Old mines in NY

[littleneckhalfshell]

this last sunday I was out hiking at Harriman state park in NY and took a trail to the "Old Spanish Silver Mine" actually a unknown mine, thought to be prehistory at least pre-english history that legend says was a spanish silver exploration. It consisted of two shallow 8' x 8' relativly shallow verticle shafts on Black Mt. The area also has a ledgend of it being the site of Capt. Kid's treasure. But it got me to thinking, how many other old mines are there in NY that are not documented? I know I have come across a mine site in lower columbia county, but I don't think it is mentioned anywhere, you can see where they piled up tailings and where they followed a trench which ends in a big "pond", which I think is a open pit, lots of quartz in the area. How do you research things that are sort of "pre-history" or which may be at best 'colonial period' and not well known?

 

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[KGCnewbieseeker]

quartz is a goooooood sign when searching for yer gold and silver yarr!!! im in oneida county where are you? pm me. I have ideas on how you can research the old mines and such. I was doing random research and came across a garnet mine in the adirondaks thats still in use! I had no idea!

 

[littleneckhalfshell]

I'm in Northern NJ, but grew up in Columbia County NY where my folks still live. There was a bit of quartz also up on Black Mt. in Harriman state park at the old Spanish Silver Mine along the trail. I have read that there have been trace findings of silver in a number of areas in the NY/NJ area, but never profitable. Also I believe there is a silver mine over on the Conn. border. But many areas don't premit mines anymore, so even if one found a "good sign" of silver or other valuable outcrop, what good is it if you can't mine it. And then there is the problem of it being on private, or Park property. Still I would like to know who did what and when, and if it was 'treasure' all the better.

 

[electricbill]

harriman park is filled with mines...mostly for iron...but some were silver or nickel. years back, i recall there was an open silver mine near "doodletown". somebody was actually blasting up there!! the park took measures to "blow" the entrance shut...thus ending their silver boom....

palisades park comm. also controls property between monroe and chester..it's called goosepond mountian...many homesteads were torn down in the early 60's when they took it over (a LOT of mercury head dimes!!). there is a "cave" in there also, your "pirate" reputedly stored horses there (and used it as a hide-out) again...the mouth was filled in for "safety". i detected around it and only found a modern lead bullet...
older maps show the houses (and barns) in the park. both sides of Rt17m,which passes along there, had bars and gas stations. found most of my coins there.and an engagement ring near a bar's foundation (imagine THAT story!!). i just found out recently, a milk delivery truck rolled over on 1 of the corners there..in the early 60's,losing all his change(that's ALL silver coins!)...this guy picked up $22 worth back then but had to leave the rest is there for me to find....
bill

 

[Zincoln Miner]

a local hiking club may have info or maps.I went to rockland co's historical society some time back to
buy maps(yes check out historical societies for maps,books)and inquired about the spanish mine.
story goes that spaniards were dropped off (along the hudson) and spent a season around that mountain
and left.when the locals checked the area and found remnants of crude log home plus some diggings,they
surmised a treasure was deposited,it was searched for in recent times.this inspired me to have a dream that night that I found a a silver
crucifix on one side of the mountain,I won,t tell you wich side besides such things are illegal in state parks.

that cave in goosepond was an indian shelter but was used temporarly by an infamous highwaymen and
tory during the rev war.when the place was acquired by the state in the 50's-60's workers rolled over
a boulder and found old iron cuffs with the fleshless hands still in it.forget about merc's try large cents
to barbers but state parks are illegal unless you get a degree and permit .

 

[beekeeper65]

The "infamous highwayman" was none other than Claudius Smith..a well known Tory. As is commonly known he was hung for his "crimes" in the village square in downtown Goshen. Anyway none of the loot from his pillaging was ever recovered (at least publicly)..he and members of his gang hid it in a cave that after his death even they could not find again..

Beekeeper65

 

[Zincoln Miner]

yes beekeeper I forgot to mention the famous scoundrels name (claudius smith).
legend says he would boast about a retirement cache hidden in the cat rocks(located near the
warwick chester border west side of route 5 on the appalachian trail as the trail turns sw just
past the 2 cellar holes right hand side on top bellvale mountain).

 

[beekeeper65]

Hi Solx,

There are lots of places that supposedly have Claudius' cache: Monroe, Washingtonville, Blooming Grove, New Hampton, Tuxedo, Mahwah, Suffern , Ringwood just to name a few..

I personally think there is no ONE cache..rather it is split over several locations. There are quotes alledgedly uttered by the man himself that support this allegation. I also think SOME have been recovered ..others await the lucky T-hunter..

The biggest problem is development in the area but I won't go there on this forum..

Curious question: why do you label Claudius a "scoundrel"? History has pretty much vindicated him..almost all of his alledged "atrocities' are serverely exagerrated or overblown..remember it was war time..he was NOT a common highway man as commonly portrayed (I can easily back this up..)..he was just fighting a cause he beleived in (rule of the Crown)..

Not trying to make trouble..just wondering why you feel this way..

Regards,
bk65

 

[Zincoln Miner]

hi bk65

scoundrel,villan,scourge of the ramapo's,thief etc.these are just the words that repeat themselves
when you do research on him by the victors of the revolution.there were some that saw him as a
robinhood like character helping women and dying heroe like in a gunfight on sugarloaf mountain
not hung @ the goshen courthouse.

claudius was the first reference to a "cowboy",stealing cattle (someones means of a living) as one
young man was a victim (near todays larue rd) and sell them to the british in suffern.he was blaimed
in the murder of a continental officer.a home invasion was thwarted by a little girl (phoebe).

my personnel feelings is that his father taught him thievery and when the war broke out it was an
oppurtunity to escalate this behavior.he probably did have some loyalties because if I remeber correctly
he was in a muster roll during the french indian war.this is my view as a patriot (this what you are looking for).

here is the gps cordinates for "wildcat or catrocks"
N 41'15.817
W 074'16.218
I beleive his and his gangs caches is somewhere else,but this is a nice hike that captures the imagination.
(sorry for any incorrect spelling).

 

[beekeeper65]

Hi Solx,

Thanks for the response and coordinates. Have you ever hunted there? I'm going to take a hike to Catrocks as soon as the weather gets nice (figures..NOW we get snow!!)...

Anyway, as far as CS is concerned: there is a lot of legend and fiction added to his tale. I agree with you that there is probably a cache (or caches - my opinion) out there to be found. However, I also think he spent a lot of the money from sale of the livestock he took on day to day expenses (food for him and his gang, etc). But I think he did believe the British would eventually win the conflict..and put some money away for when that day would come..

In researching him I also came across terms like scoundrel, villain, etc. These descriptions were generally in books that are historically inaccurate ..like Dorothy Bold Wolfe's "The Bad Man of The Hudson". This and other accounts add little to nothing as research references and resort to name calling and fictionalized accounts of actual events (probably in an effort to sell more books..). Add local folklore (like his height - 7 feet?? are they talking about CS or Yao Ming?...) and you get the picture (btw you probably know but his height at the time of the French Indian War was 5'-9")...

My point is that after you strip way the legend and fiction you have a man that if nothing more had strong convictions and beliefs. He BELIEVED in Crown rule. When asked by Judge Bodle at his conviction for high treason if he had anything to say in his own defense he replied " No, if God almighty can't change your hearts, I certainly can not." Also, in "The Public Papers of George Clinton" written by the New York Governor wrote "It is assumed that Claudius' band or gang were exclusively deserters or ruffians. Instead (they were) Tory sympathizers who believed just as fairly in the rule of The King as the Whigs did in the cause for independence." It is apparent that even Clinton did not think of CS as some sort of lowly villain.

In addition when Major Jesse Brush (who captured CS) was captured by the British they (the British ) refused to exchange Major Brush in a POW swap. His name was struck off the POW list and he was treated like a common criminal.When Governor Clinton wrote to British General Heath about another POW swap for Major Brush General Heath did not even bother to respond. The British obviously did not consider Claudius to be common "cowboy" or they would not have taken such a severe revenge on Major Brush.

I could go on but I think historical fact paints Claudius not as a scoundrel but more of a man who fought (and died) for a cause he believed in..

OK I'm off the soapbox..and going for a drive to the downtown Goshen...

Regards,
bk65

 

[hopperdave]

Yeah, I know this is an old thread.... I spent the first 6+/- years of my life in Chappaqua NY; a few years after being born on Manhattan Island, Dad decided to move the family (Mom, Dad, my older sister, and I) to the "suburbs" to Chappaqua. This was in 1974, or '75 (maybe '73?), and Dad always said there was an old "Indian Silver Mine" in the woods in back of the house. There was, indeed, a big pit that was not naturally created. I was little, and it was over 35 years ago, but this pit was probably 20-30 feet deep, and about 10 feet square, and the walls of this pit were solid rock. My older sister and I would play in there, we had a rope ladder tied to a nearby tree. One day we found a rabbit at the bottom of the "mine" and rescued it from certain starvation. This was off the south end of Hunting Ridge Road where the street ends in a cul-de-sac. The woods in this area now known as the "Pinecliff Audubon Sanctuary". I haven't been there since I was 6 or 7 years old, but the memories are vivid with both my sister and me (she was 8, 9, or 10, at the time). We lived at the house in Chappaqua while I was in kindergarten thru the 1st grade, and left while I was in the 2nd grade (I think? it may have been between 1st and 2nd grade). I was born in 1969, so this would have been 1974 or 1975 or so.

So - was this a real silver mine of any sort? Was it just a vertical pit dug for some other reason? Any info would be great!

 

[beekeeper65]

Wow!!! Thanks for resurrecting an old thread...perhaps I can add some points of interest. First - I would google+/ check out about Silver Mine in Harriman State Park.While I've been to over 40+ mines in that Park I haven't checked out the Silver Mine legends. From what I've seen around the web apparently there are stories of Spanish activity in the area..heck - there is even a lake in Harriman named after the alleged activities in the area. Now - there are PLENTY of old iron mines in the area..dating pre-Revolution through WWI. You can find alot of them pretty easily - most of the old maps have them marked. PLEASE be careful around them. They are great fun to explore but many have there own set of hazards. With that said - I know of a couple of other Silver Mine legends in the area. There is a story of an old Indian mine in Garrison/Cold Spring area...there is an old NY Times article on this site somewhere about it.

Lot of old mines around...I'm 46 - grew up in Bergen County, NJ - now live in Orange County, NY. Spent alot time in the woods and in mines. If you want any help or want to hike sometime get in touch... Wife not really interested anymore...

 

[LEW14]

Old mines in NYS-Hudson Valley. New York State Geological Survey | NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
Deposits of lead, copper and silver were in the Hudson Highlands. Lead was mined, but the silver was not of commercial value.
Tilley Foster was mining in between Carmel and Brewster Westchester County. There were emery mines in Croton and Peekskill bu they closed down. Emery is hard stone Mohs 9 composed of corundum and several other minerals.

 

[LEW14]

Tilly Foster Iron Mine, Brewster, Southeast Township, Putnam Co., New York, USA Tilley Foster

 

[Kevin Roe]

Nice to know about it and there is really nice conversation is going in the era.
Very many best of lucks for you to find the enough .

 

[Terry Soloman]

Sorry all, there are NO legitimate gold or silver mines in the state of New York. That has not stopped folks from selling them since the 1600s however. Talk to the State Geologist New York geologic map data

 

[apaspa]

Filming in Mines of New York

hello,

I just joined this site. I am interested in these mines for filming a student project. I was wondering if anyone could point me in the right direction for a big cinematic looking mine? any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Chapp2017]

I have a follow up great for Hunting Ridge Road in Chappaqua NY. Today is march 2, 2017 if you receive this. My email is [email protected] thank you.