# Need help ID'ing a book I read as a child. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 22, 2012, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-iding-a-book-i-read-as-a-child/632312 "2012-08-22T21:20:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-iding-a-book-i-read-as-a-child/632312/1 "2012-08-22T21:20:57Z")
I can’t remember the name of a book I read in elementary school. That would place it no later than 1967. I think I got the book as one of those you ordered from a school book service, but am not sure about that. A family is traveling west into the Rocky Mountains in a rattle trap old car. There’s a father in fragile health, and three or four kids, one of which is a girl. I don’t remember any names. The car breaks down in an old mining town with one resident left, a miner from the old days. The family has to stay for a while and helps the old guy out and I think they eventually end up staying and running the place as a tourist attraction. The book was set in the “now” but it seemed a little old even in the mid-sixties, and dates were not mentioned. Can anyone help me out? I’m collecting stuff I remember from my childhood. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-iding-a-book-i-read-as-a-child/632312/2 "2012-08-23T16:55:22Z")
I’m taking this opportunity to use my one “bump” for this book ID question. It ticks me off that I can remember a lot about the book but not the title or character’s names. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-iding-a-book-i-read-as-a-child/632312/3 "2012-08-23T16:58:05Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > I can’t remember the name of a book I read in elementary school. That would place it no later than 1967. I think I got the book as one of those you ordered from a school book service, but am not sure about that. > > A family is traveling west into the Rocky Mountains in a rattle trap old car. There’s a father in fragile health, and three or four kids, one of which is a girl. I don’t remember any names. The car breaks down in an old mining town with one resident left, a miner from the old days. The family has to stay for a while and helps the old guy out and I think they eventually end up staying and running the place as a tourist attraction. > > The book was set in the “now” but it seemed a little old even in the mid-sixties, and dates were not mentioned. > > Can anyone help me out? I’m collecting stuff I remember from my childhood. “Ghost Town Treasure” [Ghost Town Treasure: Bulla, Clyde Robert, Freeman, Don: 9780140367324: Amazon.com: Books](http://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Treasure-Clyde-Robert-Bulla/dp/0140367322) I think. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-iding-a-book-i-read-as-a-child/632312/4 "2012-08-23T17:39:13Z")
No, I wish I could say that’s it, but it isn’t. ☹ I don’t remember anyone visiting, or a treasure map. And the book says it was published in 1994, and I read this story in the mid-1960’s. But thanks for the try! I wish my own search skills were better. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-iding-a-book-i-read-as-a-child/632312/5 "2012-08-23T17:41:57Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > No, I wish I could say that’s it, but it isn’t. ☹ I don’t remember anyone visiting, or a treasure map. And the book says it was published in 1994, and I read this story in the mid-1960’s. > > But thanks for the try! I wish my own search skills were better. The book was republished in 1994 - it’s from much earlier. There’s no treasure map, just clues in a diary (but that was a major plot point - if you don’t remember the phrase “gold in the cave” from the diary, it’s not the right book). ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-iding-a-book-i-read-as-a-child/632312/6 "2012-08-23T18:09:52Z")
No, sorry, no “gold in the cave” that I recall. Grrr, now I’m going to be frustrated until I can find this book. I should ask my middle sister if she remembers it, we read some of the same books. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-iding-a-book-i-read-as-a-child/632312/7 "2012-08-23T18:12:08Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > “Ghost Town Treasure” [Ghost Town Treasure: Bulla, Clyde Robert, Freeman, Don: 9780140367324: Amazon.com: Books](http://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Treasure-Clyde-Robert-Bulla/dp/0140367322) I think. Oh my GOD! This is the exact book I’ve been trying to remember for awhile! THANK YOU! I haven’t posted a request here yet because I couldn’t remember many details and now I don’t have to!! THANK YOU! ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-iding-a-book-i-read-as-a-child/632312/8 "2012-08-23T18:16:39Z")
> [@Missy2U](#): > > Oh my GOD! This is the exact book I’ve been trying to remember for awhile! THANK YOU! I haven’t posted a request here yet because I couldn’t remember many details and now I don’t have to!! THANK YOU! glad the thread helped!😃 Isn’t it amazing the simple things that can make us happy?🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-iding-a-book-i-read-as-a-child/632312/9 "2012-08-23T19:08:25Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > glad the thread helped!😃 > > Isn’t it amazing the simple things that can make us happy?🙂 I haven’t found a thing, but I’ve enjoyed combing over some old Happy Hollisters and Phyllis A. Whitneys because of this thread. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-iding-a-book-i-read-as-a-child/632312/10 "2012-08-23T21:24:46Z")
> [@Missy2U](#): > > Oh my GOD! This is the exact book I’ve been trying to remember for awhile! THANK YOU! I haven’t posted a request here yet because I couldn’t remember many details and now I don’t have to!! THANK YOU! I’ve finally broken the threshold - I’m answering “identify the book” threads before they’re asked! ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-iding-a-book-i-read-as-a-child/632312/11 "2012-08-23T21:30:24Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > No, sorry, no “gold in the cave” that I recall. > > Grrr, now I’m going to be frustrated until I can find this book. I should ask my middle sister if she remembers it, we read some of the same books. I found my copy of “Ghost Town Treasure” (it was published in 1957 by Scholastic) and it does have other differences from the one you’re looking for - in “Ghost Town Treasure” the main character lives in the ghost town, and his friends are visiting. You might try checking out Clyde Robert Bulla to see if he wrote your book though - sometimes authors reuse an idea in a different way. ---
**Author:** ![ShallowEnd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@ShallowEnd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShallowEnd)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-iding-a-book-i-read-as-a-child/632312/12 "2012-08-24T06:25:10Z")
Ooo!!! How about [Ghost Town Adventure](http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5868522-ghost-town-adventure) by Rutherford Montgomery? “Is Ruby a town?” “It’s a ghost town,” the ranger explained. Its only inhabitant is white-bearded Mayor Abe Winters–until a rock slide and broken piston rod add the hard-up Deans–Dad, Tom, Betty, and Chuck. How they revive Ruby, foil real estate sharpsters, and lure tourists with fishing, flapjacks, and gold dust is a ghost-town adventure. Published 1942 ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-iding-a-book-i-read-as-a-child/632312/13 "2012-08-24T09:39:50Z")
> [@ShallowEnd](#): > > Ooo!!! How about [Ghost Town Adventure](http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5868522-ghost-town-adventure) by Rutherford Montgomery? > > “Is Ruby a town?” > > “It’s a ghost town,” the ranger explained. > > Its only inhabitant is white-bearded Mayor Abe Winters–until a rock slide and broken piston rod add the hard-up Deans–Dad, Tom, Betty, and Chuck. > > How they revive Ruby, foil real estate sharpsters, and lure tourists with fishing, flapjacks, and gold dust is a ghost-town adventure. > > Published 1942 Oh wow, that’s it! I clicked on the link and when I saw the picture of the book something clicked! The part about the car breaking down clinched it, because that’s why the family had to stay in the first place. God I love this place. Thank you so much!