Hanover Neck, N.-J. Misplaced Gold

[GRiley]

Traverse City Record Eagle May 30, 1901

The farm of Henry Walker on the banks of the Whippany river, near Hanover Neck,, N.-J., is being again disturbed by a number of wealth seekers looking for the 50.000 in gold, which, according to local tradition, was buried there during tho war of the revolution by Mrs. Kitchell, wife of Aaron Kitchell, paymaster in the American Army.. the story is that Colonel Kitchell was called to Morristown, N. J., on account of the sudden advance of the British forces. Before he went away he turned the gold over to his wife and instructed her to hide it. This Mrs. Kitchell did, but before her husband returned home again she died. Just before
her death she thought of the hidden treasure, but all she was able to say was "It is under a big tree."

Arron Kitchell also served several terms as N.J. Representative and as a Senator.

 

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[Crow]

Traverse City Record Eagle May 30, 1901

The farm of Henry Walker on the banks of the Whippany river, near Hanover Neck,, N.-J., is being again disturbed by a number of wealth seekers looking for the 50.000 in gold, which, according to local tradition, was buried there during tho war of the revolution by Mrs. Kitchell, wife of Aaron Kitchell, paymaster in the American Army.. the story is that Colonel Kitchell was called to Morristown, N. J., on account of the sudden advance of the British forces. Before he went away he turned the gold over to his wife and instructed her to hide it. This Mrs. Kitchell did, but before her husband returned home again she died. Just before
her death she thought of the hidden treasure, but all she was able to say was "It is under a big tree."

Arron Kitchell also served several terms as N.J. Representative and as a Senator.

Hello GRiley

Thanks for interesting post. Always love these old treasure yarns. Some turn out to be true others just to out to be yarns.

Sadly it appears to be the later. Aaron Kitchel: "Aaron Kitchel was one of the most notable members of the family. He was a U.S. Senator from New Jersey and a warm friend and counselor of General George Washington, on his staff and was one of his pallbearers. He is buried in the churchyard cemetery at Hanover, New Jersey. For 36 years, he was a member of the state legislator, the National Congress and the Senate, on the Commission of Forfeited Estates of Tories and on the Commission that established the Northwest Territory." He was married to Phebe (or Phoebe) FARRAND in 1767. She was born in 1743.She died on 12 Mar 1807. She was buried in First Presbyterian Church of Hanover, Hanover, Morris County, New Jersey. Hardly died during the American revolution 1775-1783? Source his decendants.

Crow

 

[GRiley]

Hi Crow,
Thanks for the great info. After seeing the newspaper article in some archives I tried to find info on his wife and more specifically on her death. I didn't find anything. It didn't mention her first name in the newspaper clip. The best I could do was find info on his carreer and friendship to George Washington.. I found articles that mentioned he was a paymaster in the army.

Hey, maybe it was really his mother and maybe she lost 5 dollars in gold. Thus the legend grew over the years as many do.......GRiley

 

[Crow]

Hello GRiley

My Pleasure. I love digging into these old stories to see how much I can uncover. However your assumption could very well be right. Because there could of been any any number of scenarios that caused the treasure legend.

Here is cropped map of the area. This has the names of the land owners in the area. However much had most likely changed by 1800. For walkers farm that must be a name of the present owner of land as per 1901 newspaper article. If you can find land ownership maps from that era you might be able to find the site of 1900 searches. I have not had the liberty to confirm this. However it appears Kitchel family did not have land around the river at least by 1800. But please look as I have old man eyes these days.

Another thing you might find interesting quite a number of locals and patriots died there from smallpox during 1776. Another thing the Ford Family was paid by the revolutionary army to build a gunpowder mill. they was paid 2000 dollars. Perhaps the Ford family was the source of the legend?

Crow

 

[GRiley]

This clipped Hanover township map of 1910 shows 2 pieces of land owned by a Chas. M Kitchell but I could not find any owned by Walker. I did find a Henry B Walker listed in the 1910 census as a farmer living there. The Ford Est. are shown on the full map as large land owners........GRiley



Crow,
I did finally find an 1887 map of Hanover Neck showing an H.Walker and a J. Kitchell along the Whippany River......GRiley

 

[Crow]

Hello GRiley

Well done

Most likely related in some way to Arron Kitchell. Ford family and Kitchell family listed in Early substitute Census. Interesting to note George Washington spent the winter in Fords mansion. And if Arron Kitchell was the paymaster for the Patriots then perhaps Fords wife was given the money for building the gun powder mill and buried it under a tree and later died of smallpox? It would be good if we could find out her name and the right Ford. One thing we can clarify is the Walker family arrived there much after the event as there was no Walker list living there during the revolutionary war. they could of bought some the ford or Kitchell land years later. And the newspaper story just referred to the site of where they were searching the present owner of Walker.

Crow


Ab. KITCHEL 1749 Oath of Allegiance Aaron KITCHELL Hanover Twp. May 1776, Poll List Asa KITCHELL Hanover Twp. May 1776, Poll List Danl KITCHELL Hanover Twp. May 1776, Poll List Joseph KITCHELL Hanover Twp. May 1776, Poll List Obadiah KITCHELL Hanover Twp. May 1776, Poll List Saml KITCHELL Hanover Twp. May 1776, Poll List Stephen KITCHELL Hanover Twp. May 1776, Poll List


Jacob FORD Morris Twp. 1771 Tax List Jacob FORD 1749 Oath of Allegiance James FORD Hanover Twp. May 1776, Poll List Jona FORD Hanover Twp. May 1776, Poll List Samuel FORD 1749 Oath of Allegiance William FORD Morris Twp. 1771 Tax List

 

[GRiley]

I researched a little more than I had intended to about this legend but it was fun. I learned a lot about Aaron Kitchell, his family and the early history of Morris County N.J.

Crow, thanks again for collaborating on the research. I really hadn't planned doing anything more than checking out his wife's date of death and posting the newspaper article. I live in Indiana so looking for the treasure was out. I also enjoy researching. That's how I came across the news article.Till next time.......HH.

 

[Crow]

Hello GRiley

I can understand that. I am slightly even further away than you. I'm in the South Pacific soon to be sailing in a few days. However it was fun to have a little research. You have the makings of good researcher my friend.

Still anyone interesting digging further might come up with some thing worthwhile. It would be interesting to see if the Ford wives died in 1776?

Crow

 

[Salura]

I was born and raised in NJ so your post caught my eye. I'm a Sussexx County kid, so I'm only familiar with Whippany by passing by it on the highway. I'm also too far away to check it out. I'm living in Florida.

Still very interesting.

 

[GRiley]

The Fords that built the powder mill were Jacob Ford Sr. and Jacob Ford Jr. They died 9 days apart in Jan. 1777. Jacob Ford Jr. Dying first.

Jacob Ford Sr. ( Birth: Apr. 13, 1704 Death: Jan. 19, 1777) He died of fever. His Wife Hannah (Birth: Nov., 1701 Death: Jul. 31, 1777) died during a dysentery epidemic. Jacobs father gifted the couple a 200 acre tract in Morristown upon which they built what was at the time the largest house in town.

Jacob Ford Sr. ( Birth: Feb. 19, 1738 Death: Jan. 10, 1777 ) He died of pneumonia. His wife Theodosia ( Birth: Sep. 1, 1741 Death: Aug. 31, 1824) Died t age 83.

Info gathered from find a grave site..............GRiley