​More Discovered Treasure from the 
GCHS Archives....

---

The Springer Heirs Hoax

Mr. William McKitrick's membership certificate from The Springer Heirs, Inc. company; his son, Fred McKitrick, Flint citizen, later discovered his father had been fleeced

​Could you imagine finding out that you’re a descendant of an astonishingly wealthy man? Now, imagine being told that if you could just prove your direct relation to that man, you could have the chance to inherit part of their multi-billion dollar estate. This is exactly how the Springer Heirs Hoax started in the 1800s. It was a long-running scam that carried on, well into the 1900s.

The hoax was so widespread that it affected people all over the country, including one local man’s own family. Local resident and opera legend, Fred McKitrick, found that his father had fallen victim to the scam in the early 1900s.

---

The Origins of the Hoax

Charles Christopher Springer died in Wilmington, Delaware in 1738. He and his life are a bit of an enigma, but records claim he was a man of noble birth who acquired various parcels of land totaling around 800 acres during his lifetime. It is debated who the land was leased to during Springer’s life, but it is agreed upon that the city of Wilmington ended up in possession of his estate after his death. It was estimated that his estate was worth hundreds of millions of dollars at the time of his death.

The first known scam related to the Springer Estate was in the 1880s. A man named George Ponton claimed that his mother was a direct descendant of Charles Springer, and therefore she would receive a large inheritance from the Springer Estate. Ponton asked people to loan him money, which he promised to later pay back with money his mother received from the Estate. Ponton claimed that a settlement between the Springer Heirs and the city of Wilmington had been made and a payout would happen soon; however, this was a fallacy. No settlement had been made and no money was to be paid to Ponton or his mother.

The Chicago FlimFlam

The larger version of the Springer Heirs Hoax happened in the early 1900s. The Springer Heirs, Inc. was formed in Chicago, Illinois.  This organization targeted actual Springer Heirs, and promised to work through legal and legitimate means to get the heirs their rightful inheritance from the Springer Estate.  Springer heirs would have to prove their lineage and then purchase stock and membership in the Springer Heirs corporation. Membership would have to be renewed yearly. Membership ensured that when a settlement was finally made, the heir would reap the rewards.

The money received from stock and membership was meant to hire lawyers and pay legal fees. In actuality, most of the money was retained by the men perpetrating the scam and not used for the purposes they claimed to their members. As time went on, the Springer Heirs, Corp. was revealed for what it was: a sham. There were a few small cases brought to court, but the large majority who had bought into the company never saw any of their money returned to them.

Example of required letter proving Springer lineage

A Springer Heirs Constitution and Bylaws for its duped members

The Swindling of Poor Mr. McKitrick

Local resident, Fred McKitrick, discovered his father, William, had been lured in by the promises made by the Springer Heirs, Corp. He kept records of the work his father did to trace their lineage back to Charles Springer. McKitrick also had membership dues receipts paid by his father from 1923 to 1925. There are no records to indicate that William McKitrick ever received any compensation for the money he was scammed out of.
​
While the hoax itself was ruinous emotionally and financially to those who fell into the trap of The Springer Heirs, Corp., it also proved disastrous for the historical and genealogical record. In order to become a member of The Springer Heirs, Corp. one had to prove their relation to Charles Springer. Over the years, people desperate to reap the rewards of the Springer Estate forged their family histories and records to fake a relation to Charles Springer. This happened so frequently that it is nearly impossible for true Springer descendants to accurately trace their ancestry and family history. However, thanks to improvements in DNA technology and genetic ancestry testing, there is still hope that the record can one day be set straight.

Mr. McKitrick's Receipt for Dues

Mr. McKitrick's letter to the company

Written by Amber Drury, GCHS Director

About the author:  Amber graduated from Michigan State University with a B.A. in history and a minor in museum studies.  Though she cherishes history of all types, she has a particular interest in American and African-American history, and WW2, and of course, hunting for bits of treasure in the GCHS archives!