Hendricks Lake Treasure

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Hendricks Lake Treasure

Lost Treasure TX • Rusk / Panola County
Description
Legendary East Texas oxbow lake where six wagonloads of Jean Lafitte's stolen Spanish silver were supposedly pushed into the water in 1816 to evade pursuing soldiers. More than 150 years of dredging, diving, and draining attempts have found no treasure.
Historical Notes
Hendricks Lake lies 1.5 miles south of the Sabine River, about 4 miles northeast of Tatum in Rusk County (32.371864°N, 94.493190°W). The crescent-shaped oxbow is 12–40 feet deep and fed by springs. Core legend: In 1816 silver from the Spanish brig Santa Rosa, stolen by pirate Jean Lafitte, was being moved north when Spanish forces overtook the wagons at the lake. Rather than surrender, the drivers pushed six wagonloads of silver into the water. Variants blame Santa Anna loot, Mexican land pirates, or San Jacinto plunder. Notable searches: Paul "Uncle Fox" Tatum tried to drain the lake with steam-powered buckets in 1884. Oilmen A.C. SoRelle and Henry SoRelle used draglines and electronics in 1957–58. MIT engineer Charles Fitzhugh Grice (who located the USS Tecumseh) scanned the lake in 1969 and found only a sawmill blade. The only artifact reported from decades of effort was a wagon wheel rim. Much surrounding land is now in lignite mining permit areas with restricted public access.
Status / Verification legend — Legendary or approximate

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