It’s that time again! The 26th annual Huntertown Treasure Hunt will begin next week with Clue 1.

You will have the opportunity to win $318.37 by finding the hidden film canister that contains the treasure note. Clues will appear in successive issues of the Northwest News and will be posted on the Well Grounded Café’s Facebook page.

Why $318.37 you may wonder? This amount honors the founding of Huntertown in 1837. At that time it was called “The Opening.” It was a natural clearing in the forest along the Lima Plank Road that connected Lima (now called Howe) with Fort Wayne. The $300 was added to make the hunt more attractive to the searchers.

The sponsors of this event are: Northwest News, Lima Road Dentistry at 9019 Lima Road, Well Grounded Café at 14517 Lima Road, and Environmental Management Services at 2409 Hunter Road.

Not only does the treasure hunter win money, but they will also automatically become members in the Huntertown Treasure Hunters Hall of Fame! Fame AND fortune. The treasure finders will have their names engraved on the trophy that sits in the comfy entrance area of Well Grounded Café. Stop by and see who the previous winners are, from the year 2000 through last year.

Due to the ever-adjusting boundaries of Huntertown, no maps will be provided this year. Just use your phone. So buff up your silver sleuthing shoes, check out the rules below, and get ready for Clue 1 next week. Good luck!

Here are the rules for the treasure hunt.

1. The Treasure Hunt note will be in a 35mm film canister.

2. The canister will be hidden on public property or public access property within the boundaries of Huntertown.

3. The Treasure Hunt is open to anyone!

4. The Treasure Hunt will continue until someone finds the canister.

5. The finder should take the canister to Lima Road Dentistry at 9019 Lima Road in the Empire Center, OR take it to Well Grounded Café. Additional instructions will be inside the canister.

6. “Public access property” is defined as private property that the public can walk on, and it is unlikely the owner will be annoyed. But the canister won’t be in somebody’s front yard!