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POMPEY STONE

Program
Legends & Lore®
Subject
Hoax
Location
3482 Watervale Road, Pompey, NY
Lat/Long
42.939552, -75.978645
Grant Recipient
Town of Pompey Historical Society
Historic Marker

POMPEY STONE

Inscription

POMPEY STONE
1800S PRANK BELIEVED TRUE.
ENGRAVED “LEO DE L'N VI 1520”
AS MEMORIAL FOR 1500S
EXPLORER. FOUND 1820 NEAR
THIS SITE. 1894 HOAX REVEALED.
NEW YORK FOLKLORE SOCIETY
WILLIAM G. POMEROY FOUNDATION 2017

The story behind the Pompey Stone spans nearly two centuries. In 1820, a local farmer Philo Cleveland reported finding the stone when clearing his fields. The stone, which is engraved “Leo De L’N VI 1520,” was believed for many years to be an authentic artifact from a Spanish explorer. In 1894, there were claims that two local men had doctored it in a blacksmith shop in nearby Oran, NY. The relic’s authenticity immediately fell into question and there’s been various stories about the hoax ever since.