’s historical fiction for older children and adults that promotes pride in America. The spirit of patriotism is weaved throughout the adventures of two boys, Jonas and Dale, who find an old wooden box that contains a treasure map. With the help of a local historian, the boys find the treasure. The contents of the treasure teach the boys about the Siefert/Sifford family who immigrated to America in 1753 from Germany. The story takes place in Lincolnton, North Carolina, in 1958 and ends when the boys return from the Viet Nam War in the early 1970s. The novel teaches about the history of the American flag, how to fold a flag, and why a flag is positioned at half-staff. This novel promotes respect for our military men and women both in the present and in the past. A section at the end of the book helps the reader know if the information in the book is fact or fiction. The Great Pennsylvania Wagon Road, the U. S. Mint in Charlotte, NC, the Lincolnton flood of 1916, and the Battle at Ramsour's Mill are mentioned in the story. The book contains a family tree that begins with Joachim Siefert and ends with John F. Sifford and other family history information.
About the Author
About the Author
NANCY SIFFORD ALANA loves to inspire children to read by introducing them to books that contain exciting adventures, laughter, mystery, and a lesson about life. As an elementary school teacher, she loved reading aloud to her students.
Nancy has spent countless hours over the past twenty years researching her family history and learning historical facts from each generation. She has woven much of that information into A Great American Adventure: The Lost Treasure of Lincoln County. She is proud to be an American and hopes that young people will develop a sense of pride and patriotism as they read the novel.
Nancy Sifford Alana was born and raised in Lubbock, Texas, and has lived in Granbury, Texas for over thirty years. She retired after thirty-four years in education. She was a teacher and an elementary school principal. Her husband is a retired teacher and coach. Their two adult children live in the Dallas area with their families. She enjoys sharing new books with her grandchildren whom she hopes will find adventures in real life as well as on the pages of an exciting book. She can be contacted at nalana323@yahoo.com.