A huge battle ensued between the two groups near what is now known as Tyler. Read More about The wreck of La Belle, 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? Now, two years later, in his book, "True Believers: Treasure Hunters at Hendricks Lake," he has given new life to a legend about hidden silver that developed alongside Trammel's Trace. The legend says that in 1816, Laffite and his fellow pirates plundered six wagon loads worth of silver from the Spanish. 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. During his research for Trammals Trace, Pinkerton came upon the legend and it was something he tucked away and parked for a little while.. 153 0 obj During 1957 and 1958 the most significant attempts to locate the treasure took place at the lake. Hendricks Lake is an oxbow lake one and one-half miles south of the Sabine River and about four miles northeast of Tatum in Rusk County, Texas (32.371864N, 94.493190W). Id met his daughter, who when she was 12, they let her push the plunger on the dynamite to blow up the bottom of the lake.. This is just the beginning! Boise County - Close to 3,000,000 troy ounces of gold have been removed from the gravels of the Bose Basin and according to treasure hunters, there is plenty more to be found. There's no wonder it took 17 years to scour the ocean floor for this ship's treasure- a treasure lost in 1622 off the Keys. Christian knows his pirate history! A Book by Gary L. Pinkerton, author of "Trammel's Trace", Ive seen fifty of em beaten by the lakes bog bottom, from oil explorers and water witchers to plain nuts. . His main focus is on Jean Lafittes treasure, Pinkerton came across the Hendricks Lake legend while doing research for his book, Trammals Trace: The First Road to Texas from the North. One particularly famous legend is that of Jean Lafitte's treasure. There were treasure legends like that all over Texas, he said. I determined that there were maybe five that might have contained some sort of treasure. 0000000016 00000 n Angie Hendricks has been a dedicated RE/MAX Realtor for more than a decade, who offers attention to detail in every real estate transaction she handles. 4. No one's found the Spanish silver cache, but some treasure seekers in this area have struck gold-or gemstones, as the case may be. They have documented their search for reported treasure over eight seasons. The Sam Bass Loot In perhaps his greatest venture, Texass legendary stagecoach and bank robber Sam Bass traveled to Big Springs, Nebraska, with his sidekick Joel Collins and held up the Union Pacific Railroad. 3. North of Tatum, in the middle of the woods, lies Hendricks Lake. . After completing high school in Virginia, she moved to New York City and pursued a career as a model following her entry into a Seventeen cover contest. The Lakeview Motel's name is false advertising these dry days. Jupiter Island. 0000004529 00000 n 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. Connecting the legend to peoples minds now so it doesnt die out, I think is important, Pinkerton asserted. 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. Just another myth? The Irish Crown Jewels, stolen from Dublin Castle over a century ago, are still out there for treasure-seekers to find today. You have permission to edit this article. He frequently returned to Galveston or the barrier islands near New Orleans to unload booty or take on supplies procured by Pierre. Christian Roper and Brackston McKnight, film makers. hb```E@9Z9:sj*5)o(Hd`8iQ^gFMJNvZ7he);Ndx8uy}xc;Mt0u410[t0v4t40t40Zt00L@,E@`E,AsE^X/q5tDX4C#{ I dont want to give too much away, but part of the reason that Hendricks Lake may have been incorrectly added to the story is because, I believe, in the late 1830s there may have been something found on a property owned by a man with the last name OHendrick, Roper said. It was packed with tons of gold and silver. Also join us in the Facebook Group: Beyond Oak Island Treasures for more discussions. The 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 River near the East Texas town of Sabine. Hendricks Lake, once a commonly-frequented lake both for recreation and treasure hunting, is no longer accessible to the public. An historian named Herbert Bolton, using the original journals of the Mexicans from the eighteenth century, found what is now known as the Boyd shaft on Honey Creek. True West Magazine article on Jean Lafitte. In an interview with KETK, Pinkerton discussed the treasure, or lack thereof, at Hendricks Lake. Pinkerton. The film will center around local lore of a lost treasure of $2 million in silver ingots said to have been stolen by French pirate Jean Laffite and hidden by smugglers in Hendricks Lake, a. It was a cloudy evening with low visibility, and Laffite attempted to capture what appeared to be two Spanish merchant vessels. Snavely of Taylor, who had hunted treasure for 60 years, found a ruby arrowhead weighing 15 karats, along with many other gemstones. 2. Lr !_) The story was reporting the fact that Tatum beat a man to death who essentially made fun of that effort, Pinkerton said. He is the primary antagonist of season one of National Treasure: Edge of History. Error! Pinkerton spent time in Carthage recently talking to those with accounts of some of the treasure hunters, and he hopes to connect with more people who have Hendricks Lake stories to tell. Akins and one of his former deputies were landowners along the lake and active onlookers with a piece of the action. One particularly famous legend is that of Jean Lafittes treasure. Just let me know if you find anything so I can break the story first. Off the shores of Nova Scotia is Oak Island, a place where unimaginable riches (or absolutely nothing) can supposedly be found at the bottom of a money pit that has eluded treasure seekers for centuries.Originally, the money pit was found in 1795 by a teenager named Daniel McGinnis who claimed he saw mysterious lights coming from the island, and upon investigating, found a small circular hole . Beyond Oak Island Summary of Episode 1: Pirate Treasures and the Search in Hendricks Lake for Jean Lafittes Lost Treasure. Historian Gary Pinkerton says the legend is mostly unsubstantiated. But a giant storm hit the area, destroying the raft and washing away all the evidence. (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.) As of May 2022, she resides in Austin and does media relations for TCEQ. Gary L . Christian is not discouraged. I once made a scientific study of all the known shipwrecks, from ancient to modern, that occurred off the Texas coast. Its no surprise that East Texas has local tales of buried treasure. 0000017195 00000 n 152 0 obj This catch rendered a lot of attention and by 1884, the Sabine River was riddled with silver hunters. 0000003684 00000 n The search is called off for the time being. Pinkerton had to get special permission to visit for research and to take pictures. 10 Lost Treasures in America Waiting to be Found. Most of the cobs or old Spanish finds I've seen on the forum are either from Florida or the Upper East Cost. TREASURE HUNTER CLAIMS FBI IS COVERING UP DISCOVERY OF CIVIL WAR-ERA GOLD WORTH MILLIONS "The two vessels separated after the impact, both fatally damaged. Born in Longview in East Texas and living in Houston, Gary has published works of history born of his curiosity about what happened long ago in East Texas that played a role in the history of the Republic and of the State of Texas. Some said it was Santa Annas gold sent north from San Jacinto, and others say it was not even in Hendricks Lake, but in Martin Creek. A famous actress said, Legend remains victorious in spite of history. For this one to last over 150 years, the grains of truth have firmly resisted erosion by the progress of historical research and inspection. endstream February 2023 Reader Quiz: What Did You Learn? There will be people still in town who will remember Barnie Waldrop, Pinkerton said. Excited about the history, research, and prospects of this The first documented treasure recovery attempt in 1894 was based on the belief that Santa Anna had dumped gold, silver, and jewels, By 1935, a full-page syndicated article fleshed out more details. The man who found a hidden treasure chest said to be worth about $2 million last summer in the Rocky Mountains one that had tantalized fortune seekers for a decade, led to at least two deaths. The basic story is that in 1816 silver stolen by pirate Jean Lafitte from the Spanish brig Santa Rosa was being moved north from Matagorda Bay to St. Louis, Missouri, for disposal. In 1925, W.E. Scotty Stotlar, Sr., appeared to have what it took to mount another serious attempt. Brackston has been on board about 12 of those months. In 1884 treasure hunters were all over the Sabine and a nearby lake that had been fed by the Sabine. Texas oilmen. Fort Worth Daily Gazette, October 3, 1884. <>/Border[0 0 0]/Contents(Provide feedback)/Rect[392.1938 211.9047 476.7295 224.7953]/StructParent 8/Subtype/Link/Type/Annot>> Six wagon loads of silver carried north along Trammels Trace. While en route through East Texas, the smugglers received word the Spanish army was closing in and, in an effort to hide the treasure, dumped the loot in a local lake. My interest in the treasure legend turned into an article for the East Texas Historical Journal and the seeds for this book. The land was sold sometime in the last 20 years and is now within a restricted mining area. The area served as a naval base during the war, and the publication notes that when the Allied forces were approaching, the Nazi's began sinking treasures in metal boxes in the lake . Tales of pirate booty and Mexican gold have captivated minds for generations, and it all could be closer than you might think. He was reading a book about lost treasure that inspired him to do some digging online, where he found supposed evidence that a ship was lurking underneath the water. He believes that stories like this reveal something about the people who tell them. <>/MediaBox[0 0 612 792]/Parent 142 0 R/Resources<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageC]/XObject<>>>/Rotate 0/StructParents 0/Tabs/S/Type/Page>> He maintains websites for Trammels Trace and for Hendricks Lake, as well as social media Facebook groups for both stories. Having already written a book on Trammels Trace, a road running through Tatum which he noted was the first road to Texas from the north, Pinkerton is now embarking on a journey to research the people and the reasons for the treasure hunting extravaganza for an upcoming book. Jos R. Ralat is Texas Monthlys taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food. Gary Pinkerton, True Believers: Treasure Hunters at Hendricks Lake, East Texas Historical Journal 47 (2009). Sight was acquired & transformed back in 2018 by Anthony Bruno, founder of Anthony's Runway 84 & Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza along wit Low 47F. On the trail of East Texas' buried treasure news - The Black Chronicle Buried, EAST, Texas, texas news, texas news update, trail, Treasure Hendricks is an oxbow lake near where Rusk, Harrison, and Panola coun ties meet a few miles north ofTatum,Texas. In doing the research, I ran across stories about Hendricks Lake, Pinkerton said. 30 April 2021 AFP It is one of Sweden's most spectacular Bronze Age finds A man surveying a forest for his orienteering club in western Sweden stumbled on a trove of Bronze Age treasure reckoned. Legend has it that Basss part of the money is in Cove Hollow, about thirty miles from Denton. The desire to believe that millions of dollars of silver bars still lie at the bottom of Hendricks Lake is not for the treasure hunters only. Captain Blackbeard's Lost Silver, said to be $1.5 million worth of silver bars. endobj As Laffite and his men raced through East Texas with the wagons, Spanish. <>stream Born to an American mother and English father in Knoxville, Tennessee, Hendricks was raised in Portland, Oregon, and Twin Falls, Idaho, where she became active in local theater. 0000001829 00000 n Pinkerton himself doesnt personally believe there was any silver brought through East Texas during the time in which the legend takes place because the roads were little more than Indian trails. Royal discovery made after 99-year-old code is broken by Siberian mathematics genius. wATCH THE EPISODE HERE. Houston oilmen who conducted the largest search ever attempted in 1957-1958. This warrants some underwater metal detectors to be taken 156 0 obj A Book by Gary L. Pinkerton, author of "Trammel's Trace". Christian B. Roper on a scouting trip for his film . (Courtesy of Andy Swanger) As far as more. Somewhere with access to treasure-laden vessels, open coast, and trails and waterways to transport stolen goods. The crescent-shaped lake is less than a mile long, thirty to fifty yards wide, and twelve to forty feet deep. As of 2019 much of the land surrounding the lake was in the permit area for the surface mining for lignite that covers thousands of acres. 0000010052 00000 n They know its there. swieser@panolawatchman.com, Stolen treasure, hidden mystery: Tatum-area lake lore focus of movie project. <>/Border[0 0 0]/Contents(www.easttexashistorical.org)/Rect[308.5376 282.2367 447.0903 295.1273]/StructParent 4/Subtype/Link/Type/Annot>> "My father and his friends shared the Hendricks Lake treasure legend with me when I was very young, perhaps 6 or 7 years old," Roper said. When a giant storm hit the region, the raft was washed away and destroyed. Barnie Waldrop. Drained Lake Delhi Revealed Some Treasures: One scavenger found 50 antiques, three rings and an old radio in the mud of this lake in Iowa. Spanish soldiers in pursuit overtook the transport at Hendricks Lake and rather than give up the silver, the transport leader cut six wagonloads of silver loose and pushed them into Hendricks Lake. Its hard to find any newspaper before that, but thats the first and oldest mention that I found of it, he said. 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. Like everybody else, he tried to find it over and over and over again. Low 47F. I got copies of pages in Spanish that say Yeah there was the Santa Rosa, the proposed name of the ship, there was a Santa Rosa, (but) it didnt sink. It carried cane liquor and salt and sugar from Cuba to Cadiz. Secret stash of tsar's gold worth billions found in old rail tunnel near Lake Baikal. I always thought it was interesting that people had reason to believe there was pirate treasure 200 miles from the coast.. In the final battle of the War of 1812, Lafitte and his comrades helped General Andrew Jackson defend New Orleans against the British. endobj Christian Xi-vrcjVJO%X *hve~os)&pZl0nuUH;M%\,iB!N7;B`h Y2?SXx#l};(5-Sj\Ji6Y|f>>`}j8 C=H: =.p0=*y pGOF30.#yZeY92Hq{IjFhaftP[Ch[&P"(D3CSP+ )Q- $NNBeX"Ld_kUB'`Y%e8re%R 0aHd$0=~^nbY:pK/DQxE8"Sh5Y=9'wXJ9'.m*?%YTAcM>W*N7852@ZyV|>}c(&fZXBtzq]uF4A1*i Success! . 1930, it came up again, 35. . 161 0 obj During the Mexican War of Independence, the Laffites served as spies for the Spanish, after moving to Galveston Island, Texas. So where is it? While Pinkerton believes the lake area should be a park, the reality is Hendricks Lake is no longer accessible by the public as the land surrounding it belongs to private land owners or is being leased by mining companies. (Image credit: Pictorial Press Ltd./Alamy) British . The box was hidden by millionaire art dealer. . The story revolves around oil fields in Texas, USA. There are two legends in particular that seem to have found purchase in the minds of East Texas treasure hunters. For more information on Sunken Silver, visit www.sunkensilver.com. La Belle was a French ship that sank in Matagorda Bay in 1685 after running aground in a storm. By 1829, the mythical lost silver mine of San Saba began appearing on Austins maps of Texas. Pinkerton is hoping to publish his book some time in the new year and is interested in finding more people with first and second hand accounts of the treasure hunting. The mud is deep on the bottom, and just as Forrest Fenn, a New Mexican art dealer, revealed on Sunday that his famed treasure was found, according to a post on his website that he confirmed to NBC News. Here are six of the supposedly greatest Texas treasures still out there. The other big buried treasure legend from East Texas is the story of Little Cypress Creek. https://www.tshaonline.org, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/hendricks-lake. True Believers: Treasure Hunters at Hendricks Lake. He also might have(might have, I remind you)come across a wooden chest containing what was then $80,000 in jewelry and coins. Gary L. Pinkerton is an author and independent researcher. As they retreated, they headed into what is now known as Upshur County. Larry Holzwarth - May 12, 2018. The idea of finding a lost treasure has universal appeal. for the most familiar version of the legend. Tales of pirate booty and Mexican gold have captivated minds for generations, and it all could be closer than you might think.