A Big Pot of Money Dug Up in PA. June 18th 1886

[GRiley]

Danville Hendricks County Republican July 1, 1886
A Big Pot of Money Dug Up.
Huntington PA., June 18.

Yesterday afternoon, while a gang in the employ of Peter Herdie, contractor for the water works, were excavating at the new reservoir, at the head of Fifth street, the foreman, J. D. McClain, discovered an earthen pot, securely sealed, which was filled to the brim with Mexican and American gold and silver coins of ancient date. McClain refuses to make public the amount of money the pot contained, but his friends say it is several thoustind dollars.

As soon as the discovery was made known, Mr. Herdic put in a claim for the treasure on the ground that it was found on his property, while McClain insists that it is his under the common law relating to treasure-trove. Mrs. Christian Colestock is another claimant. Her deceased husband sold the land to Herdic, and the widow alleges that the money was buried by Colestock years ago for safe keeping. All the parties have employed counsel, and tho ownership of the contents of the pot will be tested in the court.

After posting this I read another article in the Alton Daily Telegraph June 18, 1886 that states the treasure was found at 8 feet below the surface.

There is no doubt in my mind that the lawyers and court made more money than the claimant's ever received.........GRiley

 

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[Army of 1]

It never ceases to amaze me when something of value is found with no sure owner , greed takes over , the claimants come from everywhere to claim a stake , 1886 until today nothing has changed . Would sure like to know the outcome of this case .. cheers Mick

 

[GRiley]

Hi Army of 1,

Here is an article on the suspected owner of the cache. It was in an article on the history of the town. Since Mrs Christian Colestock was quite wealthy I would say she got the money when all was said and done. I could not find anything on the outcome.

He may have buried many caches on his land, It would be great to hunt it with a two box detector.

Huntington Daily News June 19, 1971

Big Real Estate Holder

Christian Colestock was the last member of an old Huntingdon family that owned a big slice of real estate beginning at a point near Fifth and Washington Sts. and extending up Fifth and way beyond what is now Flagpole Hill.

Here is the account of Colestock's death on December 29, 1884:

"Mr. Christian Colestock, one of the oldest residents of this borough, died at his residence on the corner of Fifth and Washington streets on Monday morning last. He had been stricken a few weeks since, and lingered between life and death until the final summons came." He was the last of the well known family of Colestock brothers, who dwelt in the old family homestead for many years, and were thrifty farmers owning a valuable tract of land north of town."

 

[Gold Maven]

Hi Army of 1,

Here is an article on the suspected owner of the cache. It was in an article on the history of the town. Since Mrs Christian Colestock was quite wealthy I would say she got the money when all was said and done. I could not find anything on the outcome.

He may have buried many caches on his land, It would be great to hunt it with a two box detector.

Huntington Daily News June 19, 1971

Big Real Estate Holder

Christian Colestock was the last member of an old Huntingdon family that owned a big slice of real estate beginning at a point near Fifth and Washington Sts. and extending up Fifth and way beyond what is now Flagpole Hill.

Here is the account of Colestock's death on December 29, 1884:

"Mr. Christian Colestock, one of the oldest residents of this borough, died at his residence on the corner of Fifth and Washington streets on Monday morning last. He had been stricken a few weeks since, and lingered between life and death until the final summons came." He was the last of the well known family of Colestock brothers, who dwelt in the old family homestead for many years, and were thrifty farmers owning a valuable tract of land north of town."

Always a chance for more, but I believe they were digging for a reservoir, so probably a lake now. (?)

 

[Moonrover]

This is the flagpole on "Flagpole Hill".

GPS: N 40.49161 W 78.00769

Notice it is close to the city waterworks tank. There is also a pit quarry active nearby on the sharp bend at the end of 5th St.

 

[jimmyvegas]

Here is some more info

St. Louis Post Dispatch Contributed by Gigimo Description: John GILBERT Returns to His First Wife and Gets the Cold Shoulder. Date: August 21 1885 Newspaper published in: St. Louis, MO Huntingdon, Pa., August 21. John GILBERT, who in 1855 married Miss Elizabeth MARTIN, and who abandoned his young wife and child about a year afterwards, remaining in unexplained absence for twenty years, recently returned to this place and sought out his wife of the long ago and endeavored to renew his attachment to her. She, in the meantime, had married Christian COLESTOCK, who died two years ago and bequeathed to her a nice little property on which she was living in ease. She received him coldly and refused to have anything to do with him. Now it is developed that he has been married elsewhere in his absence and that he hunted up his first wife only to obtain the wealth that had been left her by Mr. COLESTOCK. GILBERT was a private in Company G, One Hundred and Forty-eighth Pennsylvania Volunteers, during the war, and his exposure has been brought about through his own effort to gain admission to the Huntingdon G.A.R. Post, whose commander recently corresponded with the commander of the G.A.R. post at Springfield, Ill., inquiring about GILBERT's status there. The commander of Stephenson Post, G.A.R., at Springfield, says that GILBERT's conduct during his residence there was such that he was refused membership in the G.A.R. of that city. He was frequently in jail for all sorts of felonies. Letters have also been received here from GILBERT's second wife, who resides at Springfield, and who, before her marriage, was Hattie RILEY. She says that in 1877 he came to Springfield and married her. She was then 19 years old. He claimed to be a harness-maker and to be worth $1,800. After the marriage he persuaded her to sell the comfortable home which belonged to her and he squandered the proceeds. She has just heard of his first marriage, and is now on her way East to prosecute her husband for bigamy. But as Mrs. Elizabeth Martin GILBERT procured a divorce five years after her husband abandoned her, Mrs. Hattie Riley GILBERT's marriage in 1877 is perfectly valid, and no indictment for bigamy can be brought against he unprincipled deceiver.

 

[Moonrover]

So I wonder if the greedy slime-ball (John Gilbert) hung around town long enough to hear of the buried money? If he did, then he may have been digging.

Likely the epicenter of digging was the "waterworks" project area up on the top of the hill. If the land owner used that area for one "planting" then it is possible he salted it with others.

This is a very old trail, but still worthy of more research. Anyone live nearby, who would be up for toting a two-box detector around near the flagpole?

 

[scrapemann22]

Danville Hendricks County Republican July 1, 1886
A Big Pot of Money Dug Up.
Huntington PA., June 18.

Yesterday afternoon, while a gang in the employ of Peter Herdie, contractor for the water works, were excavating at the new reservoir, at the head of Fifth street, the foreman, J. D. McClain, discovered an earthen pot, securely sealed, which was filled to the brim with Mexican and American gold and silver coins of ancient date. McClain refuses to make public the amount of money the pot contained, but his friends say it is several thoustind dollars.

As soon as the discovery was made known, Mr. Herdic put in a claim for the treasure on the ground that it was found on his property, while McClain insists that it is his under the common law relating to treasure-trove. Mrs. Christian Colestock is another claimant. Her deceased husband sold the land to Herdic, and the widow alleges that the money was buried by Colestock years ago for safe keeping. All the parties have employed counsel, and tho ownership of the contents of the pot will be tested in the court.

After posting this I read another article in the Alton Daily Telegraph June 18, 1886 that states the treasure was found at 8 feet below the surface.

There is no doubt in my mind that the lawyers and court made more money than the claimant's ever received.........GRiley

The old rule of thumb don't brag about what u find we all have to learn to shut our mouths sometimes

 

[GRiley]

Here is some more info

St. Louis Post Dispatch Contributed by Gigimo Description: John GILBERT Returns to His First Wife and Gets the Cold Shoulder. Date: August 21 1885 Newspaper published in: St. Louis, MO Huntingdon, Pa., August 21. John GILBERT, who in 1855 married Miss Elizabeth MARTIN, and who abandoned his young wife and child about a year afterwards, remaining in unexplained absence for twenty years, recently returned to this place and sought out his wife of the long ago and endeavored to renew his attachment to her. She, in the meantime, had married Christian COLESTOCK, who died two years ago and bequeathed to her a nice little property on which she was living in ease. She received him coldly and refused to have anything to do with him. Now it is developed that he has been married elsewhere in his absence and that he hunted up his first wife only to obtain the wealth that had been left her by Mr. COLESTOCK. GILBERT was a private in Company G, One Hundred and Forty-eighth Pennsylvania Volunteers, during the war, and his exposure has been brought about through his own effort to gain admission to the Huntingdon G.A.R. Post, whose commander recently corresponded with the commander of the G.A.R. post at Springfield, Ill., inquiring about GILBERT's status there. The commander of Stephenson Post, G.A.R., at Springfield, says that GILBERT's conduct during his residence there was such that he was refused membership in the G.A.R. of that city. He was frequently in jail for all sorts of felonies. Letters have also been received here from GILBERT's second wife, who resides at Springfield, and who, before her marriage, was Hattie RILEY. She says that in 1877 he came to Springfield and married her. She was then 19 years old. He claimed to be a harness-maker and to be worth $1,800. After the marriage he persuaded her to sell the comfortable home which belonged to her and he squandered the proceeds. She has just heard of his first marriage, and is now on her way East to prosecute her husband for bigamy. But as Mrs. Elizabeth Martin GILBERT procured a divorce five years after her husband abandoned her, Mrs. Hattie Riley GILBERT's marriage in 1877 is perfectly valid, and no indictment for bigamy can be brought against he unprincipled deceiver.

Jimmy,
Thanks for the additional research. The info makes the story even more interesting.