Roper has been pursuing the legend and examining where and how the various parts of the story originated. The location was later widely believed to be Hendricks Lake, an oxbow lake formation on the south side of the Sabine River. Just another myth? Some of the (alleged) lost treasures in Pennsylvania worth researching are ones like: $30,000 worth of gold coins said to be King George ll's Lost Plunder. A man named Nathan Smith thinks he's found the remnants of a sunken ship from an 1822 hurricane north of Corpus Christi - thanks to Google Earth. The story was reporting the fact that Tatum beat a man to death who essentially made fun of that effort, Pinkerton said. In one Internet posting, I read the following: Texas has more buried treasure than any other state, with 229 sites within the states borders. We had not even known that he had heard of the treasure. He bought some steam engines and pumps, had a months worth of logs to keep the steam engines going and was gonna drain the lake. It says so much about East Texas folklore. <>/Border[0 0 0]/Contents(Provide feedback)/Rect[392.1938 211.9047 476.7295 224.7953]/StructParent 8/Subtype/Link/Type/Annot>> <>/Border[0 0 0]/Contents(United States History Commons)/Rect[137.2383 228.9906 279.5625 240.7094]/StructParent 6/Subtype/Link/Type/Annot>> Its slated to be released in May on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, and Tubi. Gary Pinkerton, True Believers: Treasure Hunters at Hendricks Lake, East Texas Historical Journal 47 (2009). 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. Michael Siepker, Fisheries Biologist; 563-382-8324; Michael.Siepker@dnr.iowa.gov Marc Waterlander, Conservation Officer; 319-240-6662; Marc.Waterlander@dnr.iowa.gov Iowa-Caught Fish Are Safe to Eat, In Almost All Cases In Gretna in 1960, across the river from New Orleans, a large number of gold coins were found in an area frequented by Lafitte and his men .According to another story, Laffite buried a large cache on an unnamed island in Lake Borgne. :icon_scratch: Thanks, Ernie The other big buried treasure legend from East Texas is the story of Little Cypress Creek. Over the years, Hendrick's Lake near Tatum has been a place where many people have visited in search of a legendary treasure that was supposedly left at the site by Pirate Jean LaFitte. THE LEGEND A brig named Santa Rosa plundered in Matagorda Bay in 1816. A.C. SoRelle, Jr., and his brother, Henry, were oilmen who brought detection equipment, draglines, and other heavy machinery to dig into the gumbo mud on the bottom of the lake. The Cherokees started getting their butts kicked. It was packed with tons of gold and silver. The earliest mention of the treasure legend of Hendricks Lake that Pinkerton could find was in 1884. We met with Gary and it was very strange because he was working on this book at the same time we were working on this film and it had been decades since anyone had ever shown any interest in Hendricks Lake.. 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. To the north of Tatum, in the middle of the forest, lies Lake Hendrix. Cush Reeves. 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. Tyler oilman who partnered with Charles Fitzhugh Grice to do underwater metal detection in 1969. Only recently did I learn of a parallel effort to tell the story of the Hendricks Lake treasure legend via film. True Believers: Treasure Hunters at Hendricks Lake. ingots were in transport, but the Spanish had set a trap. "You're a liability, Sebastian" Hendricks[src] Agent D. Hendricks is an FBI agent and the leader of Cras Est Nostrum. Both American coasts abound with tales of buried pirate treasure. 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. In June of 2020, the treasure was finally found by a man who chose not to be named (perhaps understandably, as he was suddenly $5 million richer!). 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. Two years later, its researchers went on a mapping expedition with the . The tale basically states Galveston-based pirate Jean Laffite, in the year 1816, plundered a Spanish ship named the Santa Rosa. However, all have failed in finding the supposed cache of silver, adding to speculation that the supposed treasure may be cursed. The self-proclaimed worlds greatest underwater treasure hunter wrote several articles about Hendricks Lake for pulp magazines of the 50s and 60s. But people buy into it, and thats the part thats interesting to me.. As Laffite and his men raced through East Texas with the wagons, Spanish. Access to the lake that for 150 years had been accessible for picnics and fishing was closed off to all but a few private landowners at the time. Winds light and variable. endobj Roper is the director of a four-part documentary series about the Hendricks Lake legend titled Sunken Silver. The documentary follows Ropers personal journey with the story, starting when he first heard it at 7-years-old and chronicling his dives and searches at Hendricks Lake. To make this film a reality, we are seeking donors to help us meet our minimum budget goal. During his research for Trammals Trace, Pinkerton came upon the legend and it was something he tucked away and parked for a little while.. wATCH THE EPISODE HERE. The story goes that wagon loads of silver 0000001390 00000 n What I like most about the lake is that, it just contains this feel when you go out there and you see the Spanish moss hanging on the trees, you feel like youve gone back in time, Roper said. Also join us in the Facebook Group: Beyond Oak Island Treasures for more discussions. A dirt contractor who learned about the legend when helping another man drill holes on the edge of the lake. Legend holds that the Pirate Jean LaFitte, or in some other versions Santa Anna, left treasure at Hendricks Lake near Tatum. It is this tale that Christian wants to follow up on. In an interview . Brackston has been on board about 12 of those months. The Hix boys from Baytown were featured on Discovery Channel's "Expedition Unknown" for their quest . The legend has taken many twists over the years. Houston oilmen who conducted the largest search ever attempted in 1957-1958. It certainly had promise since it was a round piece of wood, like the legend of the wagon sunk in the lake. 3. All they found was a big sawblade from one of the sawmills that had operated on the lake; they left the artifact behind for future treasure hunters. Laffite approached them and was granted a commission and given command over a 43-ton schooner named General Santander. The stolen loot was smuggled north some years later but ended up in Lake. Christian is not discouraged. The various people that searched for the Hendricks Lake treasure hooked him. There are many stories about the famous pirate Gene Lafitte, but one of them places his lost treasure at the bottom of a lake right here in East Texas. For more information on Sunken Silver, visit www.sunkensilver.com. Many treasure hunters are convinced the money continues to lie beneath the mud of Little Cypress Creek in Upshur County. Christian B. Roper on a scouting trip for his film . swieser@panolawatchman.com, Stolen treasure, hidden mystery: Tatum-area lake lore focus of movie project. Pinkerton. 0000003684 00000 n In 2018, we decided to renew the legend with some information of our own. In 1884, Tatum clubbed a man to death who made light of his attempts to drain Hendricks Lake. 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.. A nearby lake fed by the Sabine River also caught their attention, since the silver might have been transported there by the current. 152 0 obj Forrest Wilder writes about politics and the outdoors. Alternate versions of that story have been documented since the 1880s, with variations including that the silver was from Santa Anna and the battle of San Jacinto and that the treasure was in a different location nearby. 24 Lake Toplitz In Austria Is Believed To Hold The Lost Treasures From World War II. <>stream endobj Like everybody else, he tried to find it over and over and over again. "I do not know the person who found it, but the poem in my book led him to the precise spot," Fenn writes. Hendricks Lake was By the time the summer of 1958 had ended, Waldrop, buzzing again and the moss-laden oaks echoed the sound of the SoRelles, and all of the other treasure hunters spurred on heavy equipment and trucks pulling in for another attempt. In fact, this same story about Lafitte treasure being lost somewhere, was repeated over and over in almost the same pattern from the Gulf Coast all the way up into Arkansas and Missouri.. There was another story that said No it wasnt Lafitte, it was Santa Anna, and he didnt want the gold to be lost in San Jacinto, so he sent it on the wagon train. The guy from Iowa who did the treasure hunting had researchers in Spain, in the archives. When researching Trammels Trace for my last book, I encountered the treasure legend of Hendricks Lake. click photo for more. Can College Sports Get More Absurd Than SMU Joining the Pac-12? 0000003134 00000 n Continue Reading. 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. Hendricks Lake, once a commonly-frequented lake both for recreation and treasure hunting, is no longer accessible to the public. The story revolves around oil fields in Texas, USA. One thing is certain though, East Texans will continue to be fascinated by stories like these. 160 0 obj Now, more modern equipment was available, and one man used a metal detector and managed to get some interesting readings from the bottom of the lake. Skip Hollandsworth specializes in long-form narratives. 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. A Book by Gary L. Pinkerton, author of "Trammel's Trace". 156 0 obj By 1810, their successful smuggling operation had been supplemented with piracy. Soldiers approach, wagons sunk in Hendricks Lake, an oxbow lake just south of the Sabine River in northeastern Rusk County. Legend says six wagons full of silver bars were rolled into hendricks lake. Now, more modern equipment was available, and one man used a metal detector and managed to get some interesting readings from the bottom of the lake. In 1965 a professional syndicate of treasure hunters, men who worked together at a packaging company in LeClaire, Iowa, and led by Clarence A. . Pinkerton is an enigmatic figure. <> endobj 0000002304 00000 n If information about one of the last searchers had been documented and publicized it would likely have discouraged further similar attempts in the future. Hendrick's Lake treasure is focus of Houston historian's upcoming book, By Stella Wieser Although it hasnt yet been decided if the film will first be released at festivals and then to the public, Sunken Silver will eventually be available through online streaming. Meanwhile, his younger brother John was exploring the coast of Texas. 148 0 obj But alas, nothing came of it. Joe spent many hours growing up around Milzie Williamson and later used his Fisher M-Scope metal detector to search those mysterious holes. The team has found several people who have direct . 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. Christian Roper and Brackston McKnight lay eyes on Hendricks Lake, the alleged locale of sunken pirate treasure. 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. So where is it? Pickering, a veteran diver, has made it his mission to recover all things odd and ordinary lurking in the lake to keep Georgia families safe. Lr !_) Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. They got away with three thousand freshly-minted 1877 $20 gold pieces. Eventually, the Mexicans unloaded the moneygold and silver coinsso they could make an escape. Later, someone else who got high metal readings tried to dynamite the bottom of the lake. 162 0 obj Oxbow lakes result from a river's course change, in this case the Sabine River just to thc north. On his visits to Hendricks Lake with his son, they got a hit and brought a diver along to search the bottom. See the BLOG here for more details. After sitting undisturbed for more than 10 years, a treasure chest holding gold nuggets and precious gems has been found in the Rocky Mountains. 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. Ive actually been at this project about 14 months now. Well, according to a story by Mary Rogers of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, there is evidence that in the early 1800s the theft did happen and that Jean Lafittes men, afraid that they were about to be ambushed, pushed several wagons loaded with silver ingots into the muddy waters. So, he set up these steam engines and buckets on a conveyor belt and pumps. Fire Ants Have Unleashed Chaos in Texas for Decades. Christian startxref 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, Third Annual Masquerade Tribute of Hunts for Charity, The Second Annual Masquerade Tribute Wrap Up, Privacy Policy, Disclaimer and Affiliate Disclosure. When one of the recent landowners near the lake sold their property to the mining company, they inserted a treasure clause that reserves the rights to one-half of any treasure trove found on the Property by Purchaser. There will always be true believers in the treasure legend of Hendricks Lake. 0000002763 00000 n The tried to dynamite the bottom, but ended up with no silver for this efforts. 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. Ocean Breeze. It was one of the first times I met with Brackston after we graduated university last summer, Roper recalled. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/hendricks-lake. In Texas, the Laffites founded a pirate colony named Campeche. 0000006665 00000 n Spring is a census-designated place within the extraterritorial jurisdiction of Houston in Harris County, Texas, United States, part of the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metropolitan area. Jensen Beach. Somebody made fun of him; he clubbed the guy to death. Oak Island Treasure Found May 18, 2021 Gagare1952 13.4K subscribers Subscribe 1.2K 292K views 1 year ago Breaking News: My friend John from Oak Island spend his whole life looking for that. According to Swanger, the treasure was hidden beneath a dead tree at a place called Heughs Canyon Trail, at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon in Utah. endobj "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. . Im hoping someday that people can get back down there, Pinkerton said. 0000003902 00000 n We'll send you a couple of emails per month, filled with fascinating history facts that you can share with your friends. Clarksville Standard, August 29, 1884. 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. Christian knows his pirate history! 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. The information comes from books and treasure hunting Web sites (the best of which are legendsofamerica.com and treasurefish.com). One particularly famous legend is that of Jean Lafitte's treasure. for the most familiar version of the legend. There will be people still in town who will remember Barnie Waldrop, Pinkerton said. June 6, 2020 - Fenn writes on his blog that the treasure has been found. and the story of the Hendricks Lake treasure is no different. 6. Kuna, ID hosted by Treasure Valley Disc Golf. 151 0 obj 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). Mainly clear. Stella Wieser of the Panola Watchman. According to legend, Singer hid the money he found in a large sand dune that he called Money Hill. But as fate would have it, he and his family had to abandon their Texas home during the Civil War because they were considered Union sympathizers. Jos R. Ralat is Texas Monthlys taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food. His website is www.trammelstrace.com. The location was later widely believed to be Hendricks Lake, an oxbow lake formation on the south side of the Sabine River. There were treasure legends like that all over Texas, he said. The people who believed the legend enough to pursue it were a diverse lot. Texas oilmen. Some fishermen in the last century pulled several silver bars from those very waters with a hoop net. 155 0 obj Please support the Cherokeean Herald by subscribing today. Fort Worth Daily Gazette, October 3, 1884. Even though some, including Waldrop and Stotlar, had looked into draining the lake, there were no other attempts at that folly. The enduring story of Hendricks Lake is a treasure legend that has been around for more than 150 years. The lake is located in the extreme northeastern part of the county along the boundary between Rusk and Panola. A dirt contractor. When a producer for The History Channel contacted me in early summer, the legend was about to add a new chapter to the story.The Lagina brothers of Oak Island fame were beginning a new series, Beyond Oak Island, and the story of Hendricks Lake was the premiere episode on November 17, 2020. Texas, I learned, is full of buried treasureor, to be a bit more accurate, full of stories about buried treasures that no one has been able to find. Or Black Lake. 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.