HISTORY OF GOLD IN NEW YORK STATE

This subject of the History of Gold in New York State is not a easy task as there has been gold discoveries in the state, finding information on it has not been easy but I have managed to find some little bits and pieces of history on the subject. European settlers spread mining northward up the Hudson Valley, into the Adirondacks and westward through the Mohawk Vally. The Europeans never found gold or silver in econmic quantites but other metals were discoved.

PUBLIC LAND LAW and DINGLE DANGLE JONES

The day July 10, 1776, the Provinial Congress changed its own political title to that of 'Convention of Representives of the STATE OF NEW YORK.'The Empire State was born. With Exuberant sovereignty New York took title to all tract of land formaly held by the Crown. To perpetuate settlement the infant state anxiously began to sell off its new holding by issuing Letter Patent. There was a catch to these documents, a huge catch for prospectors. No Letters Patent could be issued absent a clear explanation that any discovered deposits of Gold or Silver belong to the State.

I would very much like to report to you that with passing years the State became less possessive. That is not, however, the case. From the earliest Letters Patent to the most current statutes, New York has always held sole title to deposits of gold and silver within its borders. Whether I find gold on the forest preserve or in my own flower garden, it belongs to the State.

As a disastrous romance had sent Dingle Dangle into the Adirondacks,where hunting, fishing and trapping might take his mind off a broken heart. We also know that Dingle Dangle claimed to have discovered gold.

Back in 1894, Dingle Dangle took a prospecting trip to Ice Cave Mountain at the northern end of North Lake and came back with gold. He told friends that he sent samples down to Newark, New Jersey, for assay. Folks who saw his samples claimed that the gold was mixed with silver, but Dingle Dangle never let on that he had discovered anything but pure gold.

What we don't know about Dingle Dangle is what happened to him. Thomas said Jones was last seen by some guides at the Adirondack League Club's Forest Lodge on Honnedaga Lake. Apparently Dingle Dangle started off into the woods for his camp. That was the last anyone ever saw him. In utter mystery he became part of the ancient beaver hunting grounds of the Iroquois. Neither do we know about the veracity of Dingle Dangle's find or of his assey results.

Dingle Dangle Jones may have panned the North Branch of the Black River. The question is, how much would the state know about his auriferous exploits?

Both Ice Cave Creek and the North Branch of the Black River surely become natural mineral sluices during spring run-off. Finding color-bearing sand or gold-flecked quartz in either location might offer a clue about the legendary gold mine of the hermit Dingle Dangle Jones.

This Notice of Discovery procedure has been around, in some format,for a long time. Between December 1791 and December 1997, over 11,000 sworn statements about diacoveries of gold and silver have been filed in the office of the secetary of State!

SUGAR HILL GOLD MINE

by Elizabeth Mackall

The word "Gold" has acted on men like a fever since they first learned to cherish this glittering metal. The gold rush of California was in the year 1849; the rush Colorado in 1858, and the Yukon in 1897.

Some area people were not aware that there was once a gold mine in our town, and those who did know had varying opinions as to whether the gold was real, or fool's gold or just a hoax.

At any rate,there were small mining operations for awhile. One person said the mine was 30 feet deep, and that men were let down in baskets. There were pumps to remove the water. However, the was short-lived. By 1891, interest fizzled out and all operations stopped.

Even though the gold mine near Sugar Hill never made anyone rich, to my knowledge, it is an interesting bit of history from the Town of Orange.

GOLD FEVER IN NEW YORK STATE.

Many Claims File For Saratoga, Oneida, and Ulster Counties

Albany, Dec 30 1897- The gold fever seems to have settled over northern New York in earniest. In four days there were filed with the Secretary of State forty-five claims to gold and silver discoved by prospectors. On Dec 23 there were three claims, the precious metal bearing lodes being in Saratoga, Oneida, and Ulster counties.

On the 27th of December fifteen claims were received, five of which are in Saratoga, nine in Warren, and one in Jefferson Counties. Dec.28 the mail brought seven, six in Oneida and one in Saratoga; while on Dec. 29 there came to hand twenty claims, as follows: Warren, 15; Saratoga,3; Jefferson,1 and Hamilton,1.

The claims in Saratoga County are situated principally ar Saratoga Springs, Greenfield, Corinth, Edinburg, and Day; those in Warren County, at Horicon and Chester for the most part, Johnsburg, Thurman, Warrensburg,and Stony Creek; in Jefferson County, at Clayton; in Hamilton County, at Indian Lake; in Oneida County, at Verona, and in Ulster County, at Wawarsing.

GOLD CLAIM IN EXXEX COUNTY.

The Location Comprises Land Covered by Elizabethtown Village.

Elizabethtown, N.Y.,Jan. 25, 1898. John F. Sutphen and Gaylord Logan of Albany, with part claims assigned to Alfred E. Copp an H.P. Coburn of Hamilton, Ont., and Jenne M. Hatch of Buffalo, filed today with the Town Clerk of Elizabethtown, a claim to placer mining of gold and silver. The claim comprises the land covered by the Village of Elizabethtown, on which the Essex County Court House and Jail are situated, making in all about 200 acres of land.

NAPANOCH GOLD MINING COMPAMY

In 1898 four men, Milton and Manny Wood and Fred and George Gosselin, were walking in the woods behind the Eastern New York Reformatory, then under construction. They came upon a rock that seemed to contain gold which test proved it did. 1903 the Napanoch Gold Mining Co. was incorporated with capital stock of $500,000. However, the golden value did not materilze.

GOLD MINE IN BINGHAMTON

Police Captain and a Clerk Stake a Claim on Sandy Lot.

Albany,Nov. 18,1910. C.B. Abel, a police Captain of Binghamton, and W.S.Hale, clerk in the Corporation Bureau of the Secretary of the State's office, have filed with the Secretary of State a mining claim, covering several thousand square feet of land, located between Court and Robinson Streets, in Binghamton. The surface of the claimants say a chemist has reported that the sand contained 44.50 worth of gold to the ton.

Farmers With Shot guns

Weschester Land Owners Determined to Resist Gold Seekers. Invaders Were Driven Back.

Serious confict at Unionvile Between Vigilance League and a Gang of Italians Narrowly averted Yesterday. Unionville N. Y. Feb 9., There was trouble today between some officers and farmers of wescheser County and a gang of Italian labors, led by a young man who had been attracted by the recent gold discoveries in the county.

Since the discovery of gold the county has been much troubled with prospectors, who have roamed over the farms, and used picks, spades, and even explosives, without regard to the rights of the farmers. The trouble has recently be aggravated by the continual disapperance of chickens, and the prospectors have been blamed for this. The aggravation led to the formation of a Vililance League among the farmers,/p>.

The chief mover in the formation of this league was T.H. Graham, a farmer who is the representative of some New York capitalists, who have become interesteed in the discoveries. He stands well among the farmers in the county. A small gang of Italitians came Thursday, roamed about the country, and finally assembled in Weitger's saloon, in Sherman Park. they announced that a large force of there countrymen would come today. Mr. Graham heard of the threats and warned the Vigilance Committe.

Mr. Graham recieved a telegram from New York today signed H. F. Mitchell, telling him a large force of Italians would be sent down by persons having designs on the gold discoveries. Constable Simons of Unoinville and Constable Leon Hanks of Pleasantville, with a party of about fifteen farmers, assembled. The Italians began to arrive about noon. They sat around and seemed desirous of loafing, although the had picks and shovels, Finally, on the arrival of the Harlem train in the afternoon, another party of Italians came, and with them a young American. apparently a very intelligent man. This was the signal for the march. Led by the young man, the Italians about fifty of them, started up the railroad track. The farmers saw they intended to cross the creek and go on the land of a brother of Mr. Graham, and so they went to the crossing.

When the visiting party arrived they were told they must not go on private land, or they would be arrested for treaspass. The young man protested saying others had been allowed to treaspass, and he did not know why he should be stopped. The farmers, however were firm and the young man and his party moved off up the road. On the top of the hill the party came to an outcropping ledge which had shown some good specimens of ore. the men stopped and attacked this ledge, pick and shovel. They were ordered to cease, but refused. The Westchester men lined up,and the young man told them to go away or there would be be murder.

Finally the constables seized the young man and started down the hill. The Italians stopped work and started towards the wWestchester men. They would have made an attack had not the young man ordered them back.Every Italian carried a revolver, and some of them drew knives. The Westchester men continued to retreat with their prisoner in their midst, held by two of the men. The constables were the rear guard.

The young man said: " For God's sake, let me go! I don't want to have trouble, and if you don't let me go the men will rescue me, and I don't want muder on my hands." Despite the orders of the prisoner to his men to keep back,they began to crowd closer and closer onhe Weschester men, and finallythe young man was released. He agreed to go away with his men. they started back, but were warned that they had better keep away from Unionville and Sherman Park, as the farmers were aroused. They then started for Sing Sing and Terrytown Roads. The farmers are determined that the next party of this kind will be given a shotgun reception.

The New York Times Published: Feb 10, 1896 Copyright the New York Times