THE STORY OF GAMALIEL'S DEN
Photo by Carol A. Hanny
Gamaliel's Den is near Judd's Bridge, a section of the town of Roxbury. I am not sure if the picture I present is the real Gamaliel's Den, but at this time, it is our best guess. The shelter was dug out when I first visited it. I apologize for the poor photo, but there is literally no where to stand, balance and get a good picture of the entire site.
NOTES FROM VARIOUS SOURCES ABOUT GAMALIEL'S DEN
These are direct quotes from the source specified, or a paraphrase of the material.
FROM SKETCHES OF ROXBURY, CONN. BY HELEN HUNT W. HUMPHREY,1967 REPRINT OF THE ORIGINAL 1924 BOOKLET
"Between the Lendeveg farm and Judd's Bridge is Raven Rock in whose dusky depths is Gamaliel's Den. Gamaliel Hurlbut was a noted counterfeiter who made this "den" his hiding place and workshop."
FROM MY NOTES ABOUT THE LEATHERMAN
-the Leatherman traveled through Roxbury, "his cave was near Judd's Bridge", was this Gamaliel's Den?
FROM NEW ENGLAND'S BURIED TREASURE BY CLAY PERRY, 1946
-"Gamaliel's Den - "with a tradition of counterfeiters" is another Roxbury earth opening, located south of Judd's Bridge, about one mile, in a ravine beside the Shepaug River, but the legend is rather obscure, as are many of the folklore remembrances of cave-haunting counterfeiters."
FROM CONNECTICUT PLACE NAMES
-"GAMALIEL'S DEN - Cave in Sentry Hill on Moosehorn Bk. G. Hurlbut, c. 1725-1750, a noted counterfeiter, made this "den" his hiding place and workshop......See Raven Rock."
-"RAVEN ROCK - High hill 701', and rock S. of Judd's Bridge, E. of Shepaug R., Site of Gamaliel's Den. Named prob. on account of crows' habitation...."
FROM CONNECTICUT GUIDE - 1935
-..."Turning west to Judd's Bridge, and going south along the Shepaug, we reach a ravine in about a mile; on the hillside to the south of it is Gamaliel's Den, with a tradition of counterfeiters."
FROM THE CAVES IN THE LITCHFIELD HILLS, LURE OF LITCHFIELD HILLS ARTICLE BY LEROY W. FOOTE- JUNE 1951
-"Gamaliel's Den, near Judd's Bridge, is a wild and unfrequented section of Roxbury now that milk trains no longer rattle over the abandoned Shepaug line. Gamaliel's Den Gang on Moosehorn Brook, headed by Steve Rance, had their underground rendezvous directly across the Shepaug from the Pootatuck Indian shelter caves."
FROM BAD MAN FROM BRIDGEWATER, LURE OF THE LITCHFIELD HILLS ARTICLE BY DOUGLAS FORREST, SUMMER 1963
-"Bill Stuart seemed to to appropriately born at the time when several tribes of Yankee counterfeiters were in considerable activity in Connecticut caves and cabins. Over on Moosehorn Brook, not far from the famous Shepaug River of Pootatuck Indian fame, was the stronghold of Gabriel's Den, (counterfeiters) in the rocky cliffs just southeast of Judd's Bridge in Roxbury, Conn."
Please feel free to e-mail with any thoughts, interpretations or information you might have. If you know where the Pootatuck Indian shelter caves are, I would appreciate that information. Thank you!
Back to my home page.