Just off the southern coast of Nova Scotia sits Oak Island. A place where many believe something has been cleverly hidden deep below ground. But who put it there? And what they buried remains a mystery. Tales from Oak Island s1e1: The Article
In 1965 an article appeared in the January issue of Reader’s Digest, one of the most popular magazines of the 20th century. The article was only 5 pages long but the story it told would captivate and inspire generations to come.
In 1795 a young man named Daniel McGinnis discovered a mysterious depression on the eastern end of Oak Island sitting directly below a decayed block and tackle hanging from a branch of a towering oak tree. ibid.
In 1859 Anthony Vaughan and John Smith gathered a new group of investors together and formed the Truro company. ibid.
1893: The arrival of businessman and treasure hunter Frederick Blair. ibid.
The treasure hunters continued to come. ibid.
The Restell family’s story remains one of the most heartbreaking chapters in the history of Oak Island. ibid.
Another determined adventurer who would spend the next 50 years of his life looking for the treasure: Dan Blankenship. ibid.
2006: A new generation of searchers would ariive on the scene. ibid.
‘You’ve got to give us credit for persevering, for believing in something.’ ibid. Dan Blankenship
On Oak Island, deep within these woods, sits a secluded 4-acre property known as Lot 25. On it lie the remants of a crumbling foundation. Upon this foundation there once stood a home. A home built from the group up by a man who may have possessed the key to what is now the world’s longest-running treasure mystery. His name is Samuel Ball. Tales From Oak Island s1e2: The Legend of Samuel Ball
One of the most enigmatic figures in Oak Island history, much of Samuel Ball’s life is shrouded in mystery. ibid.
Nearly 5,000 black loyalists settled in the southeastern town of Shelburne, Nova Scotia. ibid.
Captain James Anderson grew up to become a pirate and privateer … According to reports, Anderson fled to Canada where he purchased Lot 26 on Oak Island.
Did that shared history bring them together.
By 1788, former American slave turned British soldier Samuel Ball had purchased two lots on Oak Island, Nova Scotia, and embarked on a new career as a cabbage farmer. In 1790 he also purchased nearby Hook Island … Could there really be so much cash in cabbage? ibid.
Samuel Ball’s wealth continued to steadily increase. ibid.
Samuel Ball would vastly increase his property on Oak Island, along with 100 additional acres on the mainland. ibid.
Did the Money Pit discovery make Samuel Ball rich? ibid.
Samuel Ball died at the age of 81. ibid.
‘I think that the treasure is Samuel. His life. His legacy.’ ibid. comment
Who could have had the means and the motive to construct such an intricate and ingenious treasure vault on Oak Island? Tales from Oak Island s1e3: The Secrets of Sir William Phips
‘William Phips was born in May of 1651 … He was one of the most successful treasure hunters of the 17th century.’ ibid. historian
The first American-born knight. ibid.
Is it possible that William Phips is the mastermind behind the Oak Island Money Pit. ibid.
The results suggested a strong link between Oak Island and the treasure from the Concepcion. ibid.
The Freemasons have been at the centre of the mystery. ibid.
Countless searchers have spent years and their own fortunes trying to determine what truly lies at the bottom of the Money Pit. Tales from Oak Island s1e4: Trail of the Templar Cross
For more than a decade brothers Rick and Marty Lagina, joined by a team of teasure hunters, archaeologists and historians, have been unearthing structures and artefacts across Oak Island that may date back to between the 13th and early 14th centuries, when the Templars were at the height of their power. ibid.
‘… And then a cross come out of the earth on Oak Island.’ ibid. Marty
The team’s findings in Italy suggest that both the lead cross and the H&O stone are important Templar symbols. ibid.
Some researchers believe this widespread construction suggests that the Money Pit was just one piece of a larger puzzle. Tales from Oak Island s1e5: Decoding the Duc d’Anville
An English translation of a ship’s log from an unknown French sailing vessel in the Nova Scotia archives – its contents revealed a potential suspect who may have been responsible for one of these treasure deposits … the Duc d’Anville. ibid.
According to historical accounts, the Duc d’Anville set sail for Nova Scotia with a massive French fleet in June of 1846. ibid.
Why did he choose to have it buried on Oak Island? ibid.
Hundreds of artefacts on Oak Island that date back to the time of the Duc d’Anville. ibid.
Researchers have identified sophisticated structures on Oak Island that may have been built by the Templars. ibid.
In 2015 one of their first large-scale operations was intended to find the remains of a long-lost searcher tunnel known as the Hedden Shaft, which was dug in the 1930s by a man named Gilbert Hedden. Tales from Oak Island s1e6: Hedden’s Hunt
‘By the early 1900s all this treasure hunting, all this digging, all this drilling, had really severely compromised the Money Pit.’ ibid. historian
The Hedden Shaft measured 12 feet wide by 24 feet long and reached a depth of 124 feet underground. ibid.
The legend of Captain Kid’s lost fortune lured treasure hunters for over two centuries sparking countless expeditions. ibid.
[Rick]: ‘That knowledge was passed on such that different groups learning of it. It would evolve through the sharing of information from one generation to another.’ Tales from Oak Island s1e7: A Mystery for the Generations
Who may have been the first group to arrive on the island, and who followed in their footsteps? One of the most intriguing theories involves a seafaring civilisation of Norse warriors – commonly known as the Vikings. ibid.
The Templars may have learned about [Oak Island] from their new allies, the descendants of the Vikings. ibid.
The maps found by Zena Halpern indicated that two different generations of Knights Templar journeyed to Oak Island in the late 12th and mid-13th centuries. ibid.
The Knights Baronet are believed to have visited Oak Island. ibid.
Another secretive organisation – the Fraternal Order of Freemasons. ibid.
‘I believe that Phips secreted a large amount of that treasure to Oak Island.’ ibid. historian
The Knights Templar and their descendants may have made multiple treasure deposits on Oak Island. ibid.
Unfortunately, every attempt has been thwarted by sudden and extensive underground flooding. This has led many to believe that whatever lies buried more than 100 feet down is guarded by an elaborate network of booby traps. Tales from Oak Island s1e8: Booby Trapped
‘This has been built with a high level of sophisticated to keep people out.’ ibid. historian
After the catastrophic collapse of the Money Pit, the Oak Island Association attempted to pump out the water flooding the area. ibid.
‘If we could find the flood tunnel itself, then the next step would be to shut off the water.’ ibid.