Does anybody know of any treasure legends/caches in Wisconsin

[ryandyck1]

I am trying to find information about any legends or treasure caches or even shipwrecks around lacrosse Wisconsin going all the way up to Eau Claire Wisconsin. I am just trying to find a starting point any help would be appreciated

 

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[pgfhgs]

Go to Wisconsin historical society they have a website you have to do a lot of digging around the website but it is in there.

 

[Mackaydon]

Welcome to Treasurenet !!
Wisconsin has seen 750 shipwrecks in its inland waters, the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River in the time it has been a state. Specifically, at the Wisconsin Historical Society, you might seek out underwater archaeologist Tamara Thomsen. She would know the answer to your question or point you in the right direction. You should also be aware that she may warn you about what wrecks are protected by law. So, approaching her as a treasure hunter might not be the best tact.
Don....

 

[releventchair]

While the Griffon left Green Bay before disappearing, there was activity on land. Not just an isolated event.
Native activities and Euro contact likely followed older trade routes inland eventually as competition increased.
Natives from Wisconsin knew of many distant locations and groups response to warfare created travel. Stuff from Eastern Mi. could turn up in Wisconsin and vice versa.
And from Europe as well as France and....(?)

https://books.google.com/books?id=T...EwBQ#v=onepage&q=griffon at green bay&f=false

 

[ryandyck1]

Thanks everyone for all your help and suggestions. I really appreciate it. I would love to get a map of the upper mississippi river known shipwrecks and shipwrecks that are thought to have sank but have not been found. I know that you're not allowed to go digging around the sites but they would be cool to look at...

 

[jeff of pa]

I'm not sure if any of these are local to you

1. Around 1700 a party of pirates operated out of a cave-hideout on Hermit Island, preying on trappers, traders and passenger ships. In 1705 they attacked a party of French traders and all of the pirates were killed. It is believed that their plundered valuables were secreted somewhere in the area of the cave and never recovered.
2. $80,000 in gold coins, earmarked as payroll for outposts and military forts in 1832, was buried during an Indian attack on Fort Crawford at Prairie du Chien. The coins were buried by a detail of soldiers from the fort "on the highest bluff across from the fort. In four piles. Each 20,000." The soldiers who hid the payroll were killed before returning to the fort and the gold was never recovered.
3. $35,000 in gold coins is believed to remain buried along a fence line near Muddy Creek, also known as Mud Creek, just west of Elk Mound. The original wood posts have been replaced with metal ones, but the treasure was never found when the posts were changed.
4. Before Benjamin Hurlburt died in 1899, he was a prosperous farmer who owned 80 acres of land 10 miles east of River Falls. He was considered one of the wealthiest men in the Rush River Valley, but after his death, only about $195.00 was accounted for in his estate. Neighbors say the old man hid his money in the woods and never told his family where he had buried it. His property was 8 miles east of River Falls on Hwy M, north on Hwy T for 1/2 mile, then east 2 miles just past the junction with Hwy Y on the town road. His farm was on the south side of the road. Different sources have spelled his name Hulbert and Hulberg.
5. $200,000-$750,000 in currency, contained in a suitcase, was buried by the gangster John Dillinger in 1934 in the woods behind the Little Bohemia Lodge, 8 miles SW of Mercer. When Federal agents stormed the hideout, Dillinger fled through a back window into the woods with the money. He was without the money when he met the rest of the gang and it has never been recovered.

 

[pgfhgs]

There are many many more.........

 

[CaptainMorgan]

Thanks Jeff you are the best. I remember you posting this for me years ago.

 

[Troller]

I have been looking at google earth and I noticed that there is a button to display ship wrecks, this may or may not help you. I have noticed that it doesn't display shipwrecks such as the SS Wisconsin which sunk about 6 miles off the shore of Kenosha. If you are looking for any shipwreck to dive then it might be of use!

 

[Bum Luck]

A lot of treasure stories were from the 1930's Works Project Administration Writer's Project.

Writers were paid money to write stories about everything, and treasure was one of them. Most were highly fanciful, to say the least. Bogus Bluff, Lake Mendota 1828 treasure, etc.

As far as the Mississippi River steamboat wrecks, here's some links that should keep you busy for a while: Steamboat Links

 

[Tiredman]

When I lived there I had used the united States treasure atlas series by Thomas P. Terry, the library should still have the complete 10 volume set on the shelves as well as all 5 volumes of in search of treasure he wrote. He wrote around 26 books and sadly passed away in 2006. He grew up in lacrosse.

 

[Tiredman]

Terry I believe also did a book on the shipwrecks for the inland waters, just type his name in Amazon. Once you see the prices on his books today, don't pass up chances to buy if you run across any.

 

[Bumpstick]

The one I would dig into is the bags of gold at Wild Cat Mt. By Gypsy Heart
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/t...sin/43788-wildcat-mt-wisconsin-bags-gold.html

 

[SuperPapa]

Where did you find or where can I look to find more info on #3 - Gold Coins buried along the fence line?

 

[SuperPapa]

Where did you hear about the $35k of Gold Coins buried west of Elk Mound, WI near a fence line by Muddy Creek? I looked and can not find anything on this legend of buried treasure.