In the winter of 1870, rumors began to circulate around the village of Safe Harbor. Deep in the forest in the dead of night, the light of a lantern could be seen. At first, no one paid much attention.
But the light was not a singular event. Over the coming weeks, more people reported seeing it. The ones that saw it did so frequently but rarely in the same spot. Sightings were made on both sides of the Conestoga River surrounding Safe Harbor.
Eventually, it was determined that the light belonged to a group of treasure hunters searching for a hidden cache of buried gold.
Complicating matters was the legend of a seven-foot-tall Native American ghost who roamed those forests guarding a treasure.
Fast forward to the early 2000s, and here’s an interesting addition to the story. After reading the Haunted Indian Gold tale, Brandon Graver shared his experience.
I grew up off Oak Road in Manor Township and frequented this area of Safe Harbor often as a kid at night riding ATVs. The only time I have ever experienced something odd was in what we called the “sand pits.” This is the area to the left of the Observation Site Road entrance.
We saw a female figure holding a lantern and digging. We stopped, and then she was gone as suddenly as we had appeared. Crazy recalling this nearly 15 years later, but this fits your story!
Perhaps one of those 1870s treasure hunters got more than she bargained for!
Have you had any ghostly encounters near Safe Harbor?
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Haunted Lancaster: Massacre of the Conestoga
On December 27, 1763, vigilantes broke into the Lancaster County workhouse to massacre the last of the Conestoga. It was without question Lancaster’s darkest hour. The slaughtered remains of these once proud Native Americans were interred on the future Duke Street garage grounds.
Both sites are said to be haunted. Ear-piercing screams of the murdered Conetogas sometimes echo through the building. Meanwhile, at the Duke Street Garage, people claim to see shadowy figures darting around the various floors. Click the link to read more.