Then Again: Gold hidden in these hills, or so some thought

Hunting for treasure became an obsession for some in Vermont during the 18th and early 19th centuries. Superstition held that buried treasure was often protected by spirits that would attack if alerted by the diggers. In this 1832 painting, John Quidor depicts a frightened party of diggers that includes a sorcerer, at center, who led the group to the site. Photo courtesy of the Brooklyn Museum(“Then Again” is Mark Bushnell’s column about Vermont history.)
The land was rife with