Gold Washington Dollar cache: clue inquiry

[Tuberale]

There is certainly a buried treasure in the area near Bate's Tavern in East Granby but it is not the stolen Washington payroll. In 1944, Anthony Ruches spotted a gold coin in the Salmon Brook River but he was unable to retrieve it in the swiftly running water. He never referred to it as a "Washington Dollar"., because he never got his hands on it. However, when he read an article in the Hartford Courant, concerning the Revolutionary War gold in 1957, he remembered that coin and went back to the area with another man, a treasure hunter named Richard Nelson and began searching. In 1957 they found several stones that had strange markings, {sun , moon stars and some that were printed }. that they later determined were indicative of several caches left by a pirate settlement that was wiped out during King Phillips War. The story is verified in the Thompsonville Press, June 23, 1966 and in The Springfield Daily News, which also has a picture of the stones. I have photostats but posting them would probably be a copyright infringement. I obtained twenty pages of notes attributed to Ruches and made 25 trips to the area myself and I believe that some of these caches were in fact retrieved, that at least two of them remain, including the main cache and there may be others; Ruches hadn't located them all. I would agree with the one poster about the difficulty of the terrain and the digging, but you can't just look where the digging is good. As for the two that I have located, one will require the purchase of the real estate or approach the owner and the other has it's own logistical nightmares, enough said. But it could be worth your while to polk around there. I might add in closing that I had a lot of trouble tuning my Whites 600 two box; there is a lot of copper in the ground. Good Luck

Unless it has specifically been renewed, copyright of newspapers expires after 50 years. Provided you cite the paper involved you should be safe.

 

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[Tod Ringam]

Hi Tom!

I have an idea how it was done. I doubt horses were used. I belive the wagons were rolled by 5 or 6 men North up
the road as far as they could, which is a little down hill. The boxes were carryed a short distance and buried; which way
I don't know. I favor to the West. Maybe to a small hill. It was well planed out. They probably had the hole dug before
hand, then covered it very carfully. If you don't have a Topo. map you should get one. I hope this might help. Tod

 

[Frankn]

This is actually another of Sam's digups.

 

[Connecticut Sam]

#123 is actually another of Frankn insults. I did not write any comments on page one, so it is not one of my dig ups. If if was, it would be cover by: FREEDOM OF SPEECH. Frankn did not tell us of his opinion if the story is true or not. NOT.

 

[Connecticut Sam]

The things you read in Lost Treasure nice to read but very little truth. I have spent a lot of time in Historical records out here in the west on some of their stories. All so far have proved to be junk journalism. It's a laugh to see how such stories get printed. I guess for a buck you can write and get anything printed.

You are correct. For many years, Lost Treasure would published this story at least 3 times a year. Total untrue.

 

[Connecticut Sam]

for a very long time, I could not response to this web site about the Rev. War 13 wagon loads of gold dollars. Now, look out. You may want to read my story in this web site newsletter of Feb. 15. The story is false. There was no mention in the Hartford Courant newspaper back then, or any local history books, written by local people. Captain Bates lives to be 91 years old. His family still live there in the sixes. The Bates family never heard of the story until they read the lady letters in the Hartford Courant in 1951. I been a coin collector and a treasure hunter since 1964. These coins were never minted, and that is why I am willing pay for pictures of the front and the back of the coins for $100.00. I don't have any takers. People out west save money to go treasure hunting in the East. People in the East save money to go treasure hunting in the west. There are treasure hunters in every states. Don't state that that there are coins, that you never saw.

My offer is still good. [email protected] . My comments are still true. I used to lived at the Golden Rule Farm in Northfield, N. H. while attending high school, in Tilton, N.H. Graduated in 1961. I spend most of my life in Connecticut. Been interesting in bury treasure since 1964.

 

[Connecticut Sam]

Hey all, found this thread and since I'm from CT it peaked my interest Did a little searching and found a few things. I'm not on either side of the fence here, just posting some info I found.
1. This I copy and pasted from some other thread :

REGARDING THE EAST GRANBY TREASURE
This is another of my statement that was stolen by a crook.

The article GOLD CACHE is wrong. FLOYD: "I hope you print my story, because many of your readers made comments and are wasting their time and money looking for it."

Here we go again. I am 64 years old and have lived in Connecticut for most of my life. I became a coin collector in 1964. After seeing many ads for metal detectors in COIN WORLD, I bought a Whites detector and that got it all started. Since that time, including the latest LOST TREASURE magazine, I had read the story of 13 wagon loads of gold coin loaned from France that got robbed at Bates Tavern. Unlike many authors, I did a lot of research, including interviewing William Bates, who was an old man. He, like many people, is a story teller. He told me the story was true and that the boxes were buried near a stream, because the digging was easy.
Years later I spoke to his son-in-law who lives in the tavern, with his wife. He had to be in his sixties. I asked him if William really believed the story. He told me that the Bates had never heard of the story until they read the letters from a woman to the Hartford Cournat newspaper in 1951.
Remember: Captain Lemuel Bates died at 91 years of age. I hope to live that long. He lived in the tavern until he died. That means he would tell his children, who would tell their children the story. Most people believe that stories in treasure magazines are false. The coins were never found, and never will be, because the story is false. The treasure story writer for LOST TREASURE magazine states that Richard H. Phelps wrote a book claiming that Henry Wooster, a Tori, was involved and wrote a letter to his mother stating that he had helped rob the wagons with the coins. Wrong ! Phelps, who lived in East Granby, never mentioned that story. He wrote that Henry had robbed a house, with his friends, and went to England and came back after the war. The article in the magazine also states " in 1951 a Hartford woman wrote a series of articles about the heist." If the story was true,then it would have been in the local papers at the time. I also asked a woman who lived in East Granby all of her life, why she didn't write about the treasure in her East Granby history book. She said the story was false. If you find the coins, just send me a picture. Every time the story is printed, many new people show up at Bates Tavern looking for the treasure. You would think that someone would have found the coins since 1951---if the story was true. I'd be grateful if anyone has any true stories of treasure in Connecticut. Best of luck to you all.

2. This is a link to an article I found mentioning the above Henry Wooster. Interesting reading whether you believe the story of the treasure or not.

http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/1967/2/1967_2_40.shtml

Good luck.

This is another on my stories that was stolen by another crook. I still paying for pictures of these coins. I am willing to pay one million dollars for just one coin. Story is total untrue.

 

[Connecticut Sam]

i don't follow many but this one i do. what's my share for these hints? not greedy or anything,but they're close to the surface. would like to take a trip up there and help hunt.

Don't waste you time.

 

[Connecticut Sam]

This story is total untrue. It started with a letter from a crazy lady to a Hartford Newspaper in 1951. I started treasure hunting in 1964, because I was a coin collector. France never minted those coins. Yes, there is a Bate Tavern in East Granby. Nobody never found any gold coins in a brook or anywhere else. This story is in Lost Treasure at least 2 times a year for over 30 years. This year, it must had been publish at least 4 times. I feel sorry for the family living in the Tavern. Every time the story get publish, more people knock on their door for information.The story was never publish in local or state history books. The family never heard of the story until they had read the letter in the newspaper. You be wasting you time and money if you look for it. If true, it would had been found many many years ago.

#84 are also my comments. Good luck for looking for nothing.

 

[Connecticut Sam]

This is actually another of Sam's digups. View attachment 705014

Tod in #122 dig up this story which is a good thing. You are wrong again. [email protected]... Still seeking true unpublished stories about Connecticut bury treasures that you are no longer looking for.

 

[Connecticut Sam]

http://www.losttreasure.com/statetales/taleCT.cfm

Jeff
You may want to move this thread to: Connecticut legends,,, so it would easy be found by those who live in Connecticut. Thanks and good luck.

 

[Tod Ringam]

I'm trying to reply but it dosen't get posted

 

[Tod Ringam]

Connecticut Sam; I think you are just the guy to find the Washigton dollars. You must be pretty interested to have done
so much research, and you need a project in Conn. Right? What if it was a top secret opperation at the highist level? The
wagons desgised as ordinary freight with no gards to attract atention. The boxes marked lead musket balls or some such
thing. Maybe only the wagon master knows whats realy in them. The next morning the boxes desappear into thin air! No
body knows anything. Remember this is a top secret opperation; what's the guy to do? The only thing he can do; go on as
though nothing has happened. Bates is probably in fixing breakfast, he don't know anything either. After the war: Maybe
France want's the money back. Wouldn't it be very covient to disavow any knolage of the gold. Only a hand full of people
would know about it; one of which was a traitor maybe nobody wants an investagation. It was a covert opperation. Maybe
this is what your "crazy Lady" uncovered? It could all be true. Tod R.

 

[Dixiegal]

In 1798 the total $1 dollar mintage was only 1, 094 coins. In 1797 about 427, In 1796 about 400 plus 900 no stars. So less than 3,000 coins worth about $3,000 dollars.

Also I think by 1799 all the tories had been run out of the country to Canada or back to Britain.

 

[Dixiegal]

In 1799 there were no $1 coins minted in the US. At that time we were still using the pillar dollar (Piece of Eight) as our govt could not mint enough coinage to do business.

 

[Dixiegal]

I believe the original post indicated gold dollars. That is what I was referencing right out of the Red Book. I was not talking about silver.

 

[Tod Ringam]

Dixiegal; right gold dollars; but didn't they come from France? Tod R. Gold from France to help fight the British----------------

 

[smokeythecat]

I'd also start with reports where the coins were found. A lot of the landmarks then like "the old oak near the fence" would be long gone. You'll probably have to grid several square miles both with a regular machine and with a deep seeking type, and in the creek and in the ponds would be reasonable searches. They would probably have buried them in wood casks or boxes. Not metal.

 

[Dixiegal]

There was a lot of different coinage around in those days. French for sure but not in large quantities. The Spanish pillar dollar was widely circulated and readily recognizable so it was very popular and was used here up until about 1859.

 

[PeteWmass]

what-is at the location of the tavern now.....just empty (?)....regardless of treasure...that would have been a good place to poke around while they were moving it ......Im sure a couple of locals must have been in on that
as for the pictures in the Springfield paper..of the carved stones...that newspaper no-longer technically exists....its now "The Republican" - I would say post away...I see old newspaper pictures posted on facebook all the time.....my college roomate is an editor over there....Id like to see this picture...don't make me pester him to go and find it......heh