08/10/2026
A Big Thank You to all Henry on 11th Treasure Hunters! It was another fun and Columbus history learning year! Now, to make sense of those clues...
Location of the patriotic pick:
The patriotic pick was hidden near the site of the Credit Foncier Hotel, which was located near the current First National Back parking lot on the corner of 12th Street and 26th Avenue. The pick was hidden in a crack on the curb of the parking lot along the 12th Street side.
The Credit Foncier Hotel is one of the more fascinating, and rather colorful, stories in Columbus history. George Francis Train was an eccentric and wealthy promoter who was involved with the development of the Union Pacific Railroad and western towns. He believed Columbus was destined for greatness and possibly even the location of the Capital of the United States!
He considered the nearby tiny town of Cleveland a threat to Columbus being on the train route, so in 1869, he bought the only building in Cleveland, which was a hotel.
He moved the hotel to Columbus (on rollers) and renamed it the Credit Foncier Hotel, after his business.
As is our tradition, we intertwined interesting Columbus history into our clues, along with a sprinkling of lyrics from the song “Hotel California.”
The setup and the 6 clues are shown blow with words inside the clues that described the location of the treasure.
“The Setup”
Treasure Hunt 2026
Rockin in the USA
Legend says that in 1776, as the colonies moved toward independence, a traveling musician was commissioned to compose a secret tune of Freedom—a melody meant to remind people of what they were fighting for: Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Happiness.
But the story takes a turn.
The musician feared the song might be lost—or worse, misused—so he did something unusual. He broke the melody into pieces and hid it’s echos across the territories. Each fragment was symbolized by a small object left in a historic location. The final piece was said to be a small guitar pick forged with patriotic markings, and remains hidden to this day.
Now, in 2026—the 250th year since independence, historians feel confident this special anniversary will cause the “Founding Strings” to reawaken. They are calling on Columbus and the surrounding communities to come together to find this special piece of our nation’s history.
small guitar pick forged with patriotic markings- definition of the hidden treasure
Clue #1
Local historian, Tom Martens, suggests the most efficient way to rock and roll and find this patriotic pick is to think chronologically and let history be your guide. Follow the trail of clues and melodies that shaped our nation and community from its founding to the present. In 1820, Major Stephen H. Long was credited with the following quote: “The Nebraska territory is part of the ‘Great American Desert.’ It is unfit for cultivation and uninhabitable by people who depend on agriculture.” Don’t let this sad comment about our great state get you down, dim your sight, nor taint your ear from hearing the melody and finding the pick.
rock and roll- The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is in Cleveland, OH. Cleveland, NE was the original location of the Credit Foncier Hotel.
credited- The pick was hidden on the sight of the Credit Foncier Hotel.
down- the pick was hidden down, near the ground, of the First National Bank parking lot
dim your sight- lyrics of Hotel California
Clue #2
Columbus’ thirteen brave and forward-thinking founders did not let Long’s bleak portrayal of Nebraska’s potential lower their motivation, as they knew we could find it here. All but 6 of the thirteen founders settled near Shell Creek. Unfortunately for those brave men, the shady shores of lake north had not yet been created for them to enjoy. As you ponder the early days of Columbus, the settlements along the river, and the location of the patriotic pick, perhaps you will hear strains of “Tenting on the Old Camp Ground.”
Lower- the pick was hidden in a low place, (near the ground)
Could find it here- - lyrics of Hotel California
6- the pick was hidden in a crack in the curb along 12th street. The line of the 6th parking spot from 26th ave pointed to the location of the pick.
Shady, lake- the location of the town Cleveland, NE (no longer there) was near Shady Lake.
Clue #3:
In 1862, Abraham Lincoln signed the Pacific Railroad Act. As an incentive for the rail companies, and to encourage settlement, significant land grants were awarded. Approximately 16% of Nebraska’s total land area was given to the rail companies. While the homestead land was certainly cheaper, only about a $15 filing fee for 160 acres, versus around $800 if purchased from the railroad, some high-roller settlers preferred railroad land as it was often in a better location. Union Pacific chose Omaha as the eastern terminus, cementing the city as the starting point for the historic westward train construction. Luckily for the new town of Columbus, we were on the rail route. It’s uncertain if it was dumb luck, fancy finagling, or most likely the hard work of the Columbus founders that brought about this nice surprise and one of the pivotal outcomes they were banking on. Singing the lyrics to the song “Lincoln and Liberty” is a good way to honor Honest Abe as you continue your search.
roller- the hotel was moved from Cleveland to Columbus on rollers
cement- the pick was hidden in the crack of the cement curb along 12th Ave.
train- George Francis Train was the owner of the hotel when it was moved to Columbus
nice surprise- - lyrics of Hotel California
Clue #4
By the 1890s, Columbus was livin it up. The Thurston Hotel was hosting noteworthy social gatherings featuring elegant dining including special feasts of wild game. Mr. Kersenbrock of the Columbus Brewery invented a new device for bottling b**r. It made partaking in a cooler much handier for the Columbus residents and most certainly annoyed the rival b**r companies, putting a crack in their armor. As part of Columbus coming into its own, the entertainment industry flourished with the construction of the North Opera House in 1901. It was the first brick building on the north side of the Union Pacific Railroad tracks for the sole purpose of entertainment. More than likely the popular song “Hello Central, Give Me Heaven” was performed more than once in the Opera house.
Livin it up- - lyrics of Hotel California
Feast- - lyrics of Hotel California
Rival- Francis Train considered Cleveland a rival town
Clue #5
During the dark desert highway days of the 1930's, Columbus leaders would not have their hopes curbed, and revived the dream of harnessing water power to generate electricity, securing Columbus as the birthplace of public power in Nebraska. This paved the way for a relatively prosperous Columbus coming out of The Great Depression. On a less positive historic note, a Columbus man, Dave Rhinehart, was the first gritty reporter on the scene the day the music died in 1959. I wonder if Buddy’s next song would have been “Six Frets from Olive”, or maybe he would have written “Big Yellow Taxi”? Either would have added to his prestigious entry into the inaugural class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
dark desert highway- - lyrics of Hotel California
curbed- the pick was hidden in the crack of the cement curb along 12th Ave.
paved- The pick was hidden in a paved parking lot
gritty- the pick was hidden in a crack with gritty dirt
Six Frets from Olive- the pick was hidden in a crack in the curb along 12th street. The line of the 6th parking spot from 26th Ave pointed to the location of the pick. The historic name for 26th Ave. was Olive Street.
Big Yellow Taxi- the lyrics of this song include the line “they paved paradise and put up a parking lot
Clue #6
As we join the rest of the USA celebrating 250 years, we are proud of our rockin’ city. It has beautiful new and historic buildings, even some parking lots with distant memories of buildings that have a Cleveland story. You could find the patriotic pick more quickly if you do a good deed by pulling some crabgrass for a friend. And try singing these fun lyrics while you do it. “Tooley, tooley, I say to you, look south with the just the right Vibe going on behind you.”
parking lot- the pick was hidden in the parking lot
Cleveland- Cleveland, NE was the original location of the Credit Foncier Hotel
crabgrass- There was a sprig of crabgrass in the crack where the pick was hidden
Tooley, south- The location f the pick was south of Tooly Drug..
Vibe- If the Vibe mural is at your back, you are facing the location of the pick.
