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The Mystery of Oak Island, a popular show on the History Channel, highlights a two-hundred-year-old tale of buried treasure on Oak Island in Nova Scotia. Chasing after this treasure, however, wasn't for the faint of heart, as the area is laced with booby traps and hidden surprises. But buried beneath the surface, the potential for remarkable treasures once owned by the likes of Marie Antoinette, religious royalty, and even William Shakespeare has kept treasure hunters hot on the trail for many, many years. This task has cost explorers everything, even their lives.
Over 50 Years Ago
For the Lagina brothers, the search for Oak Island's mysterious treasure began back in 1965, when Rick Lagina read all about the Oak Island treasure in a copy of Reader‘s Digest. Little did he know, this article would change the outcome of his life forever. When they were old enough to start their search, an epic journey had begun, and oh, was it worth it.
The Lagina Gang
Rick began his treasure-hunting career first, when, at ten years old, he recruited his brother and some friends to dig up a huge boulder and found, well, nothing at all, buried underneath. This adventure, however, led to a deep passion for treasure hunting, and Rick wanted more.
On Oak Island
The Oak Island treasure was a curiosity for many years. In 1796, a boy found a circular depression in the ground on the island, which launched an expedition to investigate the land there. When they found a buried stone tablet, it wasn't for another century that the meaning behind it was revealed…
What Did It Mean?
A Halifax professor later translated the tablet, and it read, "Forty feet below, two million pounds lie buried" But, what it referred to was a mystery, and a local legend said that in order to figure out the mystery of the Oak Island treasure, seven people had to die. To date, the treasure hunt has claimed six lives.
The Origin of the Hidden Treasure
There are many theories as to what is buried at Oak Island. If you agree with the theory that William Shakespeare was merely the pen name of Francis Bacon, you might believe that Bacon buried his Shakespearean manuscripts and earnings on the island. If you're more of a science buff, perhaps you believe that the treasure once belonged to Marie Antoinette, who had a maid bury her riches during the French Revolution…
A Few Other Theories
Other theories revolve more around the mysteries of the sea. Some believe that Captain Kidd, a Scottish sailor hid parts of his treasure on Oak Island, but others think the buried treasure belongs to Captain Blackbeard. Blackbeard claimed that he buried treasure "nowhere none but Satan and myself can find it", and Oak Island was pretty ill-fated…
The Wildest Theory
One of the strangest, but possibly most widely believed, is the theory that the treasure is attributed to the Freemasons. Apparently, Oak Island was covered in Masonic imagery, and thus, led people to believe that somewhere on the island Freemason treasure is buried. Theorists believe that Francis Bacon led a Rosicrucian mission on the island just to bury the treasure.
Where It Began
The rumors about the Oak Island treasure began when Daniel McGinnis was wandering the island one day and noticed a circular depression in the ground next to a tree that was hacked away. Daniel was familiar with the myth of the hidden treasure, so he felt inclined to investigate.
The First Dig
Daniel and his two friends began to dig into the circular depression. Just two feet down, they hit flagstone. They dug it out and continued on for another 30 feet, digging through layers of oak logs before their progress was suddenly halted…
Picking Up Where They Left Off
A decade later, the Onslow Company picked up where Daniel and his friends had left off. They dug and dug, over sixty feet down, hitting a layer of oak logs every ten feet. They curiously also dug through layers of charcoal, putty, and coconut fiber. Finally, they found the tablet with the inscription, and immediately after pulling it out, the tunnel flooded all around them.
Washed Away
The Onslow Company did everything they could to end the flooding, but their efforts proved useless. What they had discovered was that whoever had built the pit had originally structured it so that a 500 ft connecting waterway from Smith's Cove led directly into it. The tunnel filled with every high tide and the Onslow Company gave up. Forty-five years later, the Truro Company picked up where they left off…
Getting Lucky
To avoid the seawater issue that the Onslow Company discovered, the Truro company instead used drills to remove soil samples at the bottom of the pit. Their efforts proved successful as they drilled through two treasure chests filled with coins and pulled up three links from a gold chain. But soon after they found them, the gold disappeared.
The Beach That Man Made
Truro, unfortunately, gave up not long after these discoveries were made. They were unable to drill into the hole (known as the money pit) any further without having to address the water situation. One of the Truro team members noticed water emerging underground at the beach at low tide. The entire beach was actually man-made and someone who had been there before them had attempted to build a dam to stop the water, but it was destroyed when a storm had come through the area…
The Oak Island Association Takes Over
The efforts to find the treasure were not over just yet. In 1861, the Oak Island Association tried their hand at it. They attempted to dig other shafts down into the Money Pit but all were unsuccessful, as they would collapse due to the water underneath. The worst came when a water pump burst and killed one of the laborers. Things were looking bad.
A Long Fall
When a new expedition rolled onto the island, the group discovered a sheepskin parchment with an ineligible message. Unfortunately, this finding was marred by the death of one of the treasure hunters, Maynard Kaiser, as he was being pulled from the Money Pit. The rope pulling him up came loose and he fell to his death…
The Old Salvage Group
In 1909 another group of explorers took on the Money Pit. The Old Salvage Group had a famous face amongst the ranks, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. They only lasted a year at their pursuit, but FDR continued to pay attention to the work being done on Oak Island all the way up to his death.
Another Discovery
In 1928, a new explorer tried his hand at finding the treasure. New York businessman, Gilbert Hedden, and his partner Fred Blair owned a steel company and used this to their advantage when it came to exploring the Money Pit. When they began drilling shafts down into the pit, they came across something interesting.
Another Piece of Stone
The partners found another piece of the stone with markings that had been found back in 1804. They also found pieces of timber, from when the money pit had been dug, held together by wooden pins, which revealed their age, given that in more modern times, metal pins were used.
Erwin’s Search Efforts
Arriving in 1938, another treasure hunting hopeful made his way to Oak Island. Erwin Hamilton began drilling in 1939. He found rocks and gravel pieces 190 feet below along with a layer of limestone splintered with Oak, indicating something wooden was just below the stone…
A Short Excursion
Twenty years later, Robert Restall gave Oak Island his all. Interestingly, he found a stone with "1704" written on it, giving the Money Pit an age. But after Restall inhaled carbon monoxide he fell unconscious and plummeted to his death in the pit.
More Than One Victim
Restall's death was only the beginning. When his son attempted to save him, he too inhaled carbon monoxide and fell to the bottom of the pit. Two other workers, Karl Graeser and Cyril Hiltz did their best to climb down and rescue the drowning men below but their efforts, unfortunately, led to their deaths as well...
Things Were Heating Up
Later that year, Robert Dunfield brought in some serious construction equipment to dig deep into the Money Pit. He reached the limestone layer and then his work was ended. In 1965, Daniel C. Blankenship found a nail and a washer sixty feet down along with a heart-shaped stone. These findings began to heat up the search interest.
Getting A Closer Look
In the late 1960s, the Triton Alliance took over the excavation efforts. They discovered a 300 hundred-year-old pair of iron scissors. Aside from the scissors, they decided to dig a "Borehole," a steel tube that allowed them to use a camera to investigate the pit to avoid the dangers of physically going down there themselves.
Major Findings
The camera made some pretty wild discoveries. They found tools, a pair of leather shoes floating in the pit, a severed human hand, and eventually, the rest of the body it belonged to. The best part, though, was the finding of three chests. The thought of the treasures inside fueled them
Divers Below
The Triton Alliance hired divers to head into the pit and get a closer look at the treasure chests. Unfortunately, the divers struggled against the current, and the sediment it picked up allowed for little to no visibility. The Alliance then ran out of money, and the shaft they had built started falling apart…
Word Began Spreading
Ten years after the Alliance abandoned their expedition, Oak Island started to become more well-known. When it became the subject of a 1979 show, "In Search of," word started to spread and interest heightened...
Land Rights at Stake
Fred Nolan, a member of the Triton Alliance, was sued by the Alliance over land rights, which eventually led to a 15 year quiet period on Oak Island. This is when the Lagina brothers arrived and began their own attempt at the centuries-old excavation of the infamous Money Pit.
Getting Back at It
The article that Rick Lagina had read when he was 11 talked about the Triton Alliance dig attempts on Oak Island. In 2005, part of Oak Island was for sale for $7 million. To get their efforts started, the Laginas bought a 50% stake in Oak Island Tours Inc.
A Competitive Edge
The brothers had few new tools to give them an advantage for the dig. This technology allowed them to study and explore new parts of Oak Island and find a way around the flooding issue in the Money Pit. This proved to be the competitive edge they needed…
Filming the Show
When The History Channel learned of Lagina's efforts they approached them about filming a show called The Curse of Oak Island. The show not only documented the project but also brought more funds to the table…
Playing to Their Strengths
One thing that the Lagina brothers had going for them was their connections to industries that could help with the dig. Marty Lagina had a background in gas wells and digging, and these connections and skills proved to be invaluable to their efforts.
Starting Strong
The Laginas started by digging an artificial swamp where they found their first treasure: a copper coin from Spain dating back to the 17th century. This was the start they were looking for
Findings of Mixed Origin
Two seasons of The Curse of Oak Island passed by before another find was made. When they drained the Borehole 10-X they found a Roman sword, Portuguese carvings, and evidence of Aztec presence on the island. These items of varying origins confused but excited the Laginas even more.
Worth the Wait
"There's a story to be written up here," Rick Lagina reported. "Treasure, perhaps, but it's a truly wonderful story from a long time ago. Every day it feels like we're turning a page of a really good book. To me, life's a treasure hunt. We're all on one in our own different way, and we happen to be on a real one right now."
The Old Map
Season four saw even more exciting finds. When the Laginas got their hands on a French map dating back to 1647 they realized there was more to the story of Oak Island. The map pointed out locations of an anchor, a hatch, and a valve and indicated to them that the treasure had actually come from the African continent...
The Ark of the… Titanic?
Another wild theory emerged from Vincent Astor, the son of John Jacob Astor IV, a wealthy socialite who lost his life on the Titanic, who believed that Oak Island was the resting place for the Ark of the Covenant. This theory had interested parties listening in close...
The Strongest Theories
The two theories that seemed to be the strongest were the following:
1. Marie Antoinette's servant brought her treasures to the island and buried them there in Nova Scotia. This adds up because it's thought that she had made it to that area.
2. French soldiers hid their exploits here from nearby Louisbourg Fort during the Seven Years War…
The Harvard Theory
A Harvard Zoologist at this time, Barry Fell, had another belief about the island. After looking at the carvings he believed they came from the Coptic Christians from North Africa who had visited Nova Scotia years prior.
More Than a Treasure Hunt
The show actually had some modern use, aside from those simply wanting to know more about the treasure. When a man in Texas was facing major flooding from Hurricane Harvey, he remembered something he had seen on the show called an "Aqua Dam". This dam saved his house in the wake of the major flooding…
Joy Steele Weighs In
What many people don't realize though, is that there are many more pits than just the Money Pit. A woman named Joy Steele believes that the pits were used to hold tar when the British Navy built ships on the island. To prove this she references shipbuilding sites in North Carolina that look nearly identical to Oak Island. The truth is, the mystery of Oak Island is well on its way to being uncovered, and after a bit more time, along with further technological advancements, the mystery will certainly be uncovered.