There are lost treasures scattered all around the world, long ago hidden. These include lost mines, buried hoards of gold & silver, sunken ships, or other hidden wealth. Treasure hunters spend countless hours researching and relocating buried treasures, some that are worth millions of dollars!
The 16th century witnessed the sinking of one of the world’s largest treasures due to a shipwreck in the Indian Ocean. Yes, we are talking about the lost treasure of Flor de la Mar which occurred on the stormy night of 20th November 1511. Let us look into the window of the past and know […]
John and Charles Ruggles were the sons of a well regarded family living in Tulare County, located in the south/central part of California. Charles, the younger of the two attended college, and his father had every reason to believe young Charles would do well in life. John was another matter, as he had been a […]
There is a surprising amount of legends and tales about buried treasure that can be found in Iowa. With stories that are related to hidden outlaw caches, ghost towns, mining folklore, and Native American hoards. Some of these legends have been written, discussed and documented for centuries. Here, we will be delving into only a […]
Who doesn’t wish to be rich overnight by discovering a treasure buried in the ground or by receiving a huge inheritance from a long lost relative? Stories such as these are incredibly fascinating as the very thought of becoming rich instantly is very tempting. Most of the times, however, these are merely stories and legends. […]
As with any lost treasure tale, there are widely varied accounts. One must take into account that it is often the purpose of the writer to stretch the truth in order to excite the reader. There are considerable disagreements about the fate of the Rhoades Mine. We are going to take a look at some […]
Sometimes in life, it is important to learn and accept early enough that not everything can be done by everyone. One man who learned this quickly was Mark Twain, the famous author – and much less famous – gold miner! Mark Twain was one of the thousands of men who converged on California and Nevada […]
From the start of the Gold Rush all the way through the mid-1900s, much of the countries economy was sustained through mining activities. Of course one of the many important minerals mined was gold. But not all days were rosy for the gold mining industries. There were many situations that challenged the profitability and even […]
Gold has always been greatly prized for its beauty and simplicity of ease of used when creating various types of artwork. Gold’s resistance to tarnish or most other forms of decay means it is incredibly long-lasting. There are relics made of gold found in ancient artifacts which were recovered from the most ancient excavations. In […]
By far, the world’s largest gold specimen was correctly known as “The Beyers and Holtermann Nugget“. This was found in Australia during 1872. But despite its name, this was not actually a “nugget” as it was not one single piece of gold. Pieces of gold in the Holtermann find are separated by quartz rock, which […]
Silver was discovered in Colorado in the 1860s, and the first mining was performed in Clear Creek Canyon at Georgetown during 1864. However, the price of the metal was not high enough to attract serious exploration until the United States Congress passed the Bland-Allison Act in 1878. This legislation authorized the free coinage of silver. […]
Whenever humans are involved in any sort of adventure, legends evolve. If people are searching for something elusive, the conditions are perfect for fascinating stories about great alleged accomplishments. Even if they have little or no basis in truth, it makes good entertainment. One of gold mining’s most enduring tales is the Kokoweef Underground River […]
The SS Central America was a steamship that traversed through between the eastern coast of United States and Central America in 1850. It was also known as the ship of gold because it was loaded with the gold of about 10 tons prospected in California during the height of the Gold Rush. The ship was […]
The quest for gold and other treasures from the new world dates back to many centuries ago. This is what drove the Spanish explorers and conquerors to the Americas and this is what gave rise to several legends such as the story of the lost city of El Dorado. In the 16 century, the Spanish […]
John Murrell was a legendary bandit who worked along the Mississippi River during the early to mid-nineteenth century. Murrell was first convicted as a teenager for stealing horses with a punishment of flogging, being branded with an “HT”, and additionally sentenced to six years in prison. Shortly after his release in 1829, he was convicted […]
Jean Lafitte (1780-1823) was a legendary French privateer and pirate who resided in the Gulf of Mexico throughout the early 19th century and was widely believed to have been born in either the French colony of Saint-Domingue or in Basque-France. He operated a warehouse in New Orleans by 1805 to assist in dispersing goods that […]
