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. On his visits to Hendricks Lake with his son, they got a hit and brought a diver along to search the bottom. 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. s Mexican Land Grant Application, 1830 May the hunters strike gold. Six wagon loads of silver carried north along Trammels Trace. 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There is even an event in La Porte, Texas centered around the treasure called the Annual Search for Lafittes Gold. 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. Christian knows his pirate history! There were no chests. The prizes that Lafitte took were slaves, cotton, commodities, etc. He told me the government tried digging but was denied by the owner. Charles F. Grice, Interview by Gary Pinkerton, February 2019. Legend has it that El Pasos Guadalupe Mission was built in such a way that sends the noon sunlight shining straight on the mine.. He could have stashed some treasure somewhere along the Eastern shore. 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. 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? Was it buried underground or lost under water? Lafitte became very familiar with, and eventually mastered, an illegal smuggling profession, which translated into an extremely lucrative career for him. Thats a lot of money for a man who was a laborer just a few years before. Eventually, the Mexicans unloaded the moneygold and silver coinsso they could make an escape. 5. 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 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. Besides the mysteries surrounding the locations of Lafittes buried booty, comes the mystery of the man himself. 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. down. He linked up with B.H. 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. the treasure be today? I don't know about that if the government wanted to dig, they would. Please note that some historians believe Lafitte had no significant treasure as he left Galveston or that he took his treasure with him to Louisiana. 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. 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. Despite this, no silver bars were found. The Handbook of Texas devotes two pages to Lafitte's establishment of a base in Galveston around 1816. During 1957 and 1958 the most significant attempts to locate the treasure took place at the lake. Some historians recount that Lafitte went back to a life of crime, leaving the Supposedly, it still lies buried beneath the dirt. 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. 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. 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. Hamilton, who heads Texas A&M University's nautical archaeology program, about investigating the site. More information can be found in Guide to Treasure in Texas My step father knew where one of these markers were, he had found it while hunting years ago and thought it might be a grave marker or something. He was a She had his only known son, Jean Pierre Lafitte. . Texas is estimated to have $340 million in buried treasure, more than any other state in the U.S., according to TexasHillCountry.com. Watch an alligator bask on a bayous bank. The best hidden gems and little known destinations - straight to your inbox. 1. Before we dive They lowered another contraption through the pipe to the lake floor. Beyond Oak Island Summary of Episode 1: Pirate Other stories of Pirate Treasures are discussed. He shows Rick and Marty the 1957 Check them out: Love Texas? 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). People claim that a $2 million fortune stolen from the Spanish by Jean Lafitte was buried in the Sabine River. Texas is full of buried bootyor, to be a bit more accurate, full of stories about buried booty that no one has been able to find. Many from the area have taken artifacts from there, including coin. locations along the Gulf Coast. It included G.C. While at my favorite used book store some months ago I stumbled across a copy of a book that I read as a kid. Buried Treasures in North America Jean Laffite's Loot What they would love to find, if not the silver, are clues to the treasure at least being there. This catch rendered a lot of attention and by 1884, the Sabine River was riddled with silver hunters. The enduring story of Hendricks Lake is a treasure legend that has been around for more than 150 years. 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, In 1821, the US government drove Lafitte from the island. The silver was never recovered. Lots of glass also. More than once the crane almost toppled into the water. It also mentions reports of larger sums of the treasure being buried in the appropriately-named small town of Lafitte, Louisiana. A light came on when the probe hit metal. 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. I think yall lying about the finding treasure, Plum bayou look for trees cut down and fake grave at the end. this mystery still has historians, researchers, and treasure hunters alike 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. Wheres your backyard? A treasured mystery, scrambling to find answers. Theres That set off a huge treasure hunting stampede. "I've always been interested in the site and had it in the back of my mind but been too busy on other projects.". 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. This lake has its dangers, of course. Much to the Clarksville Standard, August 29, 1884. What if these stories are factual? The Sabine River could potentially hold a $2 million fortune in stolen silver. Long-lost pirate ship may lie in Texas lake / Historical It was a book on the treasures of Galveston and the surrounding area. 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. But remember Lafittes black dogs are still around dont go a hunting unless you are prepared to suffer the consequences. Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve. The divers do feel some round objects, and a piece is The conquistadors are said to have filled in the mine so nobody else could discover the hoard. Oil workers actually picked up readings that metal was to be found at the bottom of the lake. These goods were at a high demand and otherwise illegal due to the Embargo Act of 1807. Although $25,000 worth of coins and jewelry have been accounted for, no one knows where the rest of the loot went, and Collins and Bass were killed before they revealed anything. 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. Signup today for our free newsletter, Especially Texan. He was a French pirate and privateer. hunt presented by Christian, Rick and Marty offer to send Matty Blake down to After pinpointing the wreck, he plans to have divers dig up to 9 feet deep for artifacts that might date or identify the ship. Skip Hollandsworth specializes in long-form narratives. 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. NOWHERE BUT TEXAS: SEARCHING FOR JEAN LAFITTE'S TREASURE ON GALVESTON ISLAND Jean Lafitte was born in 1780 and Maybe well be writing about you and your discoveries in the future. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments section! 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. You must log in or register to reply here. Charles Fitzhugh Grice had the technology needed to find Spanish silver if the treasure was there. 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. In Colombian newspapers, his death was lamented and his obituary described him as a brave naval officer.