If anyone is interested in Ancient Oklahoma History…

[Uncle Meat]

I was raised in that area, and I still have a sister and brother-in-law and their son and his wife there in Keyes. I've spent a lot of time in the Kenton area, but I had never heard (or at least don't recall hearing about) the caves.

That doesn't mean a lot because even though a Japanese Internment Camp was located 125 miles north of Keyes, I'd never heard of it, even though Keyes had a number of WWII veterans.

Pictures from the Kenton and Black Mesa Area

Pictures of the Lake Carl Etling State Park Area

Great pics Terry.
I've always loved that part of the world.
I'm sure you've taken the road from Kenton to I-25 via Johnson Mesa.
Desolate and beautiful.

 

[Snattlerake]

Not that ancient but we had to dig a 50 foot deep pit pond on our property to help water the cattle. It was not good drinking water because of the gypsum concentration. Among the Indian artifacts, we found a partial Wooly Mammoth skeleton. We contacted OU and they came out to try to find the rest but couldn't. We "donated" all the bones and points to OU. Actually, we loaned them to OU with signed papers but they cannot find them. As I recall, the bones were a front quarter including a full leg, femur, tibia, fibula and metatarsals.

By the way, the water was witched by a fellow from Enid. I watched him do it with a willow branch.

 

[PanhandleGlocker]

Great pics Terry.
I've always loved that part of the world.
I'm sure you've taken the road from Kenton to I-25 via Johnson Mesa.
Desolate and beautiful.

thats my favorite road. Did some elk and Buffalo hunting down the road from Wedding Cake Rock Ranch.

 

[p238shooter]

No mention of how far back into the rock the "caves" go. Seems some of the artifacts must have been back far enough to not have a lot of climate "moisture" damage. Thanks for sharing.

 

[TerryMiller]

did you ever go on the Kohler Ranch? North of Boise City on the river.

Not that I'm aware of with respect to it being "the Kohler ranch." While we did excursions out to Lake Carl Etling and Black Mesa, I can't say that I've been on any of the ranches in that area. In fact, when they have their annual "celebration" (Santa Fe Days, if I remember right), I've never gone on any of their excursions onto private property to see the dinosaur tracks and such.

 

[TerryMiller]

Great pics Terry.
I've always loved that part of the world.
I'm sure you've taken the road from Kenton to I-25 via Johnson Mesa.
Desolate and beautiful.

Not sure of just where Johnson Mesa is, but I suspect it is along New Mexico's state highway 72 from Folsom to I-25. We have been out from Kenton to Folsom and then on down to Capulin on New Mexico state highway 456.

We went out that way again a few years ago with my sister and her husband, and oddly enough, it is the first time I ever got pictures along that route. I was even surprised to see Bighorn sheep and a large herd of deer. I didn't get a lot of pictures of the countryside.

New Mexico Highway 456 Sights

 

[SPDguns]

Be sure and stop in at the Folsom Museum. Continue west on 72, it's a real scenic drive that comes out through Sugarite Canyon down to the backside of Raton.

 

[Uncle Meat]

Not sure of just where Johnson Mesa is, but I suspect it is along New Mexico's state highway 72 from Folsom to I-25. We have been out from Kenton to Folsom and then on down to Capulin on New Mexico state highway 456.

We went out that way again a few years ago with my sister and her husband, and oddly enough, it is the first time I ever got pictures along that route. I was even surprised to see Bighorn sheep and a large herd of deer. I didn't get a lot of pictures of the countryside.

New Mexico Highway 456 Sights

Hiway 72 is correct.
As you drive west on the mesa, NM is below on your left, CO is below on your right.
It's worth the drive.

 

[okietool]

If you like caves, the ones at Jester are awesome. The long one is several miles long.
the last time I was in it was around 50 years ago.

 

[TerryMiller]

Hiway 72 is correct.
As you drive west on the mesa, NM is below on your left, CO is below on your right.
It's worth the drive.

OK. It looks like I need to make that drive. For decades, we've driven U.S. Highway 87 between Clayton, NM and Raton, NM and have seen mesas/plateaus to the north. I guess I never realized that a decent road traversed over that way.

Thanks for the head's up.