Greater Astoria Historial Society 35-20 Broadway, 4th Floor | L.I.C., NY 11106 718.278.0700 | www.astorialic.org Gallery Hours: Mondays & Wednesdays 2-5 PM Saturdays 12-5 PM Exhibits ~ Lectures ~ Documentaries ~ Books Walking Tours ~ Historical Research Unique & Creative Content For more information visit us on the web at www.astorialic.org This image adapted from an invitation to the Long Island City Athletics 33rd Annual Masque Ball, 1909. 32 juLY 2015 i LIC COURIER i www.queenscourier.com ■LEGENDS Golden Buried Treasures in LIC This interesting story from 1842 of a surprise find at Dutch Kills, which will be news to most of our readers, will likely set the developers in Dutch Kills to dig up their lots with more zeal than discretion this year. Charles Conklin, then recently married, was a hired hand at the Dutch Kills farm of Abraham Schuyler. One Saturday, in 1842, his wife saw one of the pigs root up several bright-looking objects, one of which was a Spanish silver coin. She summoned her husband at once. With him came two Dutchmen who were employed on the farm, and who, on catching sight of what was visible in the enclosure, at once made preparations to sail in and get the “first fruits of the vine.” Conklin, however, did not see it in that light and ordered the men to bring a pick and a shovel, saying that if anything in the shape of money was to be collected, he had a prior claim and proposed to boss the job himself. After one or two energetic blows with the pick, there followed a sound as of smashing crockery. This looked encouraging, and digging with a shovel or spade was commenced in earnest. Soon there was revealed an earthen pot of a form, size and color that was quite familiar. On examination, the vessel was found full of Spanish doubloons and English guineas. This money had evidently been packed with care for the gold pieces were in the center and the coins encircling. Conklin, after picking up the stray pieces, carefully carried the whole in his arms to the house and emptied the contents on the dining table. A brother-in-law, Daniel Bragaw, (who lived in Sunnyside ) happened to be present and exclaimed: “Is there any place in the world that can beat a Dutch Kills farm for profit?” An account of the stock on hand was at once taken and it amounted to between eleven and twelve hundred dollars which Conklin proceeded to deposit to his credit in one of the New York banks. The money would be worth about $40,000 in today’s currency. LEGENDS OF LIC BY GREATER ASTORIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY LEGENDS OF LIC When the news reached the owner of the property, he brought the matter to trial but lost as the evidence was gone and information on what happened was a bit vague. As to why and when the money was secreted there, there must naturally be varied theories. My own is that the original owner of the place, finding that the Revolutionary War was likely to bring a set of marauders, wisely concluded the safest place for his valuables was in the ground and that then and there they were buried. By the fate of war, the owner was never able to come back to resurrect his plant, and for the investigating nose of the old sow, it would remain there to this day. (Long Island Star, May 3, 1889)
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