Lafitte's men are said to have loaded the silver into wagons and given them to a trader named Nicholas Trammel to take to St. Louis. There was no treasure found. He also might have(might have, I remind you)come across a wooden chest containing what was then $80,000 in jewelry and coins. Much to the 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. Learn Cajun traditions from people who live them. A treasured mystery, WebIn his long obituary of March 6, the Galveston "News" noted that: "In the death of Charles Cronea, the last of Lafitte's band, so far as is known, has passed away. The story dates back to 1816 when pirate Jean Lafitte is said to have stolen $2 million in silver from the Santa Rosa. It's in a very odd place for a large boat.". Two films, starring Fredric March in the 1930s and Yul Brynner in the 1950s, also romanticized Lafitte's life, although Vogel notes that the pirate's life was "more equivalent to that of a 19th century cocaine smuggler. Abilene Reporter-News, June 24, 1958. 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. With his business carrying on and continuing to grow, so did his wealth. In a location on the lake, matching the tale, with a sloped It seem to be one less treasure for us to find. We use cookies to provide you with the best possible browsing experience. 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. Comparatively few of lthe Mexican War veterans are now alive. There is even an event in La Porte, Texas centered around the treasure called the Annual Search for Lafittes Gold.. If you prefer to read about the explorations of others instead, we have you covered. If the rumors are true, Cove Hollow, near Denton is another Bass treasure location. Ho-hum, right? Just let me know if you find anything so I can break the story first. But there is no proof Lafitte scuttled a boat there, he says. History suggests there is a possibility that hidden treasuresgold coins, doubloons, precious jewelryare somewhere beneath the surface just waiting to be found! But why? And where? Louisianas most well-known buried treasure mystery still to this day is the unfound treasure of Jean Lafitte. 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. When a giant storm hit the region, the raft was washed away and destroyed. down. You can see a small door that was covered. More maps appeared showing various locations of a lost silver mine. . The search is called off for the time being. I always heard that an area Boat Company Owner started his business with a 5 gallon bucket of silver taken from that area. I was living in high island Texas .mostly driving the beach further east to sea rim. In 1965 a professional syndicate of treasure hunters, men who worked together at a packaging company in LeClaire, Iowa, and led by Clarence A. In less than one year, Lafitte's small settlement grew to nearly 200 men and several women. More information can be found in Guide to Treasure in Texas Jean Lafitte became labeled by some as a Before we dive 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. The basic story is that in 1816 silver stolen by pirate Sherman, who died in 1879, said he was able to walk on its deck. But a giant storm hit the area, destroying the raft and washing away all the evidence. One legend says the ship was laden with bearskins full of gold doubloons and silver pieces when it was run aground by Lafitte while attempting to evade a U. S. revenue cutter. John Spong writes primarily about popular culture. Also join us in the Facebook Group: Beyond Oak Island Treasures for more discussions. But all the treasure hunters declared that I must be hiding the truth. They got away with three thousand freshly-minted 1877 $20 gold pieces. 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. Laffite was wounded in the battle and is believed to have died just after dawn. He uses rain barrels to get his water. After pinpointing the wreck, he plans to have divers dig up to 9 feet deep for artifacts that might date or identify the ship. It's apparently a large wreck and about the right size and shape for a Lafitte vessel.". 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. . Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve. Moving on to piracy by around 1810, Lafitte was based at the secluded Barataria Bay inlet. Many believe the treasure still lurks under the water, just waiting to be discovered. The Treasure of Jean Lafitte. and the fear of being captured, Lafitte allegedly buried his treasure with the I saved the newspaper to my hard drive and will try to break it down. 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. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. any leads as to where Lafittes treasure might be? Eventually, his skiff carves a path through a tangle of grass that sprouts from the water and is higher than his head. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments section! See link. 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. I a month there. 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. Maybe they can help them in their search from the insights learned from their own pursuit of the Money Pit. Smith believes he found a sunken ship on Google Earth in 2006 in Refugio, just north of Corpus Christi. They just might inspire you to become a treasure hunter and find some real adventure out there! Singer Treasure on Padre Island In the mid-nineteenth century, a man named Isaac Merritt Singer made significant improvements to the sewing machine. Anahuac Jack feels certain that evidence will show that the boat belonged to Lafitte. In the early 1820s, Great Colombia under the government of Simon Bolivar had begun commissioning former privateers as officers in their newly formed navy. times as a smuggler and privateer, he became very wealthy. 4. The treasure was hidden in the Rocky Mountains and clues to its location were included in a 2010 poem penned by Fenn called The Thrill of the Chase.. But the treasure is in my best belief to be in Galveston. My husband even traveled to Austin to talk to historian J. Frank Dobie about it.". The smuggling operations of the well-known privateer eventually came to a screeching halt, though, when the United States began enforcing the embargo in New Orleans city limits some time after the act passed. True West Magazine article on Jean Lafitte. pardoned by General Andrew Jackson in praise of his efforts and accomplishments a must to have. that is. 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. Copyright 2019 by KSAT - All rights reserved. Im ready to break out my metal detector! ingots were in transport, but the Spanish had set a trap. Apparently, he found a chest full of Spanish coins and jewelry amounting to over $80,000. During 1957 and 1958 the most significant attempts to locate the treasure took place at the lake. This lake has its dangers, of course. They then filled in the shaft. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/hendricks-lake. I also. locations along the Gulf Coast. A man claiming to be Lafitte's grandson, John A. Lafitte of St. Joseph, Mo.. claimed an interest in the ship but would years later be proved a fake, Epperson said. In Jean Lafitte's day, silver and gold filled a pirate's treasure chest, but today's treasures are people, places, and memories. games, shows, and moviesbut what if they werent made up just for the sake of Excited about the history, research, and prospects of this So where is it? because Lafittes treasure was thought to be underwater there. Key to remember is that Lafitte was a business man, who turned merchandise that he acquired into money. 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. To this day, What they would love to find, if not the silver, are clues to the treasure at least being there. I was born and raised in East Texas. which is said to contain many records and may hold the key to Frisbys buried treasure. The Sabine River could potentially hold a $2 million fortune in stolen silver. According to TexasHillCountry.com, legend says theres close to $3 million buried near where Shoal Creek empties into the Colorado River. Other variations of the mystery say Lafitte buried the treasure in multiple 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. It also mentions reports of larger sums of the treasure being buried in the appropriately-named small town of Lafitte, Louisiana. 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? 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. He could have stashed some treasure somewhere along the Eastern shore. Many of the alleged treasure locations below can be found in the Texas Hill Country if youre looking for socially distant daycation from San Antonio or Austin. 2. accepts, and the show continues at Hendricks Lake in East Texas. An estimated $340 million., And as I write, the treasure hunters are out there, hunting, hunting, and hunting. 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. Not one of them found any of the reported treasure, but that never prevented the next person from trying. It was stuck in the crack of the stairs. Fearing an ambush by Native Americans, they then decided to hide the treasure by pushing it into the muddy waters of the Sabine River. Hispanic conquistadors reportedly hid a massive cache of gold and jewels in a mine shaft They say this inspired them to reach out to other treasure hunters and hear their stories. Bass is also tied to legends of treasure buried treasure in Burnet and Llano counties as well as Packsaddle Mountain, Lone Star Treasure reports. 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? Galveston after his adventures in Louisiana. Later, someone else who got high metal readings tried to dynamite the bottom of the lake. A light came on when the probe hit metal. In the early 1800s, Stephen F. Austin, on his first trip to Texas, also heard about a rich silver mine on the San Saba River and a gold mine on the Llano. i will try and take a picture of the location. Some fishermen in the last century pulled several silver bars from those very waters with a hoop net. As they retreated, they headed into what is now known as Upshur County. Anyway, buried treasure isnt just something fictional. 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. One such story, according to multiple sources, says Bass stashed loot in an old hollow tree around 2 miles west of Round Rock. Markers are dropped, and divers are sent down. This would later be used to his great advantage. Just another myth? Although the lake was searched in the 50s and 60s, nothing was found at that time. Legend has it that Basss part of the money is in Cove Hollow, about thirty miles from Denton. However, since it pointed toward someone else's land, he never did or said anything about it. 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. Emily McCullar is a senior editor covering pop culture, news, and Texas history. Signup today for our free newsletter, Especially Texan. 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. Subscribe to the Pelican State of Mind blog by providing your email below! He sold those at his location The Temple. The money that he sold them for was Spanish Coin, Reales usually in 2,4,8 denominations, minted in Mexico. About 229 treasure sites are spread across the Lone Star State, and some are even accessible to the public with permission from the landowners. One group proposed to use a new divining rod activated with isotopes. There are many accounts that say Lafitte settled in 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. You are using an out of date browser. 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). accessed May 01, 2023, The best hidden gems and little known destinations - straight to your inbox. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Christian is not discouraged. http://community.webshots.com/user/famleeroots, http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,109722.0.html, THE Random Chat Thread - AKA "The RCT" - No shirt or shoes required - Open 24 / 7, Metal Detectorists Ordered To Repay 1.2 Million Between Them 'Immediately'. 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! On an 1863 map of the area, it was named Flanagan Lake but since the 1880s has been known by its present name. Long-lost pirate ship may lie in Texas lake / Historical treasure could be wreck of Jean Lafitte, Dubs fans picking apart video of possible Poole-Draymond incident, Bay Area mom influencer found guilty of lying about kidnapping, Destructive landslide closes historic California institution, Bay Area preschool teacher suspected of dumping body along road, More rain, 'unseasonably chilly' temperatures coming to Bay Area, Horoscope for Monday, 5/01/23 by Christopher Renstrom, 49ers out in full force at Warriors-Kings Game 7, Shock, fear as 2 killings in 3 days rock quiet Davis, Sold-out Berkeley crowd gets rowdy at country star's concert, 'Horrible': Oakland rapper dumps on Chase Center Warriors fans, Steph Curry killed off the Kings with a smile, Klay Thompson calls Warriors-Lakers series 'a dream come true'. Lafitte fought many bloody battles with these Karankawas. In related news - Art dealer Forrest Fenn revealed in June that a treasure chest he hid in the Rocky Mountains had been found. 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. This caused the In 1884 treasure hunters were all over the Sabine and a nearby lake that had been fed by the Sabine. 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. residents of Texas have claimed that the treasure was buried somewhere along Barnie Waldrop, a Carthage television repairman, had used his own electronics to search the lake for years. Found bones of mamouth and Indian tools. https://www.tshaonline.org, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/hendricks-lake. He shows Rick and Marty the 1957 Official Blog of Pelican State Credit Union. NOWHERE BUT TEXAS: SEARCHING FOR JEAN LAFITTES TREASURE ON GALVESTON ISLAND Jean Lafitte was born in 1780 and died in 1823. The prizes that Lafitte took were slaves, cotton, commodities, etc. It was also the location that US Forces attacked, causing his band to make a hasty retreat. Many from the area have taken artifacts from there, including coin. Nobody knows for sure if all of these legends are true, but theyre interesting to read about nonetheless. 6. The one I am thinking of was found. She had his only known son, Jean Pierre Lafitte. It was a book on the treasures of Galveston and the surrounding area. These questions . 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. No matter the evidence, they knew there were more ships filled with riches.. 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. 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. Calvin Wilcher is in charge of the scans..he is on watch for something not of Mother nature. Is the image on this article what the actual chest looked like? When the Embargo Act of 1807 came into force, the Laffite brothers moved their business from New Orleans to an island in Barataria Bay, Louisiana. 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. well as the fortunes left on the merchant ships that he captured. The chest was filled with gold, jewelry and other valuables, worth an estimated $1 million. Barnie Waldrop said he outlasted all the others and had seen fifty of em beaten by the lakes bog bottom. Those looking for Gold, Diamonds, Jewelry etc wont find it. In 1814, the U.S. sent a naval force to invade Lafittes fleet and was mostly successful, seizing many of Lafittes comrades and ships. She has reported on several high-profile stories during her career at KSAT and specializes in trending news and things to do around Texas and San Antonio. The tree is privately owned, but sits right on the highway (FM 2100) just a few miles north of FM 1960. Many treasure hunters are convinced the money continues to lie beneath the mud of Little Cypress Creek in Upshur County. Some of them do have people who can corroborate the stories. In late 1815, Lafitte agreed to act as spy for Spain, which was embroiled in the Mexican War of Independence. Have you ever heard of any of these stories about mysterious lost treasure in Texas? Little is known about his origins, but he was probably born either in Basque-France or in the French colony Saint-Domingue. 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. Theres The business was so profitable because Lafitte was selling smuggled, foreign goods to the people of New Orleans. Think you can find some of the legendary hidden booty? He was moving logs across the lake when they snagged on the submerged wreckage, which was then in only about 2 feet of silt, historical accounts state. Just about every book written about Texas in that era mentioned it. 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. The Rosa was carrying a treasure cargo of silver bars and gold nuggets. On his visits to Hendricks Lake with his son, they got a hit and brought a diver along to search the bottom. 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. They know its there. 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. knowledge (or educated guess) of Lafitte being the best privateer around, United Gary Pinkerton, True Believers: Treasure Hunters at Hendricks Lake, East Texas Historical Journal 47 (2009). In 1969 an MIT graduate with a degree in electrical engineering and a patent for an underwater device for locating metals motored along the surface of Hendricks Lake in an eight-foot fiberglass boat towing his electronics. 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. It is my sincere belief that the Hendricks Lake treasure was silver taken by Lafitte from capturing of the Spanish ship Santa Rosa in Matagorda Bay in 1820. They will haunt you in your dreams for making a However, she says her husband remained certain that Lafitte's ship was buried in that mud. He was also a ham radio operator. 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. Yes I visited his home the Mason rouge in Campeche Galveston tx.