At this time, Galveston island was largely uninhabited, except by Native American Karankawa indians. Lots of glass also. Ho-hum, right? 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. Things to do in Seabrook: A guide to Washington's cozy Coachella 2023: What to pack for a weekend in the desert, What you should wear to Disneyland in May, Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). Bass allegedly marked the spot with a rock in the fork of a tree, according to Lone Star Treasure. Singer & Co., which was renamed the Singer Manufacturing Company in 1865. locations along the Gulf Coast. The most beautiful lakes in Texas are all excellent choices for a trip. Yes I visited his home the Mason rouge in Campeche Galveston tx. 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. Great story! 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. Christian Latest local news from South Texas from KSAT12. We'll send you a couple of emails per month, filled with fascinating history facts that you can share with your friends. It's okay, because we're here to bust them! 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, . What books would you recommend about this pirate? Jean Lafitte: Mystery of the Unfound Treasure - Pelican State of We need your support because we are a non-profit organization that relies upon contributions from our community in order to record and preserve the history of our state. Between 1821 and 1828, Mexico issued many laws restricting or outlawing slavery. The enduring story of Hendricks Lake is a treasure legend that has been around for more than 150 years. Christian and the treasure hunting team are looking forward to using new technology to scan the bottom of the lake for possible anomalies, and hope to find a treasure which was missed in past searchers. Rumor has it that some of the money is hidden in Cove Hollow, near Denton. He built a new kind of sewing machine, and in 1851 he started I.M. Both of them had consulted with Harry Rieseberg, the self-described worlds greatest underwater treasure hunter who had written articles about the legend in treasure magazines of the time. Roughly $60,000 in gold and silver coins is said to buried in a creek bed near Castell, a community in Llano County. Official Blog of Pelican State Credit Union. In one Internet posting, I read the following: Texas has more buried treasure than any other state, with 229 sites within the states borders. A treasured mystery, If information about one of the last searchers had been documented and publicized it would likely have discouraged further similar attempts in the future. Interest in the ship resurfaced nine years later when Elder H. Sherman, grandson of the man who first reported the wreck, remembered that his grandfather had driven a spike into an oak tree to mark the ship's location. The Rosa was carrying a treasure cargo of silver bars and gold nuggets. Oil workers actually picked up readings that metal was to be found at the bottom of the lake. hidden treasures have been told time and time again in childrens books, video What is the latest news? Thats a lot of money for a man who was a laborer just a few years before. In the final battle of the War of 1812, Lafitte and his comrades helped General Andrew Jackson defend New Orleans against the British. He was a When you cross Bayou Des Allemands on Hwy 90, looking down the bayou to the south its a short ride to where the primary temple location was. 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. 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. Is there anything better than the tale of someone discovering a hidden clue, figuring out an obscure reference, finding the final piece of the puzzle, and then discovering a fantastic stash of gold or silver? Even though any treasure would most likely have been stripped from the vessel after it foundered, information on the ship's construction and artifacts such as tools and cannons could prove valuable, he said. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments section! Some historians recount that Lafitte went back to a life of crime, leaving the Here ya go Bum, Passed by it again on Tuesday. They lowered another contraption through the pipe to the lake floor. accessed May 01, 2023, The Indians in the Mandeville area helped him escape to the Pearl River. Mysterious shipwreck off Galveston is full Charles Fitzhugh Grice had the technology needed to find Spanish silver if the treasure was there. Ten Notorious French Pirates Mary Claire Patton has been a journalist with KSAT 12 since 2015. Jean Lafitte: History & Mystery - National Park Service Most who plied that area back then kept what they found close to the vest, and today that area is all open water, though many locals can still point out to you exactly where the Temple was. In Texas they still search for a great deposit of silver and gold that Lafitte is reputed to have abandoned there. Omoa was the site of the largest Spanish fort in Central America, a fort constructed to safeguard the Spanish silver shipments from the mines of Tegucigalpa in Honduras. It's incredible to think that just under the peaceful water lurks enough treasure to change your life! It lies along the historic route of Trammels Trace, only one and one-quarter miles south of the location of Ramsdales Crossing/Ferry (Rocky Ford) on the Sabine River. Daniel Vaughn is the countrys first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have. So where is it? 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. Sherman, who died in 1879, said he was able to walk on its deck. consisted of the currency he would receive in exchange for his foreign goods as Beyond Oak Island Episode 2 Summary: Wild West Gold and the Search at Robbers Roost Canyon for Butch Cassidys Lost Treasure, All can be found to have a questing theme within them. He had to take a pirogoe which is a wood boat that would have sank if all the treasure would have been on board. Texas is estimated to have $340 million in buried treasure, more than any other state in the U.S., according to TexasHillCountry.com. Jean Laffite Before we dive In 1816 Jean Lafitte, who was reputed to be an agent of the Spanish government (Agent 13, to be exact), raided a Spanish vessel called the Santa Rosa. 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. More than once the crane almost toppled into the water. In 1940, a new search team was formed. The northwest tip of Padre Island has for years been known as Treasure Dunes. Found a mamouth tooth a a tiny brick made of shell it has letters P on it and the other I cant make out. And if so is the treasure still there? Could it be that there were multiple burial locations He fled New Orleans to Lake Pontchartrain. In addition to studying historical records about the sunken ship, Anahuac Jack has spent years studying early maps that show the waterways when they were deeper, before they filled with silt. My grandfathers mother lived next to his mother and we were told of the storys on where some was at. Scotty Stotlar, Sr., appeared to have what it took to mount another serious attempt. Packsaddle Mountain in eastern Llano County is another alleged Bass treasure location. But now Hoyt, the state marine archaeologist, wants to officially examine the site. There is even an event in La Porte, Texas centered around the treasure called the Annual Search for Lafittes Gold.. There are many stories about famed pirate Jean Lafitte, but one places his lost buried treasure at the bottom of a lake right here in East Texas. By clicking "Accept," you agree to the use of cookies on Pelican State of Mind. Numerous springs within and around the lake keep it filled. treasure to speak of. While challenging, the trip also exposes an otherworldly beauty and abundant wildlife, such as alligators sunning on rocks, great blue herons roosting on stumps and white egrets winging across the water. the naval operations and common routes of port ships in the Mississippi River Its said that John Singer buried a chest in the mid-1800s containing $60,000-$80,000 in various Spanish coins, silver bars and jewelry which he acquired through salvaging shipwrecks. But a giant storm hit the area, destroying the raft and washing away all the evidence. Gary Pinkerton, True Believers: Treasure Hunters at Hendricks Lake, East Texas Historical Journal 47 (2009). During the Mexican War of Independence, the Laffites served as spies for the Spanish, after moving to Galveston Island, Texas. The enduring story of Hendricks Lake is a treasure legend that has been around for more than 150 years. It is an awsome site! More maps appeared showing various locations of a lost silver mine. 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. In searching some old newspapers.found a newspaper article from 1935, a full page on Jean Lafitte. They did their research and, with dredging equipment and electronics gear, made multiple trips to Hendricks Lake but had no success. It's apparently a large wreck and about the right size and shape for a Lafitte vessel.". Get more stories delivered right to your email. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. But alas, nothing came of it. The treasure is estimated to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars. games, shows, and moviesbut what if they werent made up just for the sake of There are It also has references to other lost treasure spots in Texas. His exact whereabouts after that Jean Lafitte Treasure Found - TreasureNet The Original Huge beautiful tree. Some fishermen in the last century pulled several silver bars from those very waters with a hoop net. While his fleet took a hit, Lafitte himself managed to evade capture. More information can be found in Guide to Treasure in Texas Daniel sought permission from the land commissioner to salvage the sunken ship and "exhibit whatever findings to the public," newspapers reported. Is the image on this article what the actual chest looked like? A family in Baytown, Texas tell their story as they believe they found one of Lafittes sunken ships. The family thinks this could be a clue as to where the actual treasure is. There is even an event in La Porte, Texas centered around the treasure called the Annual Search for Lafittes Gold. a must to have. Nobody knows for sure if all of these legends are true, but theyre interesting to read about nonetheless. Click the image below to read our free eBook "The Big Book of Credit Union MythsBUSTED! Retired Avenger, current NFL free agent. 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. He told me there is an old, very old oak tree. Buried Treasures in North America Jean Laffite's Loot When the Embargo Act of 1807 Very old 3 x 3 nches by 2 inches. Okay, that was a really bad joke. into these uncharted waters, we need to know more about who Lafitte was. have buried a large cache of treasure somewhere in the bayous of Louisiana. Jean Lafitte: Mystery of the Unfound Treasure - Pelican State of After getting some readings at the bottom of the lake (Hendricks Lake), two Dallas oilmen actually brought in a giant crane and attached a drag bucket to the cable. Those looking for Gold, Diamonds, Jewelry etc wont find it. Every penny counts! Blackbeard and the mysterious unsolved code of Olivier Levassuer, or The Buzzard, are mentioned. Jean Lafitte: Mystery of the Unfound Treasure, History of Louisianas State Bird: The Brown Pelican, Jacques St. Germain, The Infamous Louisiana Vampire. According to legend, Bass used Longhorn Caverns in Burnet County as a hideout after some of his robberies although treasure seekers have yet to find any loot in the caverns. I have spoken to people who have been out there, muddied around and felt portions with their bare feet. Later, someone else who got high metal readings tried to dynamite the bottom of the lake. Have you ever heard of Money Hill near the southern tip of South Padre Island? Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) But all the treasure hunters declared that I must be hiding the truth. Katie Lawrence is a Southeast Texas native who graduated 18th in her high school class with a GPA of 4.25. 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. Discover New Orleans rich cultural mix. Plus, if when they come back and nothing can be found, he says they have the whole Texas coast and more to continue their search. 5. The stolen bounty was part of the Mexican payroll in 1836 and its allegedly buried 5 feet deep near the oak tree. Im ready to break out my metal detector! Some believe it belonged to the pirate Jean Lafitte. They know it. The team reported finding the ship, which reportedly is sheathed on the bottom with copper. Peter Walker Adams lived in one of the houses on the hill near the lake and figured prominently in many of the newspaper stories. In 1814, the U.S. sent a naval force to invade Lafittes fleet and was mostly successful, seizing many of Lafittes comrades and ships. Where there were bandits, perhaps there is One group proposed to use a new divining rod activated with isotopes. Moving on to piracy by around 1810, Lafitte was based at the secluded Barataria Bay inlet. "Lafitte provided the perfect subject for the first American Gothic romance novel that came out in 1836, entitled 'Lafitte, the Pirate,' " said Robert Vogel, an archaeologist from St. Paul, Minn. Vogel has studied Lafitte for 25 years and has written many articles about him in academic journals. The Treasure of Jean Lafitte. Christian is not discouraged. Comanche Indians were said to be chasing a train of pack mules carrying hefty loads of silver in the early 1920s and the men in charge of the bounty buried the silver to keep it from being stolen. Most people wrote it off as another myth until a magazine published a story about long-forgotten silver, causing treasure hunters from everywhere to rush to the area. The conquistadors are said to have filled in the mine so nobody else could discover the hoard. Other sites considered to contain Lafitte treasure are islands south of New Orleans and Galveston Island in Texas. He also might have(might have, I remind you)come across a wooden chest containing what was then $80,000 in jewelry and coins. down. Theres Both were the surnames of early settlers in the vicinity. well as the fortunes left on the merchant ships that he captured. There are still treasure hunters to this day who believe the Lafitte fortune would be found if the lake was drained. 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. The basic story is that in 1816 silver stolen by pirate Cush Reeves. It may not display this or other websites correctly. By 1829, the mythical lost silver mine of San Saba began appearing on Austins maps of Texas. Soldiers approach, wagons sunk in Hendricks Lake, an oxbow lake just south of the Sabine River in northeastern Rusk County. One story even the treasure be today? Lost Treasure In Texas Is All Over The State Even the location and date of his birth varies on the document or biography at hand. Have a crack at it guys. hill on the Lakes side, the scans show some promising images. Some of them do have people who can corroborate the stories. It happens every now and then," Hamilton said. I think yall lying about the finding treasure, Plum bayou look for trees cut down and fake grave at the end. Hendricks Lake, Jean Lafittes treasure Photo of Hendricks Lake, courtesy of Gary L. Pinkerton One particularly famous legend is that of Jean Lafittes treasure. Read More about Texas Tea Slot, about Jean Laffites treasure in the Sabine River. Wheres your backyard? Despite intense efforts at dredging, detecting, diving, and dynamiting for Hendricks Lake treasure, the only thing that was reportedly found in the lake was the rim of an old wagon wheel. I know this thread is quite old now, but I'm wondering if any other information has been discovered about this? They also had a raft built from which large pipes were sunk into the lake bottom, and used a metal detector to search the sediment. I have a file 2 in thick on Hendricks lake treasure. At one point, while wandering the beaches of Padre Island, he came across a bunch of Spanish coins. WebJean Lafitte is thought to have sunk a treasure ship containing $500,000 to $1,000,000 off south Padre Island. A lookout for alligators and venomous snakes is Texas In Texas, the Laffites founded a pirate colony named Campeche. that the treasure was on board one of Lafittes vessels and sank to the ocean As a former channel of the Sabine, Hendricks Lake is fed intermittently by Black Slough and by seasonal overflow from both Cherokee Bayou and the Sabine River. History suggests there is a possibility that hidden treasuresgold coins, doubloons, precious jewelryare somewhere beneath the surface just waiting to be found! I was born and raised in East Texas. Despite this, no silver bars were found. Was it buried underground or lost under water? Leave them blank to get signed up. 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. You can see a small door that was covered. The popularity of treasure hunting during this time period was profiled in numerous pulp magazines and news features, and the business of supplying treasure hunters was page one news in the Wall Street Journal. Lets be honest, everybody loves a good treasure story. Other variations of the mystery say Lafitte buried the treasure in multiple that will never end. treasure i will try and take a picture of the location. Jean Lafitte No matter where you are in the state, youre bound to be able to search for some tempting hidden loot. Lafitte eventually returned to smuggling at Galveston Island in Spanish Texas until he was forced out by the U.S. Navy in 1820. Hidden gems in Texas are one of our state's greatest joys. goal to once again evade U.S. seizure and to come back to it later. For decades the site has intrigued historians and treasure hunters. Not that they're searching for it. That set off a huge treasure hunting stampede. Jean Lafitte became labeled by some as a People claim that a $2 million fortune stolen from the Spanish by Jean Lafitte was buried in the Sabine River. and its inlets. I always wondered why the searchers were only local, and that an organized big search never happened but it never did. Oil workers actually picked up readings that metal was to be found at the bottom of the lake. JavaScript is disabled. Sounds like the Hendricks lake treasure. Treasure 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. The prizes that Lafitte took were slaves, cotton, commodities, etc. As they retreated, they headed into what is now known as Upshur County. Texas Monthly Is Nominated for Two 2023 Media Awards by the James Beard Foundation. 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. One time she wrote about sports. ingots were in transport, but the Spanish had set a trap. pardoned by General Andrew Jackson in praise of his efforts and accomplishments All in all, several wagons loaded with silver ingots went into the river. According to legend, the infamous robber Sam Bass stole 3,000 gold bars worth $20 each from the Union Pacific Railroad. The silver was never recovered. My favorite part of the legend is that the Guadalupe Mission in El Paso was built in way so that the shadows of the mission point to the Lost Padre Mine. This catch rendered a lot of attention and by 1884, the Sabine River was riddled with silver hunters. I still have no idea if it was really a JL marker, or if so, it treasure was ever found. She attended college in the Houston area and changed her major twice (psychology, computer science, and finally criminal justice) before taking a leap of faith and dropping out to pursue a career in freelance writing. This would later be used to his great advantage. Mary Roger also tells us about how some fishermen much later got an unusual catch in their hoop net when fishing in the Sabine River; entangled in their net were several silver bars. The NOWHERE BUT TEXAS: SEARCHING FOR JEAN below! Then I did a litlle research and found this. The story goes that wagon loads of silver Most people wrote it off as another myth until a magazine Did the infamous privateer Jean Laffite steal a $2 million fortune in silver from a Spanish galleon and bury it in the Sabine River near the East Texas town Sabine? 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. He told me the government tried digging but was denied by the owner. Others have mounted full-scale salvage expeditions with backhoes and monster trucks and whatnot. Little is known about his origins, but he was probably born either in Basque-France or in the French colony Saint-Domingue. See link. Many treasure hunters are convinced the money continues to lie beneath the mud of Little Cypress Creek in Upshur County. Louisianas Rumor has it the money is somewhere underneath Little, A man named Nathan Smith thinks he's found the remnants of a sunken ship from an 1822 hurricane north of. which is said to contain many records and may hold the key to Frisbys buried treasure. We report on vital issues from politics to education and are the indispensable authority on the Texas scene, covering everything from music to cultural events with insightful recommendations. There are many accounts that say Lafitte settled in But they got nothing. This information begs the question, though, How did Jean Lafitte have treasure in the first place, and if he did, why would he leave it behind?. Ever seen an oak tree with a carving of two eagle wings on it? Gulf of Mexico He captured ships and sold their cargoes, which often included slaves, to shady merchants in New Orleans. On his visits to Hendricks Lake with his son, they got a hit and brought a diver along to search the bottom. In the early 1820s, Great Colombia under the government of Simon Bolivar had begun commissioning former privateers as officers in their newly formed navy. WebThe Lost Treasure of Hendricks Lake The infamous pirate of the Gulf Jean Lafitte took a $2 million fortune in silver from a Spanish galleon and supposedly buried it in the Sabine The ships turned out to be heavily armed privateers and they mounted a frontal counterattack that included heavy fire. I'm a descendant of his first mate and so while as a general rule I love history/archeology/treasure hunting, naturally this is the treasure that interests me the most. It featured Pirate Treasures. 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 other went north later over seas where he was killed during WW2. "I've always been interested in the site and had it in the back of my mind but been too busy on other projects.". Probably inside the hidden stairs that went to the first floor of his mason rouge. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. Watch an alligator bask on a bayous bank. Hits are sounded off. JHS grads making documentary about residents of Texas have claimed that the treasure was buried somewhere along mystery afoot! The following, adapted from the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition, is the preferred citation for this entry. It may not display this or other websites correctly. But to this day, treasure hunters are unswayed. To him it is the Chase and the history. This lake has its dangers, of course. If you study your info you will be lost. "I had someone come talk to me about it just a few months ago. One of the men was found living in east Texas where he had bought a farm. What if these stories are factual? I studied it very well and found a hidden marking on a wall beside the stairs and a solid wall pit with a hole in the top. I also. Much to the If the rumors are true, Cove Hollow, near Denton is another Bass treasure location. instead of just one? While at my favorite used book store some months ago I stumbled across a copy of a book that I read as a kid. Lafitte utilized Galveston Island as his private smuggling base. Legend has it that Basss part of the money is in Cove Hollow, about thirty miles from Denton. During this time in New Orleans, Lafitte became a very rich man, acquiring extraordinary amounts of money, ships, and weapons. 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. The project was abandoned, however, for lack of financing. 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. A family in Baytown, Texas tell their story as they believe they found one of Lafittes sunken ships. They say this inspired them to reach out to other treasure hunters and hear their stories. Its off 435 about 12 miles from where he fled imprisonment to the Pearl River. I a month there. 2001-11-18 04:00:00 PDT Wallisville, Texas -- Using a machete, Anahuac Jack hacks through branches blocking his small boat's path down a narrow channel through a marsh lined with cypress trees. 1. from oil explorers and water witchers to plain nuts.. This national preserve protects the incredible diversity of life found where multiple habitats converge in southeast Texas. Join the adventures in Beyond Oak Island- Tuesdays at 10PM and summaries and more in depth looks into the many stories of treasure, here at MW! Found bones of mamouth and Indian tools. You are using an out of date browser. Since then, several parties have approached D.L. According to a story by Mary Roger of the Fort Worth Star Telegram, the silver was indeed robbed from a galleon by Laffite and his mean in the early 19th century. 2. Metal detector companies may be the only satisfied At the age of 25, Jean Laffite was living in New Orleans, operating a warehouse essential to dispersing the goods smuggled by his brother Pierre.