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Prospecting Legend Hoss Blackman Dies

DOC

New member
Some 14 years ago I got interested in prospecting. I made a post on one of the old time forums asking if someone could help me 'cause I didn't know nothin'. Two days later Hoss Blackman showed up at my office offering to take me out to the gold fields and show me how it was done. Hoss wasn't lookin' to sell me anything, he was just lookin' to help someone out who wanted to learn about gold prospecting. Hoss was a brilliant teacher, and I was a sponge. We became very close friends. Hoss said that I paid him back many times over when I negotiated his butt out of a Mexican jail and got his truck and two metal detectors that had been confiscated back, and got them to drop the $16,000 fine they wanted to impose for some trumped up crap charge of smuggling electronics into Mexico. I could tell you how I pulled that one off, but that is a story for another time. This is just the time for a moment of silence and sadness as we mourn the passing of a gold prospecting legend, "Hoss" Blackman. Hoss was many things, but most importantly he was my friend. Until we meet again Hoss! God be with you my friend, as I am sure you are already with God, and telling many a story.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Allen 'Hoss' Blackman

Allen was born in Bridgeport, Conn., in 1932 to Allen Edwards Blackman and Isabella Rogers Moddell. He was a graduate of Stamford High School and later served honorably in the army during the Korean War. He was a resident of Meadview and Dolan Springs for the past 10 years.

Allen worked for Pitney Bowes most of his life, and after retiring in 1989, he actively pursued his many lifelong interests. He was an artist, cowboy poet and accomplished horseman, a working cowboy, gem cutter, treasure hunter and gold prospector, and an Outback guide to the Western Australia gold fields.

Allen was a member of the American Legion, VFW, Amvets and a 50-year member of the Masonic Lodge of Connecticut.

Allen is survived by his son, Bruce Blackman of Cottonwood, Ariz.; daughter, Nancy Fosset of Lynn Creek, Mo.; brother, Edward Blackman of Boston; and four grandchildren. He was quite a character and will be missed dearly by his family and friends.
 
I met Hoss the my 1st time to Gold Basin He waited at the Joshua Tree Cafe for us to show up. Doc was also there.Hoss showed us a good time and I had stopped by his place many times since for a visit.
He liked the Huckleberry Jam we would bring him. He gave me and my wife an autographed copy of his book "The Silver Gulch Social Club".
Hoss, a gentle man who also played the violin. He will be missed
Rest in peace my friend
Allen in MT
 
I met "Hoss" at a GPAA gold show in Costa Mesa, California a long while back .
We had adjoining tables, he was selling Minelab detectors and I was selling Whites.
He was a great fellow. He sure will be missed.
Rest in peace, "Hoss"!

RSJ
 
Doc, I never met Hoss, but I watched him on a couple of runs on TV, Hunting for treasure, I think hosted by Antonio Subata, Where leather chaps and a six gunm with a Whites detector. He will be missed as all the guys in the past, with knowledge they give and gave so freely. By Hoss, your on a GOLDEN ROAD NOW. Grubstake
 
Hi all,

I too, was taken under the wing of Hoss Blackman, way back in about 1990 or so. I took delivery of my new Minelab XT17000 from him at the home of the then national distributor of Minelab Pty. in Henderson, Nevada.

Hoss was on a run of hard luck, and was in the process of moving into an old trailer at the time. He took the time to make a pencil drawing of where we could look for gold in the Gold Basin/ King/Queen Tut area, with quite a lot of detail. I still have that map as a momento of this interesting man. As it turned out, I did find my first gold nugget down there, just a little south west of the drill casing at the end of a road. Hoss showed me all the neat stuff about this new detector, that I was convinced was going to find me lots of gold nuggets.

My brother and I took Hoss to a Mexican restaurant, as we felt we should do something for the man, and soon discovered that around his neck, he wore almost a kings ransom of quite sizeable gold nuggets on a leather shoe lace. He also gave me a copy of his poetry book, about dance hall gals, and other cowboy type poems.

Hoss and I kept in contact for a time, he asked me if I would be interested in going to Australia, as a gold guide on his gold hunting tours, which I declined, as I had other responsibilities that I could not leave.

He made some pretty interesting self made videos, which are pretty interesting to watch, and I will have to get them out to watch one again, as he was a pretty big and intimidating appearing guy, but with a heart of gold.

I remember running into Hoss and Alan detecting in Gold Basin one time, we assumed they were detecting for gold, but as we found out later, that they were actually searching for meteorites, those pesky rocks that I had found several of, and had them in my detecting pouch, for later scrutiny. Hoss looked at them, and for the most part, they were some of the very collectable, and now famous Gold Basin meteorites.

~LARGO~
 
That is sad that Hoss Blackman has passed away. I had the opportunity to meet Hoss and sit with him next to a campfire up in Washington state back around 1991 or so. I was interested in becoming a Minelab dealer so Hoss demo'ed a couple of units for me. It got dark and we sat and talked about metal detecting. He offered me a soda and had his trusty Winchester rifle at the ready. He said there was an undesrible lurking around the camp. That was a bit scary/exciting. I'll never forget my meeting with Hoss. He was a very nice man.

Thanks Doc for posting about Hoss passing away.

HH Frank
 
Sorry to hear of the sad news.
Hoss would stop in Boise on occasion and we'd chat some. Not sure if it was a woman he was chasing or Treasures...
He does have some good friends here though.
Great story teller and even better of a Detectorist.
He'll certainly be missed.

Gerry
 
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