(Marion County, Illinois.)
Sound Familiar?
For quite a few years until his death in 1925, James Gregory owned and operated a dry goods store not far from Hickory Hill in Marion County, Illinois. Business was very, very good for Gregory...you see, he was the only purveyor of dry goods around for many miles.
Like many people of his generation, James Gregory distrusted banks and bankers. In fact, he blamed bankers and the politicians in their back pockets for most of the woes suffered by America and most Americans in general (sound familiar?).
Precious Metal Specie
As time went by, Gregory made a small fortune off his dry goods business. Since banks and bank vaults were out of the question, he had to find a safe place to stash all the silver and gold coins he took in as payment.
Gold and silver and no paper money? Correct...just as he placed no trust in banks themselves, James Gregory despised paper currency and would only take payment for his goods in precious metal specie.
Gone to the Grave
Gregory had a small family, but he never confided in his wife or children about where he stashed his accumulated wealth. Occasionally however, family members and even a neighbor or two saw the dry goods entrepreneur ducking out of the house with cloth bags and hurriedly making his way across some nearby pastureland.
(A buried cache of coins may await you near Hickory Hill.)
In 1925 the location of all James Gregory's stashed gold and silver coins went to the grave right along with him after he suffered a fatal stroke. Although his wife and children (as well as a number of his neighbors) hunted desperately for Gregory's hoard, none of them were able to locate it.
So there you have it. Further research is needed to either bolster this tale or refute it completely.
Best of luck and good hunting.
If you liked this post, you may want to read: "More on Treasure Hunting Signs and Symbols: the Circle (Part 2)"
(c) Jim Rocha (J.R.) 2012
Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com
