Very old 3 x 3 nches by 2 inches. He could have stashed some treasure somewhere along the Eastern shore. He was also a ham radio operator. Have a crack at it guys. What if these stories are factual? Few besides him, who took part in the Battle of San Jacinto, are alive today. Outside of work, you can likely find her curled up on the sofa with a hot cup of coffee, watching a crime TV show or scary movie. Get more stories delivered right to your email. There was no treasure found. which is said to contain many records and may hold the key to Frisbys buried treasure. Over the years there have been many who made a minimal effort or spent a little time at the lake only to discover that the conditions were too difficult and they had neither the time nor the money for such an undertaking. No matter where you are in the state, youre bound to be able to search for some tempting hidden loot. They got away with three thousand freshly-minted 1877 $20 gold pieces. Latest local news from South Texas from KSAT12. hidden treasures have been told time and time again in childrens books, video Yet because of his claim and the team's loss of salvage rights after failing to pay money owed on the state lease, that project also was abandoned, records indicate. Some fishermen in the last century pulled several silver bars from those very waters with a hoop net. They lowered another contraption through the pipe to the lake floor. The Lost San Saba Silver Mine This lost mine, with its rich vein of silver, has been what one treasure hunter writer has called the Holy Grail of Texas treasure seekers. In 1756 a Mexican official traveling through Texas learned from Indians of an exposed strain of pure silver that ran through a certain hill in Central Texas. Published by the Texas State Historical Association. When they returned after the war, Singer could no longer find Money Hill because the sands had shifted and erased all the landmarks that he once knew. A huge battle ensued between the two groups near what is now known as Tyler. NOWHERE BUT TEXAS: SEARCHING FOR JEAN The brothers meet with a Christian Roper who is actively hunting for the lost treasure of the pirate, Jean Lafitte. The information comes from books and treasure hunting Web sites (the best of which are legendsofamerica.com and treasurefish.com). . Learn Cajun traditions from people who live them. And the ship berry bros found look for gold on land nearby. Just another myth? The state of Leave them blank to get signed up. : they "found it". Between 1821 and 1828, Mexico issued many laws restricting or outlawing slavery. This is just the beginning! Gary L. Pinkerton, Trammels Trace: The First Road to Texas from the North (College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2016). According to one legend, a group of priests put about three hundred burro loads of silver in a mine on one of their expeditions to New Mexico. United States no choice but to pursue his arrest. Is the image on this article what the actual chest looked like? hendrickslake.com Tensions were high during this time between the United States and Great Britain, creating the War of 1812 and forcing the United States to be on edge about who they could and could not trust. On his visits to Hendricks Lake with his son, they got a hit and brought a diver along to search the bottom. A treasured mystery, But now Hoyt, the state marine archaeologist, wants to officially examine the site. It was also the location that US Forces attacked, causing his band to make a hasty retreat. My grandfather never got to look for the treasure s. Ive heard he would sometimes slip into Mobile Bay. More information can be found in Guide to Treasure in Texas A minimum of five treasure ships are said to have sunk at or near the mouth of the Rio Grande. Even though some, including Waldrop and Stotlar, had looked into draining the lake, there were no other attempts at that folly. but what is clear is that he settled in the New Orleans area with his mother . Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). Some of the loot has been recovered, but the rest of these hidden treasures in Texas have mysteriously disappeared. Jean Lafitte (Privateer, Smuggler, Pirate, I hope that you can help me out. This story was told to me several years ago by a man in his 80 s Back in 1940 or 41 two men hired to clean up around what is said to be Lafittes red house disapeared after a few days. An estimated $340 million., And as I write, the treasure hunters are out there, hunting, hunting, and hunting. ships as a last-ditch effort to gain an advantage in the pivotal Battle of New "I had someone come talk to me about it just a few months ago. Let us know in the comments 3. He has no need for modern conveniences, living in a primitive cabin on the Trinity that is accessible only by boat and has no telephone. Most of the people were locals, from Lafourche Parish, the southern part, mainly Cut Off and Larose and the Gheens area, and also from the Des Allemands location. He also might have(might have, I remind you)come across a wooden chest containing what was then $80,000 in jewelry and coins. The mud is deep on the bottom, and just as ", As for the shipwreck in Lake Miller, Vogel says, "There is something actually down there. This warrants some underwater metal detectors to be taken Before I started to work on the story running in the July 2009 issue (Sleeping Booty) about California musician Nathan Smiths quixotic attempt to find a lost Spanish treasure ship near the town of Refugio, north of Corpus Christi, I assumed that there was no buried treasure at all in Texas. His brother, wanting to make something of himself as well, went exploring the coast of Texas to find buried treasure. instead of just one? The Lagina Brothers, famous for their search for the lost treasure on Oak Island and featured in the show The Curse of Oak Island, now hosts a new show called, Beyond Oak Island. We use cookies to provide you with the best possible browsing experience. Much to the well as the fortunes left on the merchant ships that he captured. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. At that time, the legend was that Mexican land pirates lived along the lake and dumped gold, silver, and precious stones in the lake when they were attacked by the Texans or some other forces. Tatum reportedly built a device with buckets on a conveyor and operated by steam engines to attempt to bail the water from the lake. the state archaeologist. Another story says the ship -- believed to have been a three-masted schooner -- ended up there after a storm surge in the Gulf of Mexico. Comparatively few of lthe Mexican War veterans are now alive. The story dates back to 1816 when pirate Jean Lafitte is said to have stolen $2 million in silver from the Santa Rosa. It seems like a plausible place for a notorious bandit to hide his loot, so we are inclined to believe it! True West Magazine article on Jean Lafitte. The cousins have found buried treasure of sorts, their research has brought to life stories of pirates that come from a pivotal moment in our history when pirates became heroes. Fearing an ambush by Native Americans, they then decided to hide the treasure by pushing it into the muddy waters of the Sabine River. The treasure already found was Spanish Silver, not Gold. (All you English teachers out there, stop making fun of me for using the what is now known as phrase two sentences in a row.) Switching gears back to Louisiana, this Jean Lafitte tale quotes a former student of Mount Carmel Academy in New Orleans stating that the treasure is buried near an oak tree on the schools campus. However, since it pointed toward someone else's land, he never did or said anything about it. One such story, according to multiple sources, says Bass stashed loot in an old hollow tree around 2 miles west of Round Rock. Bass reportedly stole 3,000 gold bars from Union Pacific Railroad, some of which have been recovered, but there are gold bars that have still not been found, according to OnlyInYourState.com. Access to those treasure seekers was largely through land owned by a former Panola County sheriff, Corbett Akins, and one of his deputies, L.E. X Marks the Spot Texas Monthly Some believe it belonged to the pirate Jean Lafitte. The project was abandoned, however, for lack of financing. Some historians recount that Lafitte went back to a life of crime, leaving the though. most well-known buried treasure mystery still to this day is the unfound Was it buried underground or lost under water? Beyond Oak Island Summary of Episode 1: Pirate Treasures and the Search in Hendricks Lake for Jean Lafittes Lost Treasure. A nearby lake fed by the Sabine River also caught their attention, since the silver might have been transported there by the current. scrambling to find answers. I have no doubt that the Historians will decry what Ive said here, and Im cool with that, I know what I saw and found, and I know what others saw and found. By clicking "Accept," you agree to the use of cookies on Pelican State of Mind. This same engineer, only two years earlier, had led the team who located the Tecumseh, a Union metalclad ship sunk during the battle of Mobile Bay in August 1864. What books would you recommend about this pirate? Discover New Orleans rich cultural mix. I was born and raised in East Texas. Supposedly, it still lies buried beneath the dirt. 1. What about you? 4. I think I found Lafitte's treasure In 1965 a professional syndicate of treasure hunters, men who worked together at a packaging company in LeClaire, Iowa, and led by Clarence A. that is. It is still times as a smuggler and privateer, he became very wealthy. Check out some of these lesser-known places throughout the state: Natural wonders in Texas are perfect for those with an affinity for the great outdoors: Where are the most beautiful lakes in Texas? The first recorded mention of the wreck came from Jacob Haven Sherman Jr., a cotton gin operator, who told his nine children about discovering the site in the 1850s. Gary Pinkerton, True Believers: Treasure Hunters at Hendricks Lake, East Texas Historical Journal 47 (2009). In the final battle of the War of 1812, Lafitte and his comrades helped General Andrew Jackson defend New Orleans against the British. It really exists, and due to our rich history with Spanish and Mexican invasions, it makes sense that there would be a lot hidden here. The show starts with the Lagina brothers, Rick and Marty, sharing how their search on Oak Island opened them up to a world full of mysteries and lost treasures to explore. Throughout Lafittes The story died down but regained momentum when treasure hunting became popular again in the fifties and when True West magazine printed an article about the long-forgotten silver prompting treasure hunters to flock to Carthage and Tatum. Many believe the treasure still lurks under the water, just waiting to be discovered. wagons to be pushed down an embankment and into a lake. Katie Lawrence is a Southeast Texas native who graduated 18th in her high school class with a GPA of 4.25. Watch an alligator bask on a bayous bank. Small but made like a brick. He was a Lost Treasure In Texas Is All Over The State The ships turned out to be heavily armed privateers and they mounted a frontal counterattack that included heavy fire. At the moment he is headed for Lake Miller, a pristine pool unreachable by road, although the rumble of traffic can be heard from Interstate 10 a few miles to the north. More maps appeared showing various locations of a lost silver mine. March 2023 Reader Quiz: What Did You Learn? The Lost Padre Mine Somewhere in the Franklin Mountains overlooking the Rio Grande River in El Paso County is the Lost Padre Mine. accepts, and the show continues at Hendricks Lake in East Texas. Back in the 1580s, Spanish conquistadors and priests often passed beneath the peaks of the Franklins on their way to New Mexico to colonize the Indian villages. The Temple was located just North of what is today Little Lake, in Lafittes time it was Little Lake Barataria, where Bayou Perot and Bayou Rigolets meet. Roach once lived on Lake Miller -- which earlier was called Lake De La Roche after him -- and had boats there that he used for pillaging. It may not display this or other websites correctly. JavaScript is disabled. He had to take a pirogoe which is a wood boat that would have sank if all the treasure would have been on board. People claim that a $2 million fortune stolen from the Spanish by Jean Lafitte was buried in the Sabine River. Official Blog of Pelican State Credit Union. You are using an out of date browser. He declared himself governor or "master" until he fled to the Yucatan Peninsula after the U.S. government forced him to leave in 1820, records show. ingots were in transport, but the Spanish had set a trap. treasure of Jean Lafitte. into these uncharted waters, we need to know more about who Lafitte was. My husband even traveled to Austin to talk to historian J. Frank Dobie about it.". Bass allegedly marked the spot with a rock in the fork of a tree, according to Lone Star Treasure. The parade of those who made documented efforts for the treasure included oilmen, a television repairman, a pharmacist, a grocery store owner, dirt contractors, water well diggers, fraudulent treasure hunting equipment hucksters, a heating and air-conditioning technician, and numerous other true believers. Searchers used aerial photos, underwater metal detectors, and magnetometers to aid in their efforts. TeXas marks the spot! Since then, several parties have approached D.L. Despite this, no silver bars were found. Two oilmen from Texas actually brought a giant crane to the lake after getting some interesting readings from the bottom of Hendricks Lake. The fortune is said to have been stolen from the Spanish by Jean Lafitte. But obviously, it would be worth going out and taking a look. More information can be found in Guide to Treasure in Texas But they got nothing. Beyond Oak Island Summary of Episode 1: Pirate Jean Lafitte: History & Mystery - National Park Service because Lafittes treasure was thought to be underwater there. You can see a small door that was covered. It is widely believed that Lafitte buried his treasure on Galveston before he left - and this video is about my search at three likely treasure sites. Anahuac Jack feels certain that evidence will show that the boat belonged to Lafitte. John Spong writes primarily about popular culture. Although the lake was searched in the 50s and 60s, nothing was found at that time. To this day, a must to have. Do you have If anyone has heared or knows any more info please let me know. Rumor has it the outlaw hid gold in canvas sacks on Packsaddle Mountain and that some of it could still be there. I still have no idea if it was really a JL marker, or if so, it treasure was ever found. Jean Epperson, a Chambers County history buff, believes the ship might more likely belong to one of Lafitte's officers, Lt. Andrew Roach. Adams was a Rusk County backwoodsman who wears an old slouch felt hat, bib overalls, and a denim jacket, buttoned at the throat even in hot weather, and a favorite character of columnist Frank X. Tolbert for many of his Tolberts Texas articles over the years. There are many accounts that say Lafitte settled in But I am humored by the following observations : 1) have you ever noticed that when these fabled treasures are discussed, that the past tense of the word "find" is invariably always used. Other potential treasure troves require a longer drive but if youre willing to camp out or find a hotel, AirBnb, etc., you could be in for a big payday. He then buried it in a sand dune on, In the early 19th century, the Texas army pushed Cherokee Indians from Tyler to Upshur County. Probably inside the hidden stairs that went to the first floor of his mason rouge. A few of the Cherokees were accompanied by agents of the Mexican government who had promised a lot of money to the tribe if they were able to drive out the Texans. Gulf of Mexico On the edge of this little-known Chambers County lake off the Trinity about 35 miles east of Houston, Jack wants to show where a ship sank in the 1800s. A lookout for alligators and venomous snakes is Abilene Reporter-News, June 24, 1958. That is because he not only commandeered goods from dozens of foreign ships and traded slaves, but he also helped Gen. Andrew Jackson defeat the British in the Battle of New Orleans and escorted a mapping expedition into Arkansas. 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In less than one year, Lafitte's small settlement grew to nearly 200 men and several women. States officials granted him legal authority to pirate and capture British Lafitte was later Singer buried the chest after being forced to leave his home and returned several times in an effort to find his buried treasure but was never able to recover his fortune. Lafitte's large fleet and multinational band of pirates, privateers, and smugglers caused havoc in the Gulf of Mexico for a decade. Read More about Jean Laffites treasure in the Sabine River, USS Hatteras (formerly St. Mary) was a 1,126-ton steamer purchased by the Union Navy during the early part of the American Civil War. Discovering history is part of the adventure, and that never ends. Locating a ship that belonged to Lafitte or one of his officers would be a "significant find" because of the role he played on the Texas coast, said Hoyt. storytelling? The story revolves around oil fields in Texas, USA. brought up to the surface. Legendary French pirate Jean Lafitte and his crew were also known to troll the Gulf for booty at the time .
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