The timeless allure of buried wealth continues to ignite imaginations, inspiring countless quests for fortunes hidden beneath the earth or lost in forgotten places across America. Tales of secreted riches, often rivaling the fortunes of the wealthiest families, have prompted significant expenditures in searches, though tangible results are rare. This article delves into compelling legends of undiscovered hidden treasures, exploring the mysterious circumstances of their concealment and the persistent, yet often fruitless, efforts to unearth them. These stories underscore humanity’s enduring fascination with lost fortunes and the thrill of potential discovery.
New England’s Enigmatic Hoards
One of New England’s most famous tales involves pirate Thomas Veale near the Saugus River, Massachusetts. In the mid-17th century, Veale escaped capture after his companions were hanged, seeking refuge in a cavern rumored to contain vast treasures. The great earthquake of 1658 tragically sealed the cave’s entrance with Veale inside, presumably burying him with his hoard at Dungeon Rock in Lynn. Decades later, Hiram Marble, guided by spirits, spent 30 years and fortunes tunneling through granite, finding only an ancient scabbard. Meanwhile, in the Berkshire peaks, the Heart of Greylock, once called Money Hole, was a hideout for counterfeiters; some believe their spurious coinage remains there. Vermont also contributes with Province Island, believed to hide profits from an extensive smuggling operation. Additionally, in the early 18th century, Spanish adventurers buried gold on Ludlow Mountain and Camel’s Hump, which their sole survivor later failed to retrieve, leaving these hidden treasures lost to time.
Revolutionary War’s Lost Riches
The American Revolution sparked several tales of buried wealth. Royal Governor Wentworth, fleeing New Hampshire, was forced to bury his valuable plate and money bags at an unknown forest location near Smith’s Pond, rather than risk his wife. For over a century, this Loyalist fortune has remained elusive. After Burgoyne’s surrender, Hessian troops, burdened with valuables, interred their riches within a howitzer in the woods near Dalton, Massachusetts, intending to retrieve it post-war. The knowledge of its specific location, however, was lost, defying searches around 1800. In New York’s Catskills, British officers reportedly buried money in Shandaken Valley when beset by rebels, never to recover it. Similarly, on Tea Island in Lake George, the hidden treasures of Lord Abercrombie have famously evaded discovery to this day.
Coastal Mysteries and Vanished Fortunes
New London, Connecticut, became infamous in 1753 when the Spanish galleon Saints Joseph and Helena mysteriously lost a quarter of its valuable freight while in port for repairs. Rumors circulated that this Spanish buried wealth was secreted along the shore. In 1827, a seer directed two young men to an iron chest under a wharf, but terrifying supernatural phenomena, including a scorching hot chest and monstrous guardians, drove them away, and the chest vanished. On Long Island, at Fort Neck, Captain Jones, accused of piracy, left behind a “haunted house” and fading hopes of finding his gold. A dramatic crow, believed to be a demon, marked his death by flying through the house, leaving an unrepairable hole and rendering it uninhabitable. Another Long Island tale from 1775 on Lloyd’s Neck recounts a Tory landowner burying his coin and plate in three barrels, then brutally killing his three slaves and burying them atop the barrels to guard the hoard. Decades later, a discovery led to extensive digging, revealing a box of cob dollars and casks of a “spirituous liquid,” which Long Islanders consumed, feeling a “patriotic glow” in symbolically destroying royalist stores.
Waterways’ Deep Secrets
Grand Island on the Niagara River holds the mysterious legacy of Clairieux, a French exile in colonial days, believed to have buried significant riches brought by frequent sloops. He reputedly killed his enslaved servant and chained him to the earth to guard the hoard, before Clairieux himself disappeared. In 1888, a gale exposed a circular stone foundation revealing French gold and silver coins, one from 1537, suggesting genuine hidden treasures. Further speculation includes two scuttled French frigates nearby, one possibly containing a naval paymaster’s chest. At Pottery Beach, Brooklyn, artificial caves housed lawless men, and a rotting shipwreck, believed to be deliberately beached, hinted at costly vanished freight. Much of this plunder was thought to be buried in the clay near the water’s edge, adding to the region’s tales of maritime buried wealth.
Conclusion: The Enduring Quest for Lost Fortunes
America’s rich tapestry of history and folklore is interwoven with captivating tales of hidden treasures and lost fortunes. From pirate hauls and Revolutionary War caches to colonial gold and smuggler’s spoils, these legends span diverse landscapes and centuries, each promising untold riches to the intrepid discoverer. While many ambitious expeditions, driven by desperation, greed, or even spiritual guidance, have often ended in frustration or mere folklore, the allure of the unknown remains undiminished. These narratives, frequently infused with mystery, crime, and elements of the supernatural, reflect a deep human fascination with what lies beneath the surface. Ultimately, the greatest treasure often resides not in the recovered gold, but in the captivating story itself and the enduring spirit of adventure. The dream of unearthing America’s buried wealth continues to inspire, ensuring these timeless legends will be passed down for generations to come, forever inviting new searches for what might still lie hidden.
