Most People Don’t Know These 11 Treasures Are Hiding In Kentucky
By Jenn Shockley|Published December 05, 2015
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Jenn Shockley
Author
I am somewhat a cliche'. I grew up running around barefoot on a farm in Kentucky.
I love writing, art, sunshine, all animals and my incredibly patient husband, who tolerates my "crazy animal lady" side.
Back in Kentucky’s days of old, many people either did not trust the banks, or did not have access to one. In cases such as this, wise Kentuckians would often bury their treasure hordes in spots they deemed safe. In most cases an old tree or some landmark would signal the spot, but many passed on before digging up their hidden treasures. A few ole’ timers thought to leave a note for their wives, but in some cases, their riches remain unclaimed, and well hidden.
Here are 11 hidden treasures most people don’t know about:
Camp Beauregard once stood just southwest of Mayfield. From 1861 to 1862, it was a Confederate troop training base. Many soldiers were said to have buried their money around the base in holes they called money pokes. However, a barrage of physical ailments and epidemics ended in many deaths, and researchers believe an abundance of these money pokes were never recovered.
During the 1920s, some silver bars were found near Pineville around the Cumberland River. The tale has it that during the war, a Union Civil War Paymaster was being chased by Confederate soldiers. For fear of capture, the Paymaster dropped $3 million in silver and gold bars into the Cumberland River, as that was better than letting the Confederacy find them. All the bars still have not been found.
James Langstaff passed on in 1872, but he left a note informing his wife there was $20,000 in gold coins buried on their land near a cottonwood tree. It has been determined the coins were buried either on South Third Street or Broadway in Paducah.
Fort Campbell’s soldiers of the past chose to bury a large barrel of pennies somewhere on the grounds. Little is known about the amount or the location of the barrel.
The peaches that grew on Old Pitts farm, on the outskirts of Lothair, were always extra sweet. Ole’ times say that’s because the owner buried a large sum of money somewhere within a group of peach trees.
Near Dycusburg in the 1880s, a man named Moore kept a coin hoard hidden somewhere along his property. Two of his hired farm hands murdered Moore one eve, in hopes of retrieving his collection of coins. Though they searched, they couldn’t locate the stash. Both men were caught and imprisoned for Moore’s murder.
South of Quicksand on Big Branch Creek, Jack Clemons once made his home and buried his treasures in a bucket. The old house still stands on the right of the creek about a mile above its mouth, but Jack passed on in the early 1900s. He never revealed the location, or the amount of silver he buried, other than to say it was a large amount.
Nicholas Daugherty once owned and operated the Old Grist Mill during 1812 to 1816. During that time more than $15,000 in silver was buried somewhere behind the mill, around 2/3 of a mile. It is estimated to be about five miles above Barbourville.
Somewhere around Harpe’s Head Road near Dixon, the renowned outlaw, Micajah Harpe, had a treasure horde. He callously robbed and murdered countless people from 1795 to 1804, hiding away their jewelry, trinkets and cash. His horde is said to contain more than $300,000 worth of treasure.
The Cole brothers raised a fine tobacco crop late during the Civil War. It was so fine they made a whopping $5,000 in gold coins for their hard work. Instead of trusting a bank, they hid the coins in their hearth, about 20 miles out of Paducah. Unfortunately, a robber broke in soon thereafter, killing the brothers and taking the gold. It was buried near the home, but the robbers fled. He left the money, took a new name and moved to Kentucky. The man died around the 1900s, but shared the location with a friend. The Cole house had been dismantled, and despite the "friend’s" best efforts, he never found the gold.
In the 1760s, Jonathan Swift buried a heaping $150,000 in silver bars and ore somewhere along the Breaks of Sandy River in a cave. It was said to be along Highway 80, near Elkhorn City around the base of Pine Mountain. It's a beautiful area--and it would become even more lovely upon discovering that silver sparkle.
With the incredible history of Kentucky lands, there is no telling what we can find if we start digging. Of course, it depends on where you live. Many rural areas that have been worked by farmers over the generations could have all types of hidden coins and such buried around. Banks have not always been the favored way of storing money. There is something about looking for buried treasure that brings about excitement. Wouldn’t you love to “accidentally” find an ancient treasure horde?
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