Bolton, Ma. Farm Cache

[GaBnn3]

I'm doing some preliminary research on the Bolton cache in the old well. However, I want to be sure this is for real, not fabricated by a treasure magazine author for one month's magazine, such as the Follensby cache. U.S. census records don't confirm the existence of the source of this tale, one Henry Haggman, of Boston. Can anyone add anything of interest. I have come to believe that, due to the lack of internet, radio and television, back in the 1800's, story telling was a major passtime. Nothing makes a better story than one of lost love and hidden fortune. So, before I waste too much time, I'm looking for confirmation from someone. Thanks.

 

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[Deep Seeker]

I live nearby and know some residents. Never heard of any legend. Willing to research and ask some questions if you can provide more info.

 

[cje]

are you referring to the legend of gold coins being hidden in a well?

 

[GaBnn3]

Sorry for delay in responding fellas. This story was revealed by the noted author, Edward Rowe Snow, who was himself a successful treasure hunter. He unsuccessfully tried to track this one down. Yes, this is the box of gold coins valued at the time at $50k. Intrigue behind story makes it suspect. But, since it's within driving distance, I'm looking at it.

 

[Kneo]

Sorry for delay in responding fellas. This story was revealed by the noted author, Edward Rowe Snow, who was himself a successful treasure hunter. He unsuccessfully tried to track this one down. Yes, this is the box of gold coins valued at the time at $50k. Intrigue behind story makes it suspect. But, since it's within driving distance, I'm looking at it.

I recall doing a little research on this one. The catch was supposedly near the intersection of 117 and Route 495. Many have searched for the well, however, one needs a two box or very deep detector. I am close by as well, but there is a lot of land there and it may possibly be buried under the 495 highway. Contact me if you would like to work together on this one.

 

[GaBnn3]

Hi kneo. Yes, I'd be willing to pool our knowledge and see where it leads. It seems to me that the buried under 495 idea is just speculation because 495 was not there at the time the treasure was buried. But, no one knows where the specific farm was located. Of all the tales I looked at this one is the most vague and clueless. I understand how Edward Rowe Snow hit a deadend. BTW I have a White TM808.

 

[frankie]

Hello from the cape. I heard something about this also. We all must have the same info from research. I could be wrong on this, sooo!! Their might be a river close by that town. It goes way up and was used by smaller boats. I remember the rt117 and 495 but not sure where they meet or what. But anyway. [Winthrop] 1699 buried a cache of treasure on the old john Allen farm near base of great head. Theirs a road their called Treasure road. If this information is right. Might have two treasures mixed or even writer copy info wrong. Never know. Ships are spelt different,but their the same ship. Good luck

 

[papajon]

Hey I have also heard of this. There are a lot of stories surrounding Bolton Acton and Shirley areas having to do with similar stories of a well cache. If you guys are still looking and want another detector I am interested I use to hunt game in Bolton and have seen many a cellar hole without going back to detect as time and the hobby wasn't an interest at the time. I always kept maps on hunts and used markers such as cellar holes as way points to go back to later for deer. I still have the maps. maybe worth lookin into.

 

[sorgboston]

Hi kneo. Yes, I'd be willing to pool our knowledge and see where it leads. It seems to me that the buried under 495 idea is just speculation because 495 was not there at the time the treasure was buried. But, no one knows where the specific farm was located. Of all the tales I looked at this one is the most vague and clueless. I understand how Edward Rowe Snow hit a deadend. BTW I have a White TM808.

Hi Everyone, I live in Bolton, this is such an awesome legend. I live near the lime quarry. I wonder how far "near" 495 and 117 could be? Mile radius? 2 mile radius? Or really right around the the intersection. Lots of swamp and woods around there. When I google, "Bolton Ma old john allen", the images show the old Whitcomb-Mentzer house, near the lime kiln quarry. I purchased my house from the Mentzers close to the lime quarry. Behind me is 30 acres of woods and two old wells. These wells probably aren't "the well", but I am metal detecting the 30 acres and around the wells. Any more info on the cache would be so cool. What a great legend.

 

[sorgboston]

Here are pictures of the old wells. I doubt they are from the 1600's. I estimate mid-1800s, but I have no clue.

 

[cujocon]

I have more info on this hunt. Reach out if you are still interested.

 

[sorgboston]

I have more info on this hunt. Reach out if you are still interested.

Please share!

 

[cujocon]

Please remember me if anyone bags this prize...
There might be $2M in gold coins in a well near or underneath the 117 on-ramp to I495N in the town of Bolton MA.

The story of how it got there comes from Fantastic Folklore and Fact by Edward Rowe Snow, written in 1968.
While the gold itself may be a fabrication, I've been able to verify many of the facts in the story.

The gold was $50k in coins from a Bank in Boston in 1852 - so about $2M today.
The gold was chained in a brinx box to a pipe in a well.
The well wasn't the house's primary, but the barn's...
I did read that for the well to have been there when the guy put the money in it in the 1850s it would've been a hand dug well so that limits its size to approximately 30 feet it also makes it a bigger footprint to look for.

The name of the house where the well was located I believe to have been the Kimmens/Whitcomb House, which was next door to the Old South Burying Ground.
https://www.townofbolton.com/discover-bolton/pages/late-modern-period-1945-present

The biggest change in transportation routes, however, came in 1964, with the building of Interstate Route 495 north-south through the town just east of the center. Its construction involved the destruction of a few historic houses and the moving of others (cf. the early-eighteenth-century Kimmens/Whitcomb House, now at 48 Hudson Road (#153).
---This is referenced in the book - The editor of the History of Bolton says the farmhouse was originally built in 1793 and was moved to the spot where the guy who hid the treasure found it.

The State took the property over in 1963, I can't find any property cards on it from before that time, so I can't find the boundaries online. the Bolton historical society probably has maps there with clear markings and maybe even a way to guess where the barn would have been located.
I don't know if the highway department has a library or history department that would keep track of property that they had to move to build 495.

A relatively free next step would be to make a trip out there and just look at the property to see if there's any hope of seeing anything there. We can easily park at the cemetery.

If the well was filled in as part of the highway project, it would've been filled in with Bentonite cement. If that's the case, then I think all hope it's lost. We'd have to dig up thousands of pounds of rock and then break it apart.

 

[sorgboston]

Please remember me if anyone bags this prize...
There might be $2M in gold coins in a well near or underneath the 117 on-ramp to I495N in the town of Bolton MA.

The story of how it got there comes from Fantastic Folklore and Fact by Edward Rowe Snow, written in 1968.
While the gold itself may be a fabrication, I've been able to verify many of the facts in the story.

The gold was $50k in coins from a Bank in Boston in 1852 - so about $2M today.
The gold was chained in a brinx box to a pipe in a well.
The well wasn't the house's primary, but the barn's...
I did read that for the well to have been there when the guy put the money in it in the 1850s it would've been a hand dug well so that limits its size to approximately 30 feet it also makes it a bigger footprint to look for.

The name of the house where the well was located I believe to have been the Kimmens/Whitcomb House, which was next door to the Old South Burying Ground.
https://www.townofbolton.com/discover-bolton/pages/late-modern-period-1945-present

The biggest change in transportation routes, however, came in 1964, with the building of Interstate Route 495 north-south through the town just east of the center. Its construction involved the destruction of a few historic houses and the moving of others (cf. the early-eighteenth-century Kimmens/Whitcomb House, now at 48 Hudson Road (#153).
---This is referenced in the book - The editor of the History of Bolton says the farmhouse was originally built in 1793 and was moved to the spot where the guy who hid the treasure found it.

The State took the property over in 1963, I can't find any property cards on it from before that time, so I can't find the boundaries online. the Bolton historical society probably has maps there with clear markings and maybe even a way to guess where the barn would have been located.
I don't know if the highway department has a library or history department that would keep track of property that they had to move to build 495.

A relatively free next step would be to make a trip out there and just look at the property to see if there's any hope of seeing anything there. We can easily park at the cemetery.

If the well was filled in as part of the highway project, it would've been filled in with Bentonite cement. If that's the case, then I think all hope it's lost. We'd have to dig up thousands of pounds of rock and then break it apart.

This is awesome, thank you! I will park at the cemetery this week and peak around, take pictures and update this thread. As long as i am living so close to this legend, I will always be curious.

 

[cujocon]

This is awesome, thank you! I will park at the cemetery this week and peak around, take pictures and update this thread. As long as i am living so close to this legend, I will always be curious.

Anything of interest at the site, or is it inaccessible?
I may make the drive out this weekend to poke around, since I'm only in Greenfield.

 

[sorgboston]

Anything of interest at the site, or is it inaccessible?
I may make the drive out this weekend to poke around, since I'm only in Greenfield.

It's accessible. Parking, etc. Sorry I haven't taken photo's yet. I live close by and will do. It is worth a try! I can also look for old records of the the moved house's property. I have better time next week.

 

[releventchair]

Please remember me if anyone bags this prize...
There might be $2M in gold coins in a well near or underneath the 117 on-ramp to I495N in the town of Bolton MA.

The story of how it got there comes from Fantastic Folklore and Fact by Edward Rowe Snow, written in 1968.
While the gold itself may be a fabrication, I've been able to verify many of the facts in the story.

The gold was $50k in coins from a Bank in Boston in 1852 - so about $2M today.
The gold was chained in a brinx box to a pipe in a well.
The well wasn't the house's primary, but the barn's...
I did read that for the well to have been there when the guy put the money in it in the 1850s it would've been a hand dug well so that limits its size to approximately 30 feet it also makes it a bigger footprint to look for.

The name of the house where the well was located I believe to have been the Kimmens/Whitcomb House, which was next door to the Old South Burying Ground.
https://www.townofbolton.com/discover-bolton/pages/late-modern-period-1945-present

The biggest change in transportation routes, however, came in 1964, with the building of Interstate Route 495 north-south through the town just east of the center. Its construction involved the destruction of a few historic houses and the moving of others (cf. the early-eighteenth-century Kimmens/Whitcomb House, now at 48 Hudson Road (#153).
---This is referenced in the book - The editor of the History of Bolton says the farmhouse was originally built in 1793 and was moved to the spot where the guy who hid the treasure found it.

The State took the property over in 1963, I can't find any property cards on it from before that time, so I can't find the boundaries online. the Bolton historical society probably has maps there with clear markings and maybe even a way to guess where the barn would have been located.
I don't know if the highway department has a library or history department that would keep track of property that they had to move to build 495.

A relatively free next step would be to make a trip out there and just look at the property to see if there's any hope of seeing anything there. We can easily park at the cemetery.

If the well was filled in as part of the highway project, it would've been filled in with Bentonite cement. If that's the case, then I think all hope it's lost. We'd have to dig up thousands of pounds of rock and then break it apart.

People look in open wells.
Open wells in use were jealously defended against foreign matter.
Fouling a well a bad thing. Or increasing cleanout time intervals.

People don't/didn't gaze down outhouse holes as much.
More so off to one side under , or behind a false wall behind a seat.

A pipe in a well (well in an open well) seems odd.
There were handpump well pipes. But not exposed below ground.
Artesian wells often just a pipe.

A spring could be carefully worked. But would seem shallow.

You have your leads and clues to work though.
I'd rather drop a heavy box in or near an outhouse hole than down a well. For recovery's sake.
And if I told anyone my gold was in a well , it might be more likely it is under my livestocks feed crib or heavy trough ect. in the barn! Or below a barn corner. Or...

 

[cujocon]

has anyone been able to walk the Kimmens property, or at least clearly mark the boundaries?
I still haven't been out east, as I sold my car when COVID happened, and I started working from home.
Can someone provide the nearest safe parking spot GPS or address?

 

[timberscribe]

Greetings,
I am from Bolton and I can add a lot of color to this. Mrs Esther Whitcomb, who owned the property at the time was my mentor in Town history. ERS met with her in the 50s and he stayed in touch with her. The Snow book was the most checked out from the Bolton library for decades.