Buried Treasure
All communities have their stories of lost treasures.
In this area, the infamous "way bills" have long been c
ontroversial and a "secret" in families of treasure hunters.

Some say the treasure dates back to the days
of the neutral strip and the outlaw John Murrel,
but most of the treasure hunters interviewed by this author
credit the buried gold to the Knights of the Golden Circle,
circa 1845-1865.

The Knights of the Golden Circle was made up of
both Northern and Southern Democrats who sided
with the Confederate States of America.

With almost a quarter of a million members,
they sabotaged factories and ships in the north
and were said to have been paid by Jefferson Davis
1/10 of the damages they inflicted.

The treasure in this area could have been part of this
payment and several small "roadside deposits" have been found.

These smaller finds have fed the legend over the years
and kept it alive.

In the 1920's a scandal involving the treasure
and the Sheriff's Office surfaced.

The Sheriff had been hauling prisoners out to a site
and forcing them to dig large holes in search for the gold
and private landowners were rightfully upset.
The holes are still evident today.