The Lagina Brothers have finally unearthed a 220-year-old treasure hidden in ‘Oak Island’ and what was inside was truly unexpected.
Michigan Brothers Unearth 220-Year-Old Treasure Hidden In Oak Island JourneyRanger Michigan Brothers Unearth 220-Year-Old Treasure Hidden In Oak Island Terms Of Service DMCA Cookie Policy Privacy Policy facebook twitter pinterest instagram Home Destinations Tips & Tricks Travel Guides Food & Drink Stories Menu Home Destinations Tips & Tricks Travel Guides Food & Drink Stories Menu Close Home Destinations Tips & Tricks Travel Guides Food & Drink Stories LifeStories Michigan Brothers Finally Unearth 220-Year-Old Secret Hidden In Oak Island By Hannah Pennington, Published on Jul 28, 2022 They say that big things come in small packages. That might just be the case for Oak Island, an island off Nova Scotia that’s only 140 acres but is home to some incredible findings. The Lagina brothers, Rick and Marty, are primarily responsible for unearthing a lot of this stuff in recent years. Their reality series ‘The Curse of Oak Island’ sees these treasure hunters explore the island and investigate what treasures are hidden within. They’re not the first to do this, though, as Oak Island has quite a rich history, some of which is even steeped in tragedy. The Lagina Brothers have brought renewed interest to the story of Oak Island Source: Premiere TV Network If it weren’t for the Lagina brothers and ‘The Curse of Oak Island,’ a lot of people probably wouldn’t know anything at all about this treasure hunter’s paradise. After all, Oak Island is just a small landmass in Canadian waters, so it’s not like it sees a lot of foot traffic from tourists who might stumble upon something. Just because the Lagina brothers have introduced Oak Island to entire generations, though, the story of this place stretches back centuries. Since the 1700s, it’s been attracting interest from those eager to solve a mystery and find treasures they can call their own. Still, why has no one in the past ever had the success that Rick and Marty have? Three teenage boys began digging on Oak Island when they discovered a depression Source: The Canadian Press Images / Pinterest It appears that everything started on Oak Island with three teenage boys. These were Anthony Vaughn, Daniel McGinnis, and John Smith, who were out together on a fishing trip. When they came ashore to restock their supplies, they reportedly located a depression in the ground. An investigation swiftly revealed that the ground here was looser than anywhere else. As many people might do in this situation, the boys began digging. They were eager to uncover what secrets lay beneath, with McGinnis reportedly motivated by a certain rumor. This alleged that the pirate Captain Kid had buried millions of dollars worth of treasure in the area. Was it possible that Daniel and his friends had found his hiding spot? The Onslow Company took over from digging on Oak Island several years later Source: Oak Island Money Pit The boys dug around 30 feet before deciding to give up. It’s unclear precisely why they chose to walk away, especially given the potential motivation of treasure. Claims suggest that superstitious reasons were responsible for them fleeing the scene. Others say that they found something and saw no reason to continue digging with that in their possession. Whatever the reason, they left the sizable hole there on Oak Island, where others would eventually come along and continue it. This was apparently several years later when the Onslow Company decided to explore what was hidden below 30 feet. They had proper excavation tools for the job, so the chances of success seemed pretty good. A stone engraved with unknown markings was reportedly found then lost in the Money Pit Source: Oak Island Treasure The Onslow Company made much greater progress than the teenagers at digging what is now known as the Money Pit. They made it down 90 feet, which is when they started making several interesting discoveries. For one, they could see that there were logs stacked at ten-foot intervals. Furthermore, they unearthed a bizarre stone inscribed with symbols. According to a local newspaper from the time, this stone was “two feet long and about a foot thick.” There were “several characters cut on it,” although the markings weren’t deciphered. That’s apparently still the case, given that the stone is allegedly now missing. That’s another mystery to add to the pile that seems to be growing on Oak Island. A theory claims that the treasure of the Money Pit exposes William Shakespeare as a fraud Source: Wikimedia Commons / Oak Island Mystery The legend goes that the Money Pit is home to incredible treasures, although what those treasures might seem to vary significantly. One of the popular theories is that it contains manuscripts that would confirm that William Shakespeare was a fraud. Supposedly, these manuscripts would reveal Francis Bacon as the real author of all his celebrated works. Unfortunately, without that treasure in possession, this remains nothing more than a mystery. Thankfully, the chances of learning the truth continue to grow thanks to the efforts of the Lagina brothers. William Chappell and his son Melbourne R. Chappell were also a big help, with this father and son being involved in the Oak Island excavations in the 1900s. William Chappell found ancient tools before Gilbert Hedden took over the Oak Island excavation Source: Oak Island Money Pit / Wikimedia Commons William Chappell reportedly got involved in the Oak Island excavations around the 1920s. During his time investigating the Money Pit, he allegedly helped to discover several tools, including an ax and a pick. These findings apparently suggested to him that the Money Pit had initially been dug by someone in ancient times, meaning it had been around for centuries. Chappell could only stay with the excavation project for so long before he reportedly ran out of funding. He was allegedly replaced by Gilbert Hedden, who came in with his company, Bethlehem Steel, to see if they could make progress where Chappell had failed. The treasure was still hidden, but someone surely had to find it. William Chappell’s contribution to the Oak Island excavation paved the way for the Lagina brothers Source: Ryan Phillips William Chappell might not have been able to see the Oak Island excavation through to its conclusion, but there was no downplaying his contributions to the project. He helped discover tools that had been down there for hundreds of years, like the Acadian ax that was reportedly 250 years old. William’s efforts paved the way for the Lagina brothers. A fluke anchor and parts of an oil light were some of the other items he dug up during the Oak Island excavation. Unfortunately, the question that William could never completely answer was why he found these things where he did. Sure, they’d likely been left behind by people digging in the area, but where were they digging to? Someone might have buried their treasure on Oak Island after fleeing from a war Source: The Canadian Press Images One question that some people ask about Oak Island is why this is supposedly the home of buried treasure. Is it simply because it’s a small and therefore unremarkable area of land? It’s possible, although other reasons have been put forward over the years. That includes the suggestion that the treasure was buried here during a war. The theory goes that someone fled to Oak Island during a conflict and buried their treasure here as a result. History has no shortage of war, so it’s a reasonable theory. It’s hard to ascertain whether the person traveled from near or far, though, assuming this is the reason they ended up on Oak Island. Theories also suggest that pirates might have buried their treasure on Oak Island Source: Oak Island Treasure / Oak Island Treasure Fleeing from war isn’t the only reason why someone might have ended up on Oak Island all those years ago. Another popular theory is that the alleged treasure could have been buried by pirates. It certainly wasn’t out of the blue for these ocean dwellers to bury their loot on small islands like this one. Furthermore, between 1690 and 1730, it was allegedly quite common for pirates to visit Oak Island. They apparently considered it a “goldmine” because of all the natural resources here. They could stock up on supplies like wood and water before going on their way. Perhaps one of them buried something here during such a stop-off? Franklin D. Roosevelt once explored Oak Island but reportedly came up empty handed Source: UPI The mystery of Oak Island is something that’s long fascinated some people, including some of the United States’ most notable historical figures. That reportedly includes Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The former US President allegedly went on an expedition to Oak Island in 1909. He was joined by Captain Henry L. Bowdoin and the Old Gold Salvage Group to unearth some secrets. This was many years before he became president, and unfortunately, it didn’t yield much. Roosevelt and his group didn’t manage to reveal any treasure, not that this dampened his interest in the mystery of Oak Island. He reportedly continued to keep up with all the happenings here throughout his life, apparently hopeful that someone would succeed where he’d failed. Several men lost their lives after building a shaft on Oak Island in the 1960s Source: Oak Island Treasure It had been years since those three teenage boys began digging the Money Pit and started a search for the Oak Island treasure. Unfortunately, everyone who’d tried to uncover the mystery of Oak Island had found little of actual value. Robert Restall, his 18-year-old son, and his colleague Karle Graeser hoped to change that in the 1960s. The trio bore a shaft that was 27 feet deep in 1965, believing this might help to find the treasure. Unfortunately, when Restall explored the shaft on his own one day, exposure to hydrogen sulfide gas resulted in the loss of life. The same thing happened to his son, Graeser, and Cyril Hiltz when they tried to rescue him. The Lagina brothers have had more luck than most with finding treasure on Oak Island Source: History Thankfully, the tragedy that befell these men isn’t anything that future treasure hunters on Oak Island have had to deal with. There might sometimes be drama on ‘The Curse of Oak Island,’ but that doesn’t include people losing their lives. It helps that what happened to Robert Restall and the others alerted them to potential dangers on the island. With the Lagina brothers now the primary treasure hunters on Oak Island, it’s up to them to discover what all those who came before them couldn’t. They’ve definitely had some luck with that throughout the filming of their show, which aired its 9th season in 2022. Do any of their findings reveal the mystery of Oak Island, though? Searching for buried treasure is something the Lagina brothers have always been passionate about Source: Facebook/The Curse of Oak Island People were trying to uncover the mystery of Oak Island long before the Lagina brothers were even born. However, that doesn’t mean their interest in finding the alleged treasure buried here hasn’t been years in the making. The siblings were reportedly quite young when they became passionate about hunting for treasure, and where better to look than Oak Island? Rick Lagina was apparently just ten when he unearthed his first treasure, and he’s been fascinated with searching for secrets ever since. That was six decades ago now, so most of his life has been building up to ‘The Curse of Oak Island.’ Fortunately, he hasn’t had to carve his path alone because Rick’s brother shares his treasure-hunting interests. The Lagina brothers made treasure hunting their full-time job in the mid-2000s Source: History Of course, searching for buried treasure isn’t really a 9 to 5 job with a stable income. Just because the Lagina brothers wanted to unearth secrets in places like Oak Island didn’t mean they could afford to. It wasn’t until 2006, when they were in their 50s, that they were reportedly able to turn their passion into a full-time job. By this point, the Lagina brothers had extensively researched the mystery of Oak Island and made several expeditions to see the Money Pit themselves. So, they purchased half of the Oak Island Tour company, which came with partial land ownership and the rights to whatever they discovered. Now, they just had to hope there was actually stuff of worth here. Legend says that seven people must lose their lives on Oak Island to unearth the treasure Source: Find a Grave Part of what attracted the Lagina brothers to Oak Island is the alleged curse here. It’s said that no one can unearth the treasures buried here until seven people pass away. When they began their search, six people had lost their lives on Oak Island, four of which were back in the 1960s when Robert Restall and the others perished. All six of these people reportedly lost their lives while searching for the Oak Island treasure, which the Lagina brothers are now pursuing themselves. However, the siblings don’t plan on taking someone’s life just to see if the legend is true. We’re not sure that the law would look at their actions too kindly if they did. The Lagina brothers unearthed a treasure in the form of a 17th-century Spanish coin Source: Pinterest / History Even with all the right tools at their disposal, it can be years before a treasure hunter discovers something. Just because the mystery of Oak Island seemed to promise unearthed treasures, there was no guarantee that the Lagina brothers would find anything. After all, people have been searching for centuries and still come up empty-handed. Thankfully, after putting everything into finding treasure on Oak Island, the Lagina brothers eventually struck gold. Well, copper. The pair discovered a Spanish copper coin believed to be from the 17th century. Finding this in the Money Pit made a lot of sense and offered the potential for many more coins to be found. They just had to keep searching. The discovery of a roman sword suggested the treasure could be older than expected Source: History / History ‘The Curse of Oak Island’ wouldn’t have managed nine seasons if the Lagina brothers never found anything. People would have switched channels after a while, forcing the siblings to either fake their discoveries or admit defeat. Thankfully, Oak Island has continued to serve them well, offering up some incredible finds, like the Roman sword they unearthed in season three. If this was authentic, it meant that Ancient Romans had been on Oak Island thousands of years ago. It also suggested that the treasure they were looking for was potentially much older than anyone had assumed. That only inspired the Lagina brothers to search harder for more buried treasure, believing it could be even more valuable than they’d thought. Zena Halpern suggested a crossover between the mystery of Oak Island and the Knights Templar Source: History The Lagina brothers are the ones searching for treasure on Oak Island at the moment. However, that doesn’t mean they’re the only ones interested in what might be hiding somewhere in this area. Zena Halpern is someone else who’s fascinated by the mystery of Oak Island and actually wrote the book ‘The Templar Mission to Oak Island and Beyond.’ Her book discusses the mystery of Oak Island and the fate of the Knights Templar, the truth of which have both long evaded historians. Zena appeared on ‘The Curse of Oak Island’ to talk about her theory and provided a replica of a 1647 map. This had the potential to help the Lagina brothers with their search for treasure. The Lagina brothers have had a lot of help from people like the Blankenships Source: History The Lagina brothers might be the face of ‘The Curse of Oak Island,’ but the duo is hardly alone in their search for buried treasure. They wouldn’t be able to find the things they do on the show if it wasn’t for the assistance of their companions. Over the years, this has included Craig Tester and Dan and David Blankenship. The Blankenships had actually been involved with searching for treasure on Oak Island long before the Lagina brothers. For that reason, teaming up for the show made sense because the men already knew a lot more about the island. Unfortunately, Dan has since passed away while David has left, potentially because of issues with production. Gary Drayton has helped the Lagina brothers by offering his metal detection services Source: History / Facebook/The Curse of Oak Island Anyone can buy a metal detector and use it to find treasure. However, it takes passion, determination, and expertise to really get somewhere with one of these. Enter Gary Drayton, whose work as a metal-detecting expert has really come in helpful on ‘The Curse of Oak Island.’ The Lagina brothers have often relied on him during their search for treasure. Drayton has previously shared some of his methods in the books that he’s written, where he’s talked about how best to find things in different environments. Fortunately, he’s not all talk, as evidenced by his accomplishments on the TV show. Gary was particularly helpful in seasons five and six when the Lagina brothers explored Smith’s Cove. The Blankenships interest in the mystery of Oak Island stemmed from a Reader’s Digest article Source: History Although the Blankenships might not be involved with ‘The Curse of Oak Island’ anymore, there’s no denying that they brought a lot to the show. It seems their passion for uncovering the mystery of Oak Island stemmed from a Reader’s Digest article published in 1965. This reportedly prompted Dan to give up his contracting job and start hunting treasure. It was seven years later that David came along for the ride, moving to Oak Island to help his father see what they could find. It wasn’t always smooth sailing, especially after a catastrophic accident in 1986 forced David to have to relearn how to walk and talk. Fortunately, he recovered enough to help the Lagina brothers years later. The Lagina brothers reportedly once found what seemed to be a piece of a book Source: Everett Collection / Oak Island Money Pit The Lagina brothers have the benefit of joining the Oak Island treasure hunt several centuries after it began. This means that the people who came before them have done some of the hard work required to make parts of the Money Pit accessible. For instance, the wood-lined shaft that was constructed in 1805 by those seeking the island’s treasure. Developments like this mean that the Lagina brothers have a slightly easier job of making discoveries, like when they found what appeared to be a piece of a book. This might not seem that valuable in a treasure hunt, but any discovery can play a significant role in revealing the longstanding mystery of Oak Island. A piece of parchment was believed to be linked to William Chappell and Frederick Blair Source: History The piece they found was believed to be part of a bookbinder, and the Lagina brothers uncovered it shortly before making another discovery. This was a piece of parchment that appeared to be made out of animal skin. It held markings that looked as though they formed part of a medieval manuscript, which gave rise to a theory. The theory was that this parchment was included in interactions between William Chappell and Frederick Blair. Given their early involvement in the Oak Island treasure hunt, it makes sense that some of their communications might still exist somewhere. Finding stuff like this gives a potential insight into their own treasure hunting methods, which could influence the modern-day search. It emerged that the Money Pit was exposed to flooding from a nearby beach Source: History / Facebook/The Curse of Oak Island As the Lagina brothers have invested more time, effort, and money into discovering the truth of Oak Island, they’ve made many developments. Plenty of these have revolved around the Money Pit, which seemed to be exposed to a lot of water. When the Lagi… truncated (14,148 more characters in archive)