Letterboxing and Buried Treasure

[dougp01]

As I understand, letterboxing has been around for a very long time, long before technology made geocaching popular. This morning it occurred to me that the old stories of pirates and buried treasure often had instructions to find treaasure much like letterboxing. "Go 100 paces toward the tree and head to the waterfall for 20 paces, etc."

 

Do you suppose the old authors, like Robert Lewis Stevenson actively participated in such activities as letterboxing?

Edited May 26, 2011 by dougp01

[+StarBrand]

I suppose its possible. He was alive while Letterboxing was born.

[Mr.Yuck]

As I understand, letterboxing has been around for a very long time, long before technology made geocaching popular. This morning it occurred to me that the old stories of pirates and buried treasure often had instructions to find treaasure much like letterboxing. "Go 100 paces toward the tree and head to the waterfall for 20 paces, etc."

 

Do you suppose the old authors, like Robert Lewis Stevenson actively participated in such activities as letterboxing?

 

No. It's somewhat of a fallacy that letterboxing has been around since 1854. Well, it was, but it was confined to One National Park in SW England for the first 145 years of it's existance! The letterboxing we know is only a couple years older than Geocaching. I've also heard rumors some County Park in Connecticut put out their own letterboxes in the early 90's, but I don't see a mention of that here in the history of letterboxing according to the AtlasQuestcom.

 

EDIT: Sorry, after re-reading that, I'm really raining on your parade, aren't I? I suppose it's very possible that "famous" people such as Authors had heard of the activity in Dartmoor.

Edited May 26, 2011 by Mr.Yuck

[+briansnat]

As I understand, letterboxing has been around for a very long time, long before technology made geocaching popular. This morning it occurred to me that the old stories of pirates and buried treasure often had instructions to find treaasure much like letterboxing. "Go 100 paces toward the tree and head to the waterfall for 20 paces, etc."

 

Do you suppose the old authors, like Robert Lewis Stevenson actively participated in such activities as letterboxing?

 

No. It's somewhat of a fallacy that letterboxing has been around since 1854. Well, it was, but it was confined to One National Park in SW England for the first 145 years of it's existance! The letterboxing we know is only a couple years older than Geocaching. I've also heard rumors some County Park in Connecticut put out their own letterboxes in the early 90's, but I don't see a mention of that here in the history of letterboxing according to the AtlasQuestcom.

 

EDIT: Sorry, after re-reading that, I'm really raining on your parade, aren't I? I suppose it's very possible that "famous" people such as Authors had heard of the activity in Dartmoor.

 

As I understand it was an article, I think in National Geographic or Smithsonian magazine, which was published in the late 1990's that started things in the US.

[+Bear and Ragged]

Dartmoor Letterboxing web site.

 

The history of letterboxing

 

Letterboxing began in 1854 when a Dartmoor guide named James Perrott placed a glass bottle at Cranmere Pool, and encouraged hikers that made the considerable walk to the site to leave a calling card as a record of their achievement. ...

[+Spraginator]

Dartmoor Letterboxing web site.

 

The history of letterboxing

 

Letterboxing began in 1854 when a Dartmoor guide named James Perrott placed a glass bottle at Cranmere Pool, and encouraged hikers that made the considerable walk to the site to leave a calling card as a record of their achievement. ...

 

No one is denying that it started then, However, it was confined to Dartmoor until relatively recently.

[+Fianccetto]

As I understand, letterboxing has been around for a very long time, long before technology made geocaching popular. This morning it occurred to me that the old stories of pirates and buried treasure often had instructions to find treaasure much like letterboxing. "Go 100 paces toward the tree and head to the waterfall for 20 paces, etc."

 

Do you suppose the old authors, like Robert Lewis Stevenson actively participated in such activities as letterboxing?

 

No. It's somewhat of a fallacy that letterboxing has been around since 1854. Well, it was, but it was confined to One National Park in SW England for the first 145 years of it's existance! The letterboxing we know is only a couple years older than Geocaching. I've also heard rumors some County Park in Connecticut put out their own letterboxes in the early 90's, but I don't see a mention of that here in the history of letterboxing according to the AtlasQuestcom.

 

EDIT: Sorry, after re-reading that, I'm really raining on your parade, aren't I? I suppose it's very possible that "famous" people such as Authors had heard of the activity in Dartmoor.

You say that, but I can remember going letterboxing with some family friends when I was little - about 30 years ago! They called it letterboxing, had their own stamp, we found a box with a pad and we stamped the pad there and there was a stamp in the box for them to stamp in their own book. I can't remember where this was, but we never went on holiday with this family, so it can't have been far from Northamptonshire where I grew up!

 

So I'm not quite that old, but if it's possible there was letterboxing around in other places which didn't make it into the history books, it is certainly possible there was undocumented letterboxing, or other similar things going on elsewhere much, much earlier. There were definitely 'paper chases' for example - where girls of a village would lay a trail of pieces of paper and the boys of the village, or from a local school, would follow the trail around the countryside. Codes, ciphers and hidden clues were a part of childplay and out of school pastimes before electronic toys came along, and it wouldn't be unusual for maps to be used. Think about how the film 'Shawshank Redemption' ended, ideas like that have been around forever, just the name has changed.

 

Robert Louis Stephenson (born and brought up in Scotland, but widely travelled later) had some strange pastimes, and bohemian ways as a young adult, so can't see him wandering in the wilds then, he'd have got his velvet jacket mucky. It's more than likely he'd have played hiding games and made maps as a child, though.

Edited May 26, 2011 by Fianccetto

[sabrefan7]

If you go to letterboxing.org and read the FAQ page its gives a nice history of Letterboxing in North America

 

Here is a short blurb,,,,

What Is the History of Letterboxing in America?

 

In April, 1998, Smithsonian Magazine ran an article on Dartmoor letterboxing. Several people who read the article gathered together, exchanged e-mails, and started a couple of web sites. . Groups and individuals independently placed letterboxes at this time in Tennessee, Vermont, and Oregon. Shortly thereafter, in June 1998, the EMS Store in the Crystal Mall, in Waterford Connecticut, independently placed and began listing letterboxing clues of their customers in Connecticut and Rhode Island. From this time forward is known as the "post-Smithsonian" Era.

 

edit: add blurb

Edited May 26, 2011 by sabrefan7

[Mr.Yuck]

As I understand, letterboxing has been around for a very long time, long before technology made geocaching popular. This morning it occurred to me that the old stories of pirates and buried treasure often had instructions to find treaasure much like letterboxing. "Go 100 paces toward the tree and head to the waterfall for 20 paces, etc."

 

Do you suppose the old authors, like Robert Lewis Stevenson actively participated in such activities as letterboxing?

 

No. It's somewhat of a fallacy that letterboxing has been around since 1854. Well, it was, but it was confined to One National Park in SW England for the first 145 years of it's existance! The letterboxing we know is only a couple years older than Geocaching. I've also heard rumors some County Park in Connecticut put out their own letterboxes in the early 90's, but I don't see a mention of that here in the history of letterboxing according to the AtlasQuestcom.

 

EDIT: Sorry, after re-reading that, I'm really raining on your parade, aren't I? I suppose it's very possible that "famous" people such as Authors had heard of the activity in Dartmoor.

You say that, but I can remember going letterboxing with some family friends when I was little - about 30 years ago! They called it letterboxing, had their own stamp, we found a box with a pad and we stamped the pad there and there was a stamp in the box for them to stamp in their own book. I can't remember where this was, but we never went on holiday with this family, so it can't have been far from Northamptonshire where I grew up!

 

That's very possible. I am just going by the Atlasquest.com history, which pretty much said it hadn't spread outside Dartmoor anywhere until that American article in the late 90's. But it does sound strange that it wouldn't have spread to other areas of The UK, especially in the 1970's. Atlasquest could certainly be wrong.

 

All I was saying was in my first post is that letterboxing was confined to Dartmoor in the 1800's (only 2 of them in 1894 according to AtlasQuest) so I seriously doubt Mark Twain, Robert Louis Stevens, etc. knew about it.

[+SurveyContactTeam]

I distinctly remember reading about Letterboxing in an article published in Games magazine, sometime in the mid-80s. I was fascinated by the idea and desperately wanted to try it, but I guess I realized that none of it was happening anywhere near me (I grew up in New Jersey). Lots of people I knew read Games. Interesting that it didn't spark a similar US-based interest then, if only a small one.

 

(I loved that magazine so much I still have a big stack of issues from when I subscribed... I looked through them but I couldn't find the article. Frustrating.)

[+nikcap]

I distinctly remember reading about Letterboxing in an article published in Games magazine, sometime in the mid-80s. I was fascinated by the idea and desperately wanted to try it, but I guess I realized that none of it was happening anywhere near me (I grew up in New Jersey). Lots of people I knew read Games. Interesting that it didn't spark a similar US-based interest then, if only a small one.

 

(I loved that magazine so much I still have a big stack of issues from when I subscribed... I looked through them but I couldn't find the article. Frustrating.)

 

I remember that too.

 

Oddly enough, I learned about Geocaching in the Feb 2001 article in Games magazine.

 

Several years ago (2006-2007), Game ran another story on letterboxing.

 

When I was in Boy Scouts in the early/mid 80's we did a Letterbox hunt. Although, I don't think they called it Letterboxing and the boxes involved were only there for the event weekend. But, the object was to collect stamps of each boxes visited.

 

I also have a stack of Games magazines.

[+SurveyContactTeam]

Oddly enough, I learned about Geocaching in the Feb 2001 article in Games magazine.

 

See, and here I had to wait to start doing this stuff until my neighbor told me about Geocaching only a few months ago! That's what I get for not keeping up with my Games subscription. (Although as I recall, sometime in the 90s they stopped publishing, and I thought that was the end.) Hm, maybe I ought to go see if I can re-subscribe; who knows what else I might be missing out on!

[+hydnsek]

As I understand, letterboxing has been around for a very long time, long before technology made geocaching popular. This morning it occurred to me that the old stories of pirates and buried treasure often had instructions to find treaasure much like letterboxing. "Go 100 paces toward the tree and head to the waterfall for 20 paces, etc."

 

Do you suppose the old authors, like Robert Lewis Stevenson actively participated in such activities as letterboxing?

 

No. It's somewhat of a fallacy that letterboxing has been around since 1854. Well, it was, but it was confined to One National Park in SW England for the first 145 years of it's existance! The letterboxing we know is only a couple years older than Geocaching. I've also heard rumors some County Park in Connecticut put out their own letterboxes in the early 90's, but I don't see a mention of that here in the history of letterboxing according to the AtlasQuestcom.

 

EDIT: Sorry, after re-reading that, I'm really raining on your parade, aren't I? I suppose it's very possible that "famous" people such as Authors had heard of the activity in Dartmoor.

 

As I understand it was an article, I think in National Geographic or Smithsonian magazine, which was published in the late 1990's that started things in the US.

National Geographic in 1998 as mentioned. I read it and was fascinated, as I love 'questing.' Then along came geocaching and I found true love.

[+Too Tall John]

When I was in Boy Scouts in the early/mid 80's we did a Letterbox hunt. Although, I don't think they called it Letterboxing and the boxes involved were only there for the event weekend. But, the object was to collect stamps of each boxes visited.

A temporary series of boxes with stamps put out by the Boy Scouts tht wasn't called Letterboxing? Could it have been an orienteering course?

[dougp01]

All a very interesting history lesson. I may have to dig deeper.

 

In my original question I was only speculating, based on the similarity of counting paces to find the treasure. While not likely that the authors of such stories specifically had letter boxing in mind, the sense of exploration and adventure seem to be a common theme over several generations.

[+L0ne.R]

When I was in Boy Scouts in the early/mid 80's we did a Letterbox hunt. Although, I don't think they called it Letterboxing and the boxes involved were only there for the event weekend. But, the object was to collect stamps of each boxes visited.

A temporary series of boxes with stamps put out by the Boy Scouts tht wasn't called Letterboxing? Could it have been an orienteering course?

 

I believe it's called 'Questing'. A community project started in the mid 90s with 'Valley Quest' in Vermont:

http://www.vitalcommunities.org/ValleyQuest/about.htm

 

They publish their own books of treasure hunts:

http://www.vitalcommunities.org/valleyquest/bookpage.htm

[+L0ne.R]

All a very interesting history lesson. I may have to dig deeper.

 

In my original question I was only speculating, based on the similarity of counting paces to find the treasure. While not likely that the authors of such stories specifically had letter boxing in mind, the sense of exploration and adventure seem to be a common theme over several generations.

 

Exactly. People have been playing hide n seek games forever.

The original "letterbox" was more of a "message in a bottle" game. Someone placed his business card (back then it was called a Calling Card) in a glass jar, put it out in the moors and invited friends to go find it and leave their calling cards.

[Mr.Yuck]

All a very interesting history lesson. I may have to dig deeper.

 

In my original question I was only speculating, based on the similarity of counting paces to find the treasure. While not likely that the authors of such stories specifically had letter boxing in mind, the sense of exploration and adventure seem to be a common theme over several generations.

 

Exactly. People have been playing hide n seek games forever.

The original "letterbox" was more of a "message in a bottle" game. Someone placed his business card (back then it was called a Calling Card) in a glass jar, put it out in the moors and invited friends to go find it and leave their calling cards.

 

Oh good, the Canadian Letterboxing expert has seen the thread. So have you ever heard of the Park in Connecticut who put out their own letterboxes in the 80's or 90s? (And I think tney still exist) I can't possibly be making that up, I've heard it somewhere.

 

Also, do you think Letterboxing in the UK spread outside of Dartmoor National Park at any time before that 1998 article came out?

[+L0ne.R]

All a very interesting history lesson. I may have to dig deeper.

 

In my original question I was only speculating, based on the similarity of counting paces to find the treasure. While not likely that the authors of such stories specifically had letter boxing in mind, the sense of exploration and adventure seem to be a common theme over several generations.

 

Exactly. People have been playing hide n seek games forever.

The original "letterbox" was more of a "message in a bottle" game. Someone placed his business card (back then it was called a Calling Card) in a glass jar, put it out in the moors and invited friends to go find it and leave their calling cards.

 

Oh good, the Canadian Letterboxing expert has seen the thread. So have you ever heard of the Park in Connecticut who put out their own letterboxes in the 80's or 90s? (And I think tney still exist) I can't possibly be making that up, I've heard it somewhere.

 

Also, do you think Letterboxing in the UK spread outside of Dartmoor National Park at any time before that 1998 article came out?

 

Questing pre-dates LBNA (Letterboxing North America). LBNA started the same year the Smithsonian article was published - 1998.

 

The Valley Quest page and this entry in wikipedia say it started in 1995:

 

Vital Communities

, a non-profit organization in

White River Junction

,

Vermont

established the Valley Quest program as a sense-of-place education program in 1995. Valley quests map and share the

Upper Valley

region's special places. Created by school groups, scout groups, historical societies and others, there are now over 200 quests across Vermont and

New Hampshire

. Questing has spread to other communities, too. There is a South Shore Quests program in

Hingham, Massachusetts

along with programs in

Keene, New Hampshire

and on

Martha's Vineyard

.

 

I don't know of another "letterboxing" type of game that was happening in the U.S. back in the 1980s.

 

And I haven't heard of letterboxing going beyond the Dartmoor area in the United Kingdom pre-internet.

 

1976 - Tom Gant created a guide map pinpointing the fifteen letterboxes in existence.

1980s

1980s - Commercial rubber stamps and a notebook are introduced instead of calling cards or postcards. Clues were published in a

clue catalogue

or by WOM.

[7rxc]

All a very interesting history lesson. I may have to dig deeper.

 

In my original question I was only speculating, based on the similarity of counting paces to find the treasure. While not likely that the authors of such stories specifically had letter boxing in mind, the sense of exploration and adventure seem to be a common theme over several generations.

 

Whether or not they ever played the 'game', you can bet that stories of buried treasure and lost fortunes / mines etc. have certainly influenced people to get out and experience the 'search' for themselves throughout history... look at the popularity of simple 'hide and go seek' kids game.

 

I've seen a website that states that the "Beale Treasure" has been solved a few years back, with explanations... that was a big example... won't go into the ever popular "Quest for the Holy Grail" in its many forms, or the National Treasure movie (?s). Many here grew up on such tales, and probably explains why we enjoy caching and/or letterboxing so much. Of course mysteries also appeal to human nature... something unknown to explore and conquer.

 

Doug 7rxc (good name you have)

[dougp01]

A good name that we apparently share.

http://www.behindthename.com/name/douglas

 

And how many people have a website dedicated to their given name?

http://www.dougs.org

[+keehotee]

All a very interesting history lesson. I may have to dig deeper.

 

In my original question I was only speculating, based on the similarity of counting paces to find the treasure. While not likely that the authors of such stories specifically had letter boxing in mind, the sense of exploration and adventure seem to be a common theme over several generations.

 

Exactly. People have been playing hide n seek games forever.

The original "letterbox" was more of a "message in a bottle" game. Someone placed his business card (back then it was called a Calling Card) in a glass jar, put it out in the moors and invited friends to go find it and leave their calling cards.

 

Oh good, the Canadian Letterboxing expert has seen the thread. So have you ever heard of the Park in Connecticut who put out their own letterboxes in the 80's or 90s? (And I think tney still exist) I can't possibly be making that up, I've heard it somewhere.

 

Also, do you think Letterboxing in the UK spread outside of Dartmoor National Park at any time before that 1998 article came out?

 

Yes.

Letterboxes had started to appear in the New Forest (half way across England from Dartmoor) at least as early as 1982. I know, 'cause that's when and where I found my first one

[7rxc]

A good name that we apparently share.

http://www.behindthename.com/name/douglas

 

And how many people have a website dedicated to their given name?

http://www.dougs.org

 

Not wanting to hijack the thread... see what I mean... you had a clue tossed your way and immediately went and sought out information... exploring after a fashion...

 

I found other stuff on the name when I looked long ago... your site didn't mention the fact that the dark water/river/lake usage gave it another meaning, that of 'mysterious' or 'stranger' when applied to an item or person unknown... my sister chimed in that strange certainly was what my parents had in mind... although 'weird' might have been closer to the truth.

 

Nice to meet you... I actually know about 15 people who also share Surname with me as well, including 3 with the same middle name... how's that.

 

Doug 7rxc

[+L0ne.R]

All a very interesting history lesson. I may have to dig deeper.

 

In my original question I was only speculating, based on the similarity of counting paces to find the treasure. While not likely that the authors of such stories specifically had letter boxing in mind, the sense of exploration and adventure seem to be a common theme over several generations.

 

Exactly. People have been playing hide n seek games forever.

The original "letterbox" was more of a "message in a bottle" game. Someone placed his business card (back then it was called a Calling Card) in a glass jar, put it out in the moors and invited friends to go find it and leave their calling cards.

 

Oh good, the Canadian Letterboxing expert has seen the thread. So have you ever heard of the Park in Connecticut who put out their own letterboxes in the 80's or 90s? (And I think tney still exist) I can't possibly be making that up, I've heard it somewhere.

 

Also, do you think Letterboxing in the UK spread outside of Dartmoor National Park at any time before that 1998 article came out?

 

Yes.

Letterboxes had started to appear in the New Forest (half way across England from Dartmoor) at least as early as 1982. I know, 'cause that's when and where I found my first one

 

Interesting. That's pre-internet. So how did you find out about the New Forest box? Word of mouth? Published in a guide?

[+keehotee]

All a very interesting history lesson. I may have to dig deeper.

 

In my original question I was only speculating, based on the similarity of counting paces to find the treasure. While not likely that the authors of such stories specifically had letter boxing in mind, the sense of exploration and adventure seem to be a common theme over several generations.

 

Exactly. People have been playing hide n seek games forever.

The original "letterbox" was more of a "message in a bottle" game. Someone placed his business card (back then it was called a Calling Card) in a glass jar, put it out in the moors and invited friends to go find it and leave their calling cards.

 

Oh good, the Canadian Letterboxing expert has seen the thread. So have you ever heard of the Park in Connecticut who put out their own letterboxes in the 80's or 90s? (And I think tney still exist) I can't possibly be making that up, I've heard it somewhere.

 

Also, do you think Letterboxing in the UK spread outside of Dartmoor National Park at any time before that 1998 article came out?

 

Yes.

Letterboxes had started to appear in the New Forest (half way across England from Dartmoor) at least as early as 1982. I know, 'cause that's when and where I found my first one

 

Interesting. That's pre-internet. So how did you find out about the New Forest box? Word of mouth? Published in a guide?

 

No - I found it blind

Had never heard of letterboxing until then.

 

There was a handwritten note inside explaining what it was...

 

Letterboxes in the UK tend to be hidden in the kind of interesting spots you'd like to encourage people to get out and visit (sounds familiar.... )

If it had been a film can in a lamp skirt I'd never have happened across it.. LOL

Edited May 29, 2011 by keehotee