Treasure's Of The Palatine Mission

Built in 1729 by Jacobus Ehle, a Palatine German, who was educated at Heidelberg and ordained in England in 1722. In this year he migrated to America. He preached in the Hudson Valley and then made his way to the Mohawk Valley. After a long and fruitful life in the work of the church, he died in 1777, at the age of 92. 

The house is no longer standing.

In 1752 Dominie Ehl's son built the house addition to the mission and his Initials, P. E. 1752, are in the round recesses in the south gable end. This story and a half building was of similar construction to the mission in its walls and roof, but had two floors and a cellar. Under the eaves and at the sides of the doors and windows on each side were the loopholes for gun fire. The brick for the chimneys and the finishing lumber was brought from Schenectady.


Not forgetting his civil obligations and in conformance with the law Dominie Ehle took the citizenship oath at Albany October 14, 1732. In 1732 he bought the land of Lot 1, Harrison Patent at the mission from Philip Schuyler that ever since has been the Ehle homestead. The easterly 100 acres was sold to George Eacker.


Following their home building the clearing was gradually carved out of the forest and along the river flats for farming. This opened up the view across the valley. The house stands on a slight elevation above the river flats so that the Indian canoes on the river and later the barges of the settlers could be seen as they passed.


On the river trail in front of the mission, the Indians traveled back and forth to trade or for conferences with the officials at Albany or Sir William Johnson, the Indian agent. Westward the settlers passed in search of homes or eastward to trade at Schenectady or Albany. By the ford across the river and through the clearing settlers and Indians passed to Stone Arabia and beyond, or across the river and down stream to Schoharie or by the Otsquago trail to the Susquehanna country. Over on the hill in front were the bark huts of the Mohawk village with camp fires smoking by day and twinkling like fireflies at night. Out of the surrounding forest strode the hunter, red and white with his kill, stopping to look at the home and children. Sometimes, that great man of the valley, Sir William Johnson passed on his way to conferences with the western Indians or marched his farmer militia and Indians to the French and Indian wars. Those were great days for the Dominie and his family when his genial patron stopped for greeting or refreshments.


The kindly Dominie won the good will of the Indians by his ministrations and on their arrival the Mission and the basement were their quarters, with their campfires in the clearing out in front. The saying that the Indian never forgets a kindness did not fail. No war danger ever reached that family or house while they were on guard. The family passed in time but the house staid on until vandals of the present days began to wreck it in times of peace, searching for relics or treasures.

That the local Indians, the Mohawks guarded well their missionary, his family and home was shown both in the French-Indian wars and the Revolution. When the Mohawks were strong enough no foe-man could reach the Mission and when the French-Indian raids were on that they could not resist, their warning came in the night to flee. In the Revolution the Mohawks were largely outnumbered by the Senecas, Cayugas, Onondagas and other fierce western tribes over whom they had but limited control. Again they warned Dominie Ehl's family when it was too dangerous at their home for their protection: The family would then cross to the island at the ford at night and with their canoes paddle downstream to their kinsfolk at Albany and safety. The house was always unharmed when they returned, once after an interval of two years.


In the urgent haste of one of those flights, the family silver and heirlooms were taken out in the darkness by the cellar way and buried In the forest a short distance away. No lights could be used and in the haste and anxiety the hiding place was not well located. This could not be found when the family returned and has not to this day, in spite of many searches by the family and treasure hunters, the latter often using divining rods, incantations and what not.


Possibly some watcher may have seen the treasure buried and secured it .....  or maybe not ???
This is just another of the many tales of treasure in the Upstate New York area that myself and Treasure Dave have researched over the years ..
PS
We are fairly certain the treasure is still there ..
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