It’s Time For You To Hear The Legend Of Lost Gold In Upstate New York

It's time to unlock the legends of lost French gold from Upstate New York in Lake George.

The Legend Of Lost Gold In Upstate New York

According to the legend, during the French and Indian War between 1754–1763, French soldiers were retreating from the advancing British forces. Fearing that their stash of gold would fall into enemy hands, the French soldiers allegedly buried the treasure somewhere near Lake George.

As the legend goes, General James Abercrombys combined British and Colonial forces with a fleet of small boats from the upper Hudson River overland to Lake George during the summer of 1758. Their objective was to attack the French bastion at Fort Carillon at the southern tip of Lake Champlain. This fortress was later called Fort Ticonderoga:

Abercromby commanded over 12,000 troops aboard almost 900 boats. At Carillon, the French commander Marquis de Montcalm had only 3,500 men and a dwindling supply of rations. Shortly after he had ordered his army northward on Lake George, Abercromby halted at Tea Island, on July 5, 1758, where he buried a couple of chests of valuables for safekeeping before the impending encounter with the French. The nature and quantity of these valuables is unknown, but it has always been rumored to have been a fairly large treasure, perhaps the payroll for Abercromys 12,000 troops. After hiding this trove, the army proceeded up Lake George to disembark at its northern extremity and to march overland to attack the French bastion.

The legend suggests that the French soldiers buried their gold in a location that is now unknown, possibly in the vicinity of one of the islands or along the shoreline of the lake.

The Quest For The Treasure

All over the internet many treasure hunters have discussed the legend, sharing theories and speculation about potential locations. Websites like TreasureNet and New York Almanac have searched for the gold.  Some have searched the islands dotting Lake George, while others have looked at different stretches of land along the shoreline.

There is no historical evidence supporting the existence of the lost French gold of Lake George. There have been no documented expeditions specifically aimed at retrieving this rumored treasure. The legend remains more folklore than fact.

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