These Two Brothers Got To The Core Of 220 Year Old Oak Island Mystery!!!

 Since 220 years, this Oak Island Mystery has been a center of attraction for a plethora of explorers. This wild hunt of island’s hidden treasure has resulted in many tragic incidents, causing the loss of lives, fortunes, and families. This island had many intriguing stories and theories. One of them even says that the island will expose up the treasure for sure but for that to happen seven deaths are required. However, this saying didn’t hamper the determination of Lagina Brothers of deciphering the island’s secret.

 

 Life Changing “Reader’s Digest”

In 1965, Rick Lagina, who was 11 years old then was reading a copy of “Reader’s Digest” and one of the articles changed his life forever. He was flipping the magazine pages when he came across an article which was pertaining to a 220-year-old mysterious Oak Island, which was located in Nova Scotia, Canada. The article said that there was a treasure hidden in the island. A lot of people had tried to find it out but their efforts went in vain. Rick started to explore the information about the treasure and dreamt of finding it one day.   

A Natural Explorer

However, Rick Lagina had gone for his first ever treasure hunt just a year before. He was an innate explorer. He began his journey as an explorer from his hometown of Kingsford, Michigan. His first discovery was of a huge granite rock, which he was determined to move and find out what was hidden beneath that. He with the help of 9 other people, that included his brother Marty, moved the heavy rock. They didn’t find something historic or important but it paved the way for him, for his future endeavors as an explorer. With the course of time, the Oak Island Treasure hunt became their only aim. 

Onslow Company and its discoveries

The Onslow Company decided to investigate Oak Island in 1804. Eight years ago, Daniel McGinnis discovered a weird circular depression in the surface of the island, which intrigued the Onslow Company. During their investigation, the team of explorers found layers of oak logs, charcoal, and putty. They also discovered a stone tablet with an inscription on it. Many researchers tried to decode that inscription, but no one was successful. But, in 1866, a professor at Halifax University deciphered that inscription. Its translation revealed a direful message.   

Cursed Treasure

The professor decoded the stone to read: “Forty feet below, two million pounds lie buried.” The translated message did not expose much about the treasure though. Moreover, the whole mystery centered around a strange curse which says that the island demands the death of seven people before it could give up the treasure. Until now there have been six deaths. One more death and the mysterious island will push up its treasure to the surface?? This case is outlandish than fiction. 

Different Theories

There are a lot of theories related to the treasure. One theory says that during the French Revolution, Marie Antoinette ordered her maid to flee Paris. The theory further suggests that later she fled to London and after that, she landed in Nova Scotia where French Navy helped her to build a pit to hide the treasure. The second theory suggests that Francis Bacon was the actual author of Shakespeare’s plays and he hid the manuscripts which exposed Bacon as the author of his plays. There are many more theories related to this mysterious island but the next one seemed to have grabbed the eyeballs of many.

The Hidden clues and rumors

There are said to be myriad Masonic markings on Oak Island which gives the impression that the mysterious treasure relates to particular initiation rites which involves a hidden vault and sacred treasure. Some researchers like Daniel Ronnstam and Petter Amundsen revealed that there are many hidden clues in Shakespeare’s plays as well. 

The Beginning of it all

It all began in 1795 when a teenager at that time Daniel McGinnis, was roaming around Oak Island, Nova Scotia. It was then when he came across a strange circular depression on its surface. McGinnis was familiar with the rumors of island’s mysterious treasure. He decided to investigate further, so he gathered his friends to help him. 

Further Investigations

On further investigations, McGinnis and his friends John Smith and Anthony Vaughn found something which surprised them to the core. They dug the surface two feet deeper and found a layer of flagstone. They further dug the surface for 30 feets, they found myriad layers of oak logs which was equal to the length of the pit. Eight years later, they hit the spot again with The Onslow Company. What they discovered changed their world altogether.

Efforts In Vain

The explorers started to dig from the point where the teenagers had left it eight years ago. Digging in another 60 feet, the company discovered more layers of oak logs. Except for the oak logs, the team found thick layers of charcoal, putty, and coconut fiber. At 90 feet, the company got first big breakthrough: a stone tablet with mysterious inscriptions. Further digging resulted in water flooding the pit. To overcome this problem, a 100-foot pit was dug parallel to the original pit and a tunnel was constructed to the “Money Pit”. But it was futile as it filled with water as well. Had they dug into a “Booby Trap”?  

Methods to overcome water flooding

This water problem resulted in a 45-year delay in the search. It seemed that whoever built this pit, had designed it that way only, just to keep the people away from the treasure. In 1847, The Truro Company embarked on a searching spree. After they discovered that the pit was flooding, again and again, they came out with a drilling method. They were of a notion that drilling core samples would be more fruitful. That indeed proved fruitful as the company discovered some amazing clues.   

First hit at the hidden treasure

After much of drillings, the explorers discovered two chests filled with coins. After getting to these chests of coins, the explorers observed that the surface deep inside the pit was loose so they came back in 1850 to dig another parallel tunnel over to the Money Pit, but that effort went in vain as well. As water began to flow in and pumping was of no help as well. However, an incredulous discovery was made at this moment. 

The Truro Company Gave Up

During the pumping process, the explorers observed something at low tide at Smith’s cove. They noticed water coming out of the beach. This indicated that the original designers had created a drain system. So the team came up with several other plans but to no use. Finally, the Truro Company gave up. This was just the start, soon the things got unusual. 

First Death

The next attempt was made in 1861. This attempt was the initiative of the Oak Island Association. The team didn’t achieve much though. But the team experienced a tragedy as well. The boiler which was being used to pump the water out, burst and burnt one of the workers to death. The company gave up in 1864. The rumors game after his death gained strength and it seemed they weren’t wrong even…

Sheepskin Parchment

A group of unknown men came to know about the Oak Island treasure. They embarked on a journey to discover the treasure. The next discovery they made was a cement vault. The diggers broke into the vault and found a piece of parchment, which was made from sheepskin and it had various inscriptions on it with the letters “vi,” “ui,” or “wi.” These letters haven’t been deciphered till now. 

The Death Row continues…

Maynard Kaiser, a worker who was returning to the surface from the pit, fell into the shaft and lost his life. Actually, the rope he was tied to came loose and got displaced from the pulley, which resulted in his death. Despite such tragedies, a plethora of people tried to get to the mysterious treasure. 

The Presidential Fame Search

In 1909, The Old Salvage Group was intrigued by the mystery of Oak Island. However, they didn’t make a valuable find. Franklin D. Roosevelt was one of the group members. Later, he became the president of the United States in 1933. A year later the team gave up the search, but Roosevelt continued his efforts pertaining to the treasure. 

Timbers Discovered

In 1928, Gilbert Hedden who was a businessman came to know about the Oak Island mystery through a New York Newspaper. He reached the island with his friend Fred Blair. Their investigation resulted in more interesting facts. They found some old timbers in Smith’s cove. 

The Neverending Mysteries 

The next treasure hunter, Erwin Hunter began his search in 1938. A year later in 1939, he made two discoveries. In the Money Pit, he found some rocks and gravels, which according to him was foreign. Next, he found some oak splinters some 176 feet down.

Man with heavy machinery

A man named Robert Dunfield started his search for treasure on Oak Island with bulldozers and cranes. He dug 140 feet down the pit to the thick layer of limestone. Daniel C. Blankenship started his investigation in 1965. At 60 feet, he discovered a hand-wrought nail and a washer. He even found a wrought iron scissor, which dates back to 300 years and was made in Mexico.  

The Triton Alliance

In the 1970s, Dunfield teamed up with Blankenship, with two other guys, David Tobias and Fred Nolan joining them. They termed their alliance as Triton Alliance. The team dug a 235-foot shaft called the Borehole 10-X. The team used new technologies such as camera and lights in their operation. The camera captured many treasure chests, wooden cribbing, tools, etc. The team discovered several Roman carvings as well. This search operation was reported in “Reader’s Digest”. It was this operation only which attracted Rick Lagina towards the mysterious treasure. 

TV Shows and Law Suits

Moreover, an episode on the mysterious Oak Island was aired on a TV show “In Search Of…” on January 18, 1979. It was because of this TV show this mysterious island grabbed eyeballs of plenty of people.  In 1983, Fred Nolan was sued by Triton Alliance over the ownership rights on seven lots of Oak Island. The place was closed for further exploration till 2005 when the Lagina brothers took the onus upon themselves. 

Lagina Brothers on the scene

In 2005, a part of the Oak Island was up for sale for an amount of $7 million, and the Lagina brothers from Michigan purchased a 50% stake in Oak Island Tour Inc. They started their quest for the treasure and soon came out with bigger discoveries. 

“The Curse of Oak Island”

In 2014, Lagina Brothers got national attention, when they were invited on a TV show on the History Channel. The title of the show was “The Curse of Oak Island”. Not only did it help them financially but had made this case more credible. 

Work Experience of the brothers

The brothers were having the specialty in different areas. Marty is a champion in digging deep wells and has a plethora of connections in the industry that could provide the crucial help. Rick was a dreamer and was determined for this mission from the moment he came to know about it. Formerly he was a U.S. Postal Service worker. Rick gave the push to his brother to buy a portion of the Oak Island. 

The First Find

With the use of sonar technology, the brothers found a 17th-century copper coin. They also found other manmade objects. It was an antique Spanish Coin. Many people had visited them when they were on the island, who showed them various pieces of evidence, which showed the presence of treasure.

Lagina’s Loot

During the third season of the show, the brother took help from some more experts to decipher the sonar readings. They made major discoveries during this season. They discovered a stone with Portuguese carvings, a Roman sword, and various other items, and more theories originated from their discoveries. 

The French Map

The Lagina brothers got a copy of French map of Oak Island which dated back to 1347, in season 4. The map showed the exact location of hatch, valve, and anchor. This gave rise to another theory which said that the hidden treasure may have come from Africa. The brothers still high in their spirits and aren’t going to give up. 

“Life’s a Treasure Hunt”

Rick Lagina believes it’s quite simple: “There’s a story to be written up here. 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. I still believe.” Rick is passionate about the search and he stated: “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. But really, life is about reaching your goals and that’s what we always try and do.”

The Importance of Listening

Charles Barkhouse, an Oak Island historian, and the tour guide said: “If anyone is going to solve this centuries-old mystery, it’s going to be the Laginas. While they have the same drive, dedication and, perhaps, stubbornness as their treasure-hunting predecessors, they also something that other searchers didn’t have: a willingness to listen.” Barkhouse went on to say that many of the previous explorers wanted full reign over the entire project. “The Laginas, however, regularly bring people to the island – engineering professionals, technology experts, historians – to help them,” he stated.

A Unique Obsession

Historian Charles Barkhouse has a notion that the island is like a sorcerer with the strong hold on people. He stated: “Putting one’s life at risk to find something that may or may not be buried is extreme. The mystery of Oak Island, though, is that powerful.” The treasure hunt has become an obsession for many. David Blakenship, for example, still resides on the island, and provides a helping hand during a search operation. “No one knows what’s buried here, who buried it or even where it’s buried,” Barkhouse says. “That’s what excites people — the possibilities.”