I have a copy of the magazine in which the article originally appeared (Old West, Summer, 1969). At first, I thought this George Casner was of my line. However, after piecing the information together that was given in the magazine article, I have concluded he is not of my line. He probably is of the Casner line that was in TX in the 1800, then the majority of them migrated to CA - there were many, many of those from TX that eventually settled in CA. Somehow the George Casner that hid his gold in the pine trees has gotten mixed up with Moses Casner that hid his gold in dutch ovens around the ranch he owned. Most of the land, canyons, trails, etc. were named after Moses and Riley Casner who arrived in Yavapai County, AZ in 1875 (after leaving the OR/WA area) along with their brothers John, William and Daniel - the son of John (John Lewis) was also with them. Apparently, the George Casner (that hid his gold in the pine trees) arrived there a short time after my bunch of Casner arrived there - really confusing > > The only thing George Casner wanted when he came to this land from California in 1876, fleeing drought, was a patch of cool timber and some good grass for his sheep. What he got was and eternity of wonder about his considerable wealth and his unusual love of gold coins. > > They say that Casner had a powerful aversion to banks, which forced him to find another repository for his money. His solution was to drill deep holes in pine trees in the precise dimensions of a $20 gold piece. > > His ranchland, 25 miles south of Flagstaff on what is now Casner Mountain (a designated Wilderness Area), is said to be a kind of natural vault, with many of the tallest pines still jammed with gold coins. > > Fact or Fantasy, it doesn’t matter. These legends possess power, They burrow into the brain and take hold. It’s how the Haunted Wilderness draws you in. Whether it lets you leave is another matter. > > * "Haunted Wilderness",by Leo W. Banks, Arizona Highways, September 1994 >