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This section is taken from chapter 22 of American Coin Treasures and Hoards
by Q David Bowers. There are hundreds of pages of fascinating information to be found in
this book, and you can order it online at the Coin World Marketplace.
States beginning with the
letter:
A - G | I
- M | N - P | R
- W
Idaho treasures waiting to be found
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Multiple possibilities: Booty from a stagecoach holdup was hidden on the south side of
the Boise River near Boise, another stagecoach stash may still be secreted near Camas
Creek in Jefferson County, and yet another near Grimes Creek in Boise County awaits
discovery. |
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Robbers hid $75,000 in loot ("cold cash"?) near the Shoshone Ice Caves in
Lincoln County. |
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North of Boise a strongbox with $50,000 in stagecoach loot is hidden. |
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A robber's treasure secreted near Lewiston, if discovered, will be found by accident,
as the territory described covers a very large area, a common theme for many
"clues" to such caches. |
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Treasure, possibly from a Wells Fargo stage holdup, may still be at Mud Lake southwest
of Idaho Falls. |
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The Lewis and Clark Expedition in the early 1800s took with it many Washington Season
medals for distribution as peace medals to Indians in the north central and northwest
sections of America. Only a few of these are accounted for today. |
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In McCammon, Bannock County, about $100,000 taken from an 1865 stagecoach heist is
hidden. The bandits were chased by a posse and killed. Obviously, driving a stagecoach or
being a bandit in Idaho was dangerous business! |
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Money taken from a pack train by robbers between White Bird and Dixie, Idaho County,
has never been accounted for. |
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$118,000 stolen by bandits is buried in the area of Humphrey in Clark County. |
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Loot of the Henry Plummer gang, hidden in Beaver Canyon near Spencer, Clark County,
likewise remains unlocated. |
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Virgil Brumbach's Gold Certificates are said to be lost in Soldier's Canyon east of
Saint Maries, Shoshone County. |
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Illinois treasures waiting to be found
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In the late 1860s in the 1200 block of North State Street in Chicago, Felix and Ellen
Conway spent their married years, but were not on friendly terms with each other. Felix,
upon being diagnosed with an incurable illness, dug deeply in his backyard and buried
$250,000 in gold coins. He told his doctor of the cache, and suggested that after he died
and after Ellen also had passed to her reward, he could recover it. The doctor himself
became ill and neared death, at which time he told his son of the fortune in store. As it
turned out, the doctor's son died, while Ellen Conway continued to live, until at the age
of 92 she passed away. Today, the exact location of the gold coins is not known, and they
are presumed to still be there. |
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Near old John Hill's Fort at Carlyle, Clinton County, a buried fortune remains for the
lucky finder. |
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Cave In Rock in Hardin County was long used as a hideaway by many robbers and other
unsavory characters including the Harpes Gang and the notorious Wilson, and it is said
much loot remains secreted there. Robert M. Coates has written: "From Red Bank [on
the Ohio River] on down to the town of Smithland, the river traversed its most dangerous
section. Shoals abounded, sand bars lay just below the ripple of the surface, islands
split the channel. Landsmen most of the travelers were, as they came poling down in
their barges." A whole hierarchy of piracy had arisen to prey on them. The first of
these was a man named Wilson. "He took his stand at a cave in the bluff along shore,
a cave with deep chambers and hidden recesses. He posted a sign on the river bank:
'Wilson's Liquor Vault & House for Entertainment.' The cave was known as the Cave Inn,
later twisted to Cave-In-Rock. It had a long chapter in the history of river piracy.
Boat-wreckers waited along the bank. Watching a boat pass, they would offer to pilot it
through the channel. If the unskilled steersman chose to run the rapids unaided, it was
more than likely he would run aground. If he hired a pilot, the chance of his grounding
became a certainty. Once beached, the boat and its occupants fell easily before the attack
of Wilson's gang." |
Indiana treasures waiting to be found
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In or near Rockford, Jackson County, $98,000 taken in a train robbery is buried. Could
this be related to the following account? |
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On May 22, 1868, the Reno gang (Clinton, Frank, John, Simon, and William) held up the
J.M. & I. Railroad train at Marshfield, Indiana, about 20 miles south of Seymour, and
escaped with $90,000 cash described as being in "new notes." After another
escapade or two, the brothers were tossed into jail in New Albany in December of the same
year. On December 11 a group of do-gooders went to New Albany, entered the jail, seized
the prisoners, and hanged them. What happened to the stolen currency was not stated. |
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In the mid-1820s one of Marquis de Lafayette's carriage drivers stashed $8,000 in gold
in the ground in Connelton, Perry County. Lafayette, French hero of the American
Revolution, revisited the United States in 1824-1825 and was declared by Congress to be
"The Nation's Guest." |
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Iowa treasures waiting to be found
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Near Redfield in Dallas County a gang of outlaws buried their ill-gotten coins. |
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A long time ago outlaws gathered in Bellevue, Jackson County, and buried treasure in
the area. |
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At Kelly's Bluff in Dubuque a well-to-do miner buried his personal fortune. Some of it
was later discovered, but more remains to be found. |
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Horse thieves buried their treasure near Sabula, Jackson County. |
Kansas treasures waiting to be found
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Treasure of an Army paymaster was lost near Lawrence, Douglas County. |
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Wells Fargo treasure was hidden west of Dodge City, Ford County. |
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Bandit loot hidden at Point of Rocks northwest of Elkhart, Morton County, remains
concealed. |
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Treasure from a wagon train of Forty Niners headed to California was hidden southwest
of Offerle, Edwards County. |
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Near Point of Rocks some other wagon trains headed for California—or perhaps this
is another version of the preceding story—were plundered by outlaws who buried their
loot in the area. |
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Yet another wagon train treasure is said to have been concealed near old Fort Dodge. |
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Similarly, a wagon train from Mexico with a vast fortune aboard was attacked by
Indians. Some travelers survived with their money and buried it in the area. |
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A group of Forty Niners returning from California with $50,000 in a buckskin bag
buried their treasure near Offerle, Edwards County, before being killed by Indians. |
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Kentucky treasures waiting to be found
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Just before the Civil War, William Pettit hid treasure at Alleghany Hall, south of
Lexington. |
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Indians are said to have buried an immense treasure including many coins (some of
which have been found now and then) in the Winchester area. |
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In Hueysville, Thayer County, a well-to-do landowner buried a large quantity of gold
coins around the turn of the twentieth century. |
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Contents of a chest of silver and gold coins stolen from a bank in Nicholasville,
Kentucky, may lie on the bottom of King's Mill Pond, although a few coins were recovered
by a fishing guide in 1910. |
Louisiana treasures waiting to be found
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Stories of the treasure buried in Louisiana and other Gulf of Mexico places by pirate
Jean Lafitte have filled several books. Lafitte, who is alternately viewed as a hero or a
scoundrel, and who was of help to the government during the War of 1812, plundered many
ships. Quite possibly within his buried strongboxes and chests are many United States
coins, although probably most are Mexican or from other Spanish-American mints. Within
Louisiana such places as near Shell Beach Drive in Lake Charles, Opelousas in St. Landry
Parish, an island in Lake Borge (such island, like Lake Wobegon, having eluded mapmakers),
the banks of the Mississippi River upstream from New Orleans, Caillou Island, the LeBleu
plantation site in Calcasieu Parish, Pecan Island near Westwego in Jefferson Parish,
Kelso's Island, Isle Dernier, and Jefferson Island near Lafayette are said to be
especially good possibilities for the location of Lafitte's gold and silver. |
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Marsh Island may be where coins salvaged at an early date from Spanish wrecks off
Padre Island (Texas) were brought for safekeeping. |
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Marie Laveau, the beautiful "Voodoo Queen," offered fortune telling and
consultation to various clients and in time became wealthy, so much so that she built a
fine home, Maison Blanche, on Lake Pontchartrain near New Orleans. When she passed from
this earthly sphere in 1881, her fortune estimated at $2 million could not be located. |
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Honey Island in St. Tammany Parish may be one of many places in the Mississippi River
area where John Murrel hid his loot (see entry under Arkansas above). Outlaw James
Copeland may have cached coins on this island as well as along many other coastal areas. |
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The Parlange Plantation treasure, near New Roads, Pointe Coupee Parish, is part of a
cache originally comprising nearly a half million dollars' ($300,000 appears in several
accounts, $500,000 in another) worth of silver and gold coins stored in three metal
strongboxes or chests and buried early in the Civil War. The owner, Madame Virginie
Parlange, feared that Union soldiers would ravage the mansion, which had been built by
Marquis Vincent de Ternant in 1750. The Yankee troops arrived in due course, but were
friendly to the owner after she greeted them in a warm fashion and even invited them to
dinner. After the war, her son followed his mother's instructions and unearthed two of the
chests, but the third could not be found. It was presumed that the two slaves who had
helped bury the chests and who had since decamped to Texas had unearthed the coins and had
reburied them elsewhere. Although several attempts were made to locate the treasure, the
coins remain missing to this very day. |
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The Gabriel Fuselier plantation in St. Landry Parish is believed to be the site for
coins buried during the Civil War era. |
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In Magnolia Cemetery in East Baton Rouge Paris there may be something buried besides
bodies, that being gold and silver coins. One might imagine that modern digging there
would be discouraged, however. |
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An entire "shipload of gold" (Penfield, 1952) may be at the bottom of the
Amite River near the site of where Galvez Town used to be, near present-day Oak Grove in
West Carroll Parish. |
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The site of an old French settlement, Fort
Iberville, in Plaquemines Parish, is said
by some to be where $160,000 in gold treasure is buried. |
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Various plantations on inland waterways are said to be very rich possibilities for
very rich treasures. Of the over 1,000 large plantations in operation along the
Mississippi River and elsewhere in the states along the lower reaches of the river, only a
few hundred remained active after the Civil War. |
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In Natchitoches Parish at an old landing on the Red River, hidden treasure worth
several thousand dollars has been found over the years, and it is said that this is just
the beginning. Good luck! |
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In Hulls Lake at Selma, Grant Parish, the loot from a bank robbery was hidden, never
to be found, at least not yet. |
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On the banks of the Red River near Acme, many gold coins are said to have been buried
circa 1861. |
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In a bayou near the Chretien Plantation a large quantity of coins is said to have been
hidden prior to the Civil War. Some of this treasure may have been from pirates who had
some sort of an arrangement with the owner of the estate. |
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Maine treasures waiting to be found
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The coast of Maine is said to have been an especially popular place for such pirates
as Captain Kidd, Captain Bellamy, and their ilk to have buried treasure. All of Bellamy's
gold and silver may have been hidden near the coastal town of Machias, but, on the other
hand, it may have been buried elsewhere (such is the nature of pirate treasure accounts,
and if enough of them are read, the reader comes back full circle to the starting place).
If and when any such treasure is found, most probably it will consist primarily of
Spanish-American coins, although there is the possibility that some Massachusetts silver
could be included. In addition, the "stern rockbound coast" (as one poet put it)
of New England, and of Maine in particular, spelled disaster to many coastwise ships who
became lost in fog or darkness. Many of their hulks remain today at the bottom of the sea,
some with rare coins scattered in the sand nearby. |
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All along the Maine coast are more islands than can be counted, and many of these have
been suggested as burial sites for buccaneers and privateers. Deer Isle, Vinalhaven and
North Haven (constituting the main part of the Fox Islands group), Fort Popham (built in
1861 as a deterrent should the Confederacy invade the Pine Tree State), Reef Ram Island,
Mount Desert Island (a vast acreage now a national park; Ship Bottom Bay is there),
Monhegan Island, Elm Island, Bailey Island, and Money Cave (sounds particularly
interesting!) on Isle du Haut are among the sites reflected in treasure lore. |
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Pirates aside, the coastal areas of Maine have yielded their share of Massachusetts
Pine Tree shillings and related pieces over the years, as related in Chapter 1. At the
very least, any treasure hunter who pokes around the Maine coast will see a lot of great
scenery even if he or she doesn't find any Pine Tree shillings or Spanish-American gold
doubloons. |
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At Cedar Ledges east of Ram Island in Casco Bay, three kettles of gold coins were
found on Thanksgiving Day, 1852, and more may still be there.1 |
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On Richmond Island, offshore from Cape Elizabeth, a vast treasure of Spanish-American
and other gold and silver coins was found in 1855. Many of the pieces were given to the
Maine Historical Society. |
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Maine is one of only a few states for which the population 150 years ago was a
substantial fraction of what it is today. This means that old sites have not been
overwhelmed by new construction, developments, etc. Thus, certain areas may yield
treasures. In general, wealth was concentrated along coastal areas rich with sea commerce,
shipbuilding, etc. Inland activities were mainly agrarian. |
Maryland treasures waiting to be found
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A French immigrant is said to have buried $100,000 in coins near Catonsville. |
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At or near the old Croissant Mansion in California, St. Mary's County, a treasure is
said to be hidden. |
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Near Salisbury, about $30,000 in treasure had already been found by the early 1950s,
and legend has it that more awaits lucky searchers. |
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Maryland coastal areas are said to conceal some of Captain Kidd's treasure, some of
which may be inland near the old Mansion House in northwest Baltimore. |
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Maryland has a rich colonial history, and without doubt many town and commercial sites
conceal coins awaiting seekers using electronic detectors. |
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Chesapeake Bay has had its share of ship losses, but any coins remaining on the sea
bottom are probably the personal property of passengers rather than lost treasure cargo. |
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Massachusetts treasures waiting to be found
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In Salisbury, Essex County, $175,000 in buried treasure has never been found. |
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Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, both offshore south of Cape Cod, are said to have
been favorite roosts for buccaneers. |
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Cape Cod (in particular) and other coastal regions are said to have been a popular
place for secreting pirate gold and silver. Captain Kidd's name is often associated with
such accounts. Anyone wanting to read exciting tales of Massachusetts ship losses,
disasters, and pirates need but acquire several of the books written by the late Edward
Rowe Snow, who for many years was the prime American chronicler of sea lore. Snow related
that it was common practice for pirates to be tried (loose interpretation of this judicial
term) in Boston and their corpses put in shackles and chains and taken to islands in
Boston harbor to be strung up from a gibbet in full view of passing shipsÑa warning to
what happens to buccaneers when they are caught. Among those so displayed was Jack
Quelch,
who often operated out of Marblehead; his corpse put in chains and strung up at Nix's
Mate, a small island in Boston harbor, where it rotted away, although some remains could
be viewed for several years thereafter. |
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In and around Marblehead harbor various pirates, most especially the aforementioned
Jack Quelch, are believed to have hidden treasure. |
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Snake Island, offshore from Marblehead, is supposed to have been a hiding place for
pirate loot. Ditto for Plum Island near Newburyport, today a popular seaside nature
conservancy and tourist destination. |
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The banks of the Parker River near Byfield may be a worthwhile site for treasure
hunting, including over $200,000 worth of gold and silver in a chest. |
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At Dalton in Berkshire County loot stolen by Hessian mercenary soldiers during the
American Revolution is said to be buried. Doubtless, such coins as Pine Tree shillings
would have been included. |
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Near old Tenney Castle at Methuen, Essex County, two eccentric brothers are said to
have hidden a fortune. |
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At Deer Island near Winthrop, 1,200 Mexican 8-reals were dug up in 1906, and who knows
how many more there might be. The beaches at Ipswich and Salisbury are said to frequently
yield 8-real Mexican silver coins dated circa 1715. Short Beach and Grover's Cliff as well
as nearby Nahant and Revere were used as cache sites for pirate silver and gold. |
Michigan treasures waiting to be found
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A fortune belonging to François Fontenay is said to be buried on Presque Isle near
Detroit. |
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Many treasures are said to be aboard sunken ships off the shores of Michigan. Over the
years many thousands of ships have gone down in Lake Michigan and the other Great Lakes. |
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Minnesota treasures waiting to be found
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In a stand of trees at Henderson, Sibley County, a treasure is buried. |
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In the woods near Wadena a group of bandits buried their loot and were killed shortly
thereafter by a posse. |
Mississippi treasures waiting to be found
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Near the old Gore mansion in Calhoun City valuable treasure was hidden in the earth. |
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Bandit James Copeland is said to have hidden gold coins in coastal areas in the 1840s
and 1850s. |
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Pirate Patrick Scott is said to have buried some treasure in the early nineteenth
century near Ocean Springs, Jackson County. |
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A treasure of gold coins may have been buried at Beaux Bridge in St. Martin's Parish
in the early nineteenth century by the slaves of Narcisse Thibodeaux. |
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The Pirate's House near Bay St. Louis is said to offer obvious possibilities including
the finding of underground tunnels facilitating the clandestine transfer of gold and
silver from shore to the house. |
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The treasure of merchant Gaines is said to have been hidden in Greene County, and
although quite a bit of it was recovered in the late nineteenth century, much remains
undiscovered |
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Just before the Civil War the Pickett family buried its fortune near the edge of
Vicksburg. |
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Two kegs of gold are said to have been buried near Greenwood in 1865 by robbers. |
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At Mathiston in Choctaw County many buried gold coins are supposedly waiting to be
found. |
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Joe Hare, a bandit who once operated in the area, may have buried his treasure in
Fayette, Jefferson County. |
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At Pass Christian in Harrison County the old oak tree beneath which Captain Dane is
supposed to have buried $200,000 may not still be there, but the treasure near it has
never been discovered. The money, in Spanish-American gold coins, belonged to a lady
passenger of the Nightingale, who in the aftermath of a love triangle, was locked in a
cabin when the ship sank. Great material for a novel, it would seem! |
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The Copeland gang looted the Bay St. Louis area in the early nineteenth century and
buried their treasure in Catahoula Swamp. |
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Missouri treasures waiting to be found
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Near Waynesville in Pulaski County a wealthy Forty Niner is said to have buried
$60,000 in the hills. |
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In the river areas near St. Louis there are said to be several coin-laden steamship
wrecks. |
Montana treasures waiting to be found
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Much Plummer gang (also active in Idaho) loot was hidden near Sun River, Cascade
County, and several other specified areas. |
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The Horsethief Cache near Billings is said to be where cattle rustlers hid treasure
(presumably coins, not cows or horses). |
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Robbers' Roost at Sheridan, Madison County, is where thieves secreted their plunder. |
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At Drummond in Granite County a Chinese miner is said to have buried five pounds of
gold (coins? nuggets?) in a can under a tree. |
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Treasure taken from Gen. Custer's troops after his "last stand" in Big Horn
County is said to have been hidden in the area (although one can only with great
difficulty imagine Army troops having much treasure). Separately, a few scattered coins
such as Shield nickels have been found on the site in recent decades and, called
"half dimes," were shown in an issue of National Geographic Magazine a few years
ago. |
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Virginia City, Montana (named after Virginia City, Nevada), was the site of extensive
gold discoveries in the 1860s. It is said that much treasure is still hidden in the
region. |
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