1984 Pioneer Press Treasure Hunt

Submitted by Joe Medallion (not verified) on Fri, 01/13/2012 - 2:24 PM

The medallion was discovered in Newell Park in St. Paul. It was attached to a piece of a broken Elvis Presley 45 rpm record. It was found on the 12th clue by Kirk Condie and Chris Swanson.

Due to the amount of snow that fell, his hunt was getting close enough to being the first hunt ever to not be found, that the Pioneer Press/Dispatch released an extra clue, and extended the deadline to find the medallion by an extra 18 hours. The 13th clue was printed in early editions of the paper, but since it was found, the clue was removed from later printings:

Hunt Information

Dates

Scheduled Dates

Sunday, January 29, 1984

Find Date

Saturday, February 4, 1984

Finders

Name

Kirk Condie

Hometown

Minneapolis

Name

Chris Swanson

Prize

Maximum Prize

$3,000

Awarded Prize

$1,500

Location

General Location

Newell Park

Pinpointed Location

Near the southeast corner of the park

Concealer

Attached to a piece of a broken Elvis Presley 45rpm record

44.9667, -93.1749

Clues

Clue 1

Published Date

Saturday, January 28, 1984, 6:00 PM

Ol' King Boreas has hidden the loot
Right here in Ramsey County.
Bet you can think of lots of ways
To spend his Royal Bounty!

The official meaning of the clue.

Verifies that the treasure is in Ramsey County.

Clue Rating

Clue 2

Published Date

Sunday, January 29, 1984, 6:00 PM

Giant arms by the hundreds
Reach up for the sky,
In summer they're green
But now they're dry.

The official meaning of the clue.

Refers to many trees in the park.

Clue Rating

Clue 3

Published Date

Sunday, January 29, 1984, 6:00 PM

Just for the record
It seems to appear,
The treasure was found
On the sixth day last year.

The official meaning of the clue.

Hints that the medallion was attached to a record.

Clue Rating

Clue 4

Published Date

Monday, January 30, 1984, 6:00 PM

Things for adults,
And kiddie stuff
That's all for today
It's quite enough.

The official meaning of the clue.

Refers to the park facilities provided for grown-ups as well as playground equipment.

Clue Rating

Clue 5

Published Date

Monday, January 30, 1984, 6:00 PM

Go West, young man
And you gals too.
You'll be headed right
If you follow this clue.

The official meaning of the clue.

Indicates the general area of St. Paul, the western part of the city.

Clue Rating

Clue 6

Published Date

Tuesday, January 31, 1984, 6:00 PM

Sideshows and fair folks,
And pronto pups too,
These are things
To keep in view.

The official meaning of the clue.

Reference to Minnesota State Fair begins to narrow the hiding spot. Combining "Fair" and "View" produces the name of a street, Fairview, that borders Newell Park.

Clue Rating

Clue 7

Published Date

Tuesday, January 31, 1984, 6:00 PM

Keep on truckin'
As the saying goes,
And keep on lookin'
In winter's snows.

The official meaning of the clue.

Refers to Burlington Truck Terminal across Pierce Butler Road from the park.

Clue Rating

Clue 8

Published Date

Wednesday, February 1, 1984, 6:00 PM

Toss a basket
Or put on your blades,
This is among
Our helpful aids.

The official meaning of the clue.

Indicates there are basketball courts and a skating rink in the park.

Clue Rating

Clue 9

Published Date

Wednesday, February 1, 1984, 6:00 PM

A medic from M*A*S*H
And a servant named Jeeves
Will help pull the secret
From out of your sleeves.

The official meaning of the clue.

M*A*S*H refers to character Hawkeye "Pierce". Jeeves most certainly is a "butler". Put them together and you have Pierce Butler, another road bordering the park.

Clue Rating

Clue 10

Published Date

Thursday, February 2, 1984, 6:00 PM

We can't stand
To be so cruel,
Think of a park
That rhymes with jewel.

The official meaning of the clue.

Newell rhymes with jewel.

Clue Rating

Clue 11

Published Date

Thursday, February 2, 1984, 6:00 PM

They're made to be played,
They're made to be broken,
But the one you seek
Holds the precious bronze token.

The official meaning of the clue.

Refers to the broken record on which the medallion was attached.

Clue Rating

Clue 12

Published Date

Friday, February 3, 1984, 6:00 PM

You've got to be lookin'
In Newell Park.
Sometimes by day,
Sometimes in the dark.

There's a footpath
Near Wheeler and Hewitt.
Nearby lies the booty,
Now go out and do it.

The official meaning of the clue.

Names the park and gives the approximate location where the medallion was hidden.

Our Thoughts

The hunt's first two-verse clue ever

Clue Rating

Clue 13

Published Date

Friday, February 3, 1984, 6:00 PM

A couple hundred feet
From the corner of the street
Lies the coin of the realm
You so avidly seek.

It's attached to a record, broken and brittle,
But look to the left of the footpath a little.
Lovingly placed under snow so snug,
It must be a place where nobody's dug.

Probably a rake would be your best tool,
But don't harm a thing in this nice park Newell.
Your clue writer's nerves are ready to fold,
So please bring it in from the snow and the cold.

Our Thoughts

This clue was published in early editions of the Saturday evening paper, when the possibility of the first hunt in history to not be found was very real. Fortunately, Kirk Condie found the medallion not long after this clue was published. Unfortunately, it was removed from future printings of that evening's edition of the newspaper and "lost" for 34 years, not even appearing in the microfiche archives of the paper. Bill Gough, the 2018 Glib Ghoul, found his clipping of it, which may well be the only print copy left in existence, the scan of which is now part of this archive.

Clue Rating