MW Investigates when Forrest Fenn first mentioned searchers were within 500 and 200 feet of his Treasure Chest.
Below is a basic timeline of when Forrest first used the terms 500 feet and 200 feet comments:
09/2012: Forrest said:
“Several months ago some folks correctly mentioned the first two clues to me in an email and then they went right past the other seven, not knowing that they had been so close. Alas, and dame fortune, so often a fickle and seductive wench, never spun her wheel to lure them back.”
This Quote seems to precede the following:
10/2012: (first mention of ‘several hunderd feet’ ~ 500 feet)
“Some few have stopped within several hundred feet of the correct location, and then passed it by.”
08/2013: This seems to be the first publicly stated mention of 200 Feet (couple hundred feet)
Forrest mentions both 500 feet and couple hundred feet:
“There have been a few people within 500 hundred feet. I think there have been people within a couple hundred feet. They figure the first two clues, but they don’t get the third and the fourth and they go right past the treasure chest.”
Note on this: The video wasn’t posted until later- However Dal shares when Forrest actually stated this. And it was in 08/2013.
08/2014 : In an article it has:
“Fenn said He believes they have come within 200 feet of the treasure.”
04/15: Forrest said:
People have been within 200 feet. And I know that because people send me emails and they tell me exactly where they are. The people that were two hundred feet from the treasure didn’t know that they were there.
11/2015: Forrest mention of 4 Clues with 200 feet
“Searchers have come within about 200 feet. Some may have solved the first four clues, but I am not certain.”
09/2016: Forrest is noted on video saying:
“I had positive indication that people have been within 200 feet. I don’t know that anyone has been closer than 200 feet of the treasure.”
Interviewer: “And that knowledge comes from what? Emails written to you?”
“And photographs. Normally people tell me generally where they are but not specifically. But these people told me exactly where they were, I recognized the spot, but I didn’t tell them they were close.”
05/2017: Lure Q/A Forrest said:
“That 200 feet is pretty accurate. But there weren’t too many people within two hundred. Lots of people within 500 feet of the treasure. But the people that were within 200 feet didn’t know that they were that close to the treasure and they walked right on by it.”
There you have it….
It is each for us to decide how best to use that information……
Hi. Thank you so much for you efforts to aid people searching and providing actual fact and not interpretation. Your video’s are short enough to want to watch and have no bias or bad information. There are too many others out there with 3 hour marathons feeding conjecture and confusion creating more rabbit holes for avid hunters to wriggle down. Not to mention the profit side of it which fails to me to think they are credible. I have a pretty solid hypothesis and intend giving it to someone with the interest of following it through. Which state are you searching in?