United States Treasure Trove Files

ARC

Gold Member
Aug 19, 2014
37,264
131,664
Tarpon Springs
Detector(s) used
JW 8X-ML X2-VP 585
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
AARC,
Are you saying you have hard copies of ALL the maps for sale? Or sell them in pdf's via internet?

no... I do not own very many... and none were ordered via L.O.C...
I accumulated the ones I have over the years via various sources / places...

But... I do own the actual "book" which is a comprehensive listing of the "holdings" of the LOC's archives of "treasure maps.
 

ARC

Gold Member
Aug 19, 2014
37,264
131,664
Tarpon Springs
Detector(s) used
JW 8X-ML X2-VP 585
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Also... I own the many of the maps which depict the suspected OR documented locations of "treasure wrecks"... one of which I prize and had professionally framed and matted.
 

ARC

Gold Member
Aug 19, 2014
37,264
131,664
Tarpon Springs
Detector(s) used
JW 8X-ML X2-VP 585
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Ps... both U.S. location maps... and worldwide ones as well.
 

ARC

Gold Member
Aug 19, 2014
37,264
131,664
Tarpon Springs
Detector(s) used
JW 8X-ML X2-VP 585
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
PSS... I am sorta... well not sort of... a map collector.

Primarily now days just Florida... Sold all of the other off over the years... Unless it pertains to wrecks / locations of / OR of some other interest / value.

My map thing started when I was young... after purchasing a super rare map for $20... that turned out to be worth serious money.

After that I was hooked on maps.

Been collecting ever since.
 

morbiusandneo

Sr. Member
Jun 16, 2007
392
50
Detector(s) used
Dowsing rods
Do you have the map listed:

"2. ARIZONA. Development Board. Treasure map[of Arizona. Phoenix, Ariz. , 1962?] ca. 1:3,600,000. 11 X 9 in. col."????

thnx.

Ps... both U.S. location maps... and worldwide ones as well.
 

Old Bookaroo

Silver Member
Dec 4, 2008
4,318
3,510
Jeff of pa:

I believe you are thinking of A Descriptive List of Treasure Maps and Charts in the Library of Congress by Richard S. Ladd (1964). The first edition was Treasure Maps in the Library of Congress by Hill & Ladd (1955). The second edition - not the first, as is often stated, is the one reprinted by The Rio Grande Press. If Bob had asked me I would have told him to reprint the third (expanded) "second edition" (1973) but he didn't.

Some of the items are listed in the 1964 but not in the 1973. The 1973 edition is expanded - but they dropped the books on treasure trove. Bottom Line: To get the full benefit you need copies of both.

Treasure Quest magazine obtained portions of the "treasure trove files" through the Freedom of Information Act and reprinted some of the items in a 3-ring binder. This was "Volume 1." I believe that was all that was printed.


Good luck to all,

The Old Bookaroo
 

Old Bookaroo

Silver Member
Dec 4, 2008
4,318
3,510
frankie:

That location was well known long before Barry Clifford excavated it. At one time there was a sign on the shore telling people where it was. And there is Capt. Southhack's map.

Good luck to all,

The Old Bookaroo
 

ARC

Gold Member
Aug 19, 2014
37,264
131,664
Tarpon Springs
Detector(s) used
JW 8X-ML X2-VP 585
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Do you have the map listed:

"2. ARIZONA. Development Board. Treasure map[of Arizona. Phoenix, Ariz. , 1962?] ca. 1:3,600,000. 11 X 9 in. col."????

thnx.

No I do not... like I said I specialize primarily in Florida maps... Caribbean and various southern islands including Jamaica and the Bahamas.
 

ARC

Gold Member
Aug 19, 2014
37,264
131,664
Tarpon Springs
Detector(s) used
JW 8X-ML X2-VP 585
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
If I can locate my copy of the LOC I will post a pic of it...

Moved over 2 years ago and have many boxes that have remained binned up.
 

Last edited:

Old Bookaroo

Silver Member
Dec 4, 2008
4,318
3,510
My apologies! I jumped into this tread in the middle - I didn't realize there were 2 pages. I apologize for repeating information that was already up.

This is the third edition:

Ladd #2 002.jpg

It is usually harder to find than the 2nd (1964) which seems backwards, except that 1964 publication was one of the best-selling treasure hunting books of all time. It really got me started (along with Bob Nesmith's Dig for Pirate Treasure of course). I sold a number of copies of the reprint to skin divers in the 1980's.

Good luck to all,

The Old Bookaroo
 

cw0909

Silver Member
Dec 24, 2006
4,364
3,222
Primary Interest:
Other
Has anyone ever heard of these? I first learned of these files kept by the government at the Library of Congress thru a book written by Thomas P. Terry. It was in one of his In Search of Treasure books, a five volume series. He took a trip to Washington D.C. and looked them over and took notes. Later he did his 10 volume United States Treasure Atlas series. From what I can recall there were letters sent in to the government by everyday people requesting assistance usually money to dig up buried treasure that they learned of. The government wasn't into treasure ventures, but kept the letters and formed the Treasure Trove Files. Question is there a way to find these thru the internet? Years ago lots of things were uploaded, did they get to these?

i looked into that a bit at the LOC, and found this list, not sure if the contents
are on microfilm, but for sure you would have to go to the LOC to see info


United States Work Projects Administration records, 1524-1975 (Library of Congress Finding Aid)
 

Last edited:

PatrickD

Hero Member
Jul 23, 2012
845
700
Colorado
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
One thing to note about the Terry books... His treasure books list multiple duplicates where the same treasure lead is listed in different counties. Its not a big issue but it would be smart to check the target area as well as the surrounding areas written in the book. The leads sometimes have the same name but contain a little different write-up. Also, I understand that Terry made up treasure leads or misleading information to be able to identify anyone trying to plagiarize his work. Kind of like map makers putting paper towns on their maps.
 

OP
OP
T

Tiredman

Bronze Member
Oct 15, 2016
2,311
1,486
Primary Interest:
Other
One thing to note about the Terry books... His treasure books list multiple duplicates where the same treasure lead is listed in different counties. Its not a big issue but it would be smart to check the target area as well as the surrounding areas written in the book. The leads sometimes have the same name but contain a little different write-up. Also, I understand that Terry made up treasure leads or misleading information to be able to identify anyone trying to plagiarize his work. Kind of like map makers putting paper towns on their maps.

I was surprised by your mentioning misleading info to catch folks stealing his work. I noticed errors thru out some real obvious. Example was for Wyoming having Medicine Wheel in the Big Horns listed as a ghost town. A few years later a got my hands on someone's product listing metal detecting locations for Wyoming. It had medicine wheel listed as a ghost town.
 

OP
OP
T

Tiredman

Bronze Member
Oct 15, 2016
2,311
1,486
Primary Interest:
Other
Now with a treasure listing as being in several locations, across a whole top half of a state! Such as the lost placer mine of Keyes (1866). It is caused by reported rediscoveries of hopeful folks over the years. I got the newspaper articles that caused those reports. We did a whole book on this lost treasure story, several places carry it, including Fort Benton River and Plains museum. Fort Benton is where he headed down river to never be seen again. Terry's info was the starting point of the research, and there are some I don't believe simply when things don't add up.
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Latest Discussions

Top