Tales of Treasure Digging on South Mountain in Bristol
August 16, 2025
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South Mountain in Bristol stands at 2,325 feet. Visible from Main Street, the mountain is known for its rugged terrain and steep cliffs. It was once (and apparently still is) a challenging but desirable location for treasure seekers.
Money digging was a popular craze in the 1800s, when people climbed places like South Mountain in search of treasure.
“In my view, it’s a weird, eccentric part of the state,” says Ethan Mitchell, a history and mathematics teacher who grew up nearby in the town of New Haven. He’s also a folklore enthusiast who has researched tales of money digging in Vermont, including stories about people searching for treasure on South Mountain.
-A view of South Mountain behind the Bristol Post Office.
People to this day will explore South Mountain, hoping to find something valuable, he says.
“If you’re going up to South Mountain with ladders, pickaxes and metal detectors, you’re looking for treasure. And you have this idea that someone has overlooked something that you’re going to discover,” Mitchell says.
South Mountain is known for its rugged terrain and steep cliffs.
In my latest Happy Vermont podcast episode, Mitchell talks about tales of money digging on South Mountain, as well as supernatural and religious connections to treasure hunting.
“The protocols that the treasure hunters in most of Vermont used—the supernatural protocols—often meant that they had to work at night and often in silence,” he says. “It’s a pretty intense way to live, right? That you’re working on dangerous terrain—in the dark and in silence—doing this laborious activity.”
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Can you name the town in the photo below? Share your answer by commenting below (be sure to give your name) or email me at [email protected].
Laura Barber
Posted at 06:09h, 17 AugustCamp Brook Road in Bethel, heading toward Rochester
ted lylis
Posted at 08:10h, 17 AugustI owned the property that the Bristol Money Diggings is on for 22 years and in 1979 a bunch of us dug out the mine shaft and gained access to a large dome shaped room with two other shafts leading out of it. I have a large amount of information about this and other attempts to find valuable stuff in that area.
Erica
Posted at 07:52h, 19 AugustHi Ted — Wow, that is fascinating! You must be incredibly knowledgable about South Mountain — what a place to explore. Thank you for sharing! – Erica
Ethan Mitchell
Posted at 16:41h, 20 AugustHi Ted — this is Ethan. I’m writing a book on this, want to talk? I’m at [email protected]
Ethan Mitchell
Posted at 16:42h, 20 AugustHi Laura, this is Ethan. Do you know anything more about this site?
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Posted at 12:21h, 30 August[…] answer to the Aug. 16 quiz was Bethel/Lilliesville. See map […]