1998 Pioneer Press Treasure Hunt

Submitted by Joe Medallion (not verified) on Sun, 01/15/2012 - 6:10 PM

Found by brother and sister combo, Steve Doyle and Maureen Hursey, who took home the $4,000 prize because they had registered a button. Well, of course they registered a button – they had only been hunting for the medallion since they were kids. And, finally, at 1.45 p.m. on February 4 in Cherokee Park, the 32-year-old boy and 37-year-old girl were able to rest this childhood dream.

Hunt Information

Dates

Scheduled Dates

Sunday, January 25, 1998

Find Date

Wednesday, February 4, 1998

Finders

Name

Steve Doyle

Hometown

Saint Paul

Name

Maureen Hursey

Hometown

Saint Paul

Prize

Maximum Prize

$4,000

Awarded Prize

$4,000

Location

General Location

Cherokee Park

Pinpointed Location

Near the woods at the south end of the park

Concealer

Inside an "Old Navy" brand sock

44.9207, -93.1079

Clues

Clue 1

Published Date

Sunday, January 25, 1998, 12:00 AM

The season has begun for wintry fun,
And here's what you need to know.
If you want to end up as the lucky one,
A St. Paul park is where you must go.

The official meaning of the clue.

Indicates that the medallion is hidden in a public park in the city of St. Paul.

Clue Rating

Clue 2

Published Date

Monday, January 26, 1998, 12:00 AM

In the neighborhood are water and woods
And lots of scenery all around.
So if you want to find the hidden goods
Look for a place with high ground.

The official meaning of the clue.

Cherokee Park has areas of "woods," offers views of the Mississippi ("water") and occupies "high ground" on the bluffs above the river.

Clue Rating

Clue 3

Published Date

Tuesday, January 27, 1998, 12:00 AM

Roses don't bloom in winter's gloom,
But a "Rosebud" could still give pleasure.
So watch for a place where kids like to zoom,
And you just might take home our treasure

The official meaning of the clue.

"Rosebud" is the name of a sled that plays a prominent role in "Citizen Kane," one of the most famous movies of all time. "A place where kids like to zoom" also points hunters to the medallion's hiding place near a sledding hill in Cherokee Park.

Clue Rating

Clue 4

Published Date

Wednesday, January 28, 1998, 12:00 AM

A large object in view will help guide you,
But first you'll have to crack our code.
So here's a demo of the mode to pursue,
As you hunt for the mother lode.

The official meaning of the clue.

The "large object" in this clue is the dome of the State Capitol, which is visible from the medallion site. The words "demo" and "mode" are both anagrams for "dome."

Our Thoughts

More anagrams. Two in fact!

Clue Rating

Clue 5

Published Date

Thursday, January 29, 1998, 12:00 AM

We'd be the first to say that a place to play
Can make any winter more pleasurable.
City streets will also show you the way
To riches that are almost immeasurable.

The official meaning of the clue.

"A place to play" refers to the playground just north of the medallion's hiding place. "City streets" refers to three nearby streets – Annapolis, Winona and Wyoming – that bear the names of cities.

Clue Rating

Clue 6

Published Date

Friday, January 30, 1998, 12:00 AM

If you're on the wrong track don't blow your stack,
Just look for a plume of smoke in the skies.
With this in view, you'll soon be back
In the hunt for our valuable prize.

The official meaning of the clue.

The tall smokestack of Northern States Power Co.'s High Bridge plant is one of the most prominent objects visible from Cherokee Park.

Clue Rating

Clue 7

Published Date

Saturday, January 31, 1998, 12:00 AM

If you just don't know where to go
Here's a clue to aid your decision:
The medallion that promises lots of dough
Is near a line of double division.

The official meaning of the clue.

The "line of double division" in this clue refers to Annapolis Street, which forms the boundary between St. Paul and West St. Paul as well as between Ramsey and Dakota counties. Because Annapolis, Md., is home to the U.S. Naval Academy, this clue also refers to the medallion's hiding place in a sock made by the Old Navy Clothing Co.

Clue Rating

Clue 8

Published Date

Sunday, February 1, 1998, 12:00 AM

To keep up the pace and win our race,
There's no need to wander to and fro.
Instead you should look near a place
Where three pyramids rise over the snow.

The official meaning of the clue.

The "three pyramids" form the roof of a service building in Cherokee Park that can be seen from the medallion site.

Clue Rating

Clue 9

Published Date

Monday, February 2, 1998, 12:00 AM

To unlock the door and be at the fore
Of the crowds traipsing across our city,
Some advice you simply can't ignore
Is to think of the person who runs a committee.

The official meaning of the clue.

"To unlock the door" refers to a key. The person who "runs a committee" is the chair. Combining the words "chair" and "key" produces a pun for "Cherokee."

Clue Rating

Clue 10

Published Date

Tuesday, February 3, 1998, 12:00 AM

A cape and a whip can be really hip,
Though we don't recommend such attire.
Consider this a worthwhile tip
If it's treasure to which you aspire.

The official meaning of the clue.

The words "cape" and "whip" are an anagram for Chippewa, a street just east of the medallion's hiding place.

Our Thoughts

Two sets of anagrams in a single hunt!!!

Clue Rating

Clue 11

Published Date

Wednesday, February 4, 1998, 12:00 AM

To stay in our game and earn some fame,
you'll need to find the right zone.
Just stay near locals which claim
A sugary loaf and yellow stone.

The official meaning of the clue.

Directs treasure hunters to a part of Cherokee Park near Winona and Wyoming streets. Sugar loaf ("a sugary loaf") is a rock formation in the city of Winona. "Yellow stone" refers to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.

Clue Rating

Clue 12

Your luck will be nil until you go west from a hill
near Chippewa Avenue and Wyoming Street.
By a pair of trees is where you might have a thrill,
But avoid the ravine or you'll lose out on the treat.

Now peer through the trees until you can see
The Capitol dome gleaming far to the north.
Then look down for a sock stitched with "Old Navy"
And our treasure you'll at last bring forth.

The official meaning of the clue.

Pinpoints the medallion's location in a grove of trees just west of the sledding hill in Cherokee Park and reveals that the medallion is hidden in a sock bearing the "Old Navy" name.

Clue Rating