Addison County
Treasure Legends
1. In the rocky area known as Hell’s Half Acre at the foot of South Mountain, a cache of between $200,000 and $1 Million in silver bars are buried. The father of a Spaniard named DeGrau worked a rich vein of Silver near Bristol with a group of other prospectors. They amassed such a large quanity of silver ingots that they had to leave a huge amount behind when they left the area. The mining equipment and silver bars were sealed in a cave, but they were never able to return and retrive it.
2. Four Spanish deserters in 1752, left the ship San Jose with 80,000 gold doubloons when the vessle was laid up for repairs at New London. While trying to make their way to Quebec, Canada, they were attacked by Indians, their pack horses were killed, and they had to bury the gold in a space between 2 giant boulders in the area known as Hell’s Half Acre. They fled the indians but never returned.
3. During the Revolutionary War, British Soldiers were seen carrying a heavy payroll chest off of Long Point on Gardiner’s Island. They did not have the chest when they left and it is persumed that they buried it somewhere on the Island.
Ghost Towns
1. Chimney Point…on Lake Champlain near Hwy 17. It was a French trading center in 1690, was attacked and burned in 1759 by Indians.
2. Beldens…on the railroad, 3 miles North of Middlebury
3. South Lincoln…2 miles South Southeast of Lincoln
4. Cream Hill…3 miles North Northwest of Shoreham
5. Richville…1 1/2 miles North of Shoreham Center
6. North Orwell…3 1/2 miles North of Orwell