Singer Treasure (Money Hill) — Padre Island

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Singer Treasure (Money Hill) — Padre Island

Lost Treasure TX • Kenedy / Kleberg County
Description
John Singer's fortune in Spanish coins, silver bars, and jewelry — estimated $60,000–$80,000 — buried in "Money Hill" sand dunes on Padre Island when the family was expelled during the Civil War. Hurricanes shifted the dunes beyond recognition.
Historical Notes
John Singer (brother of sewing-machine magnate Isaac Singer) shipwrecked on Padre Island in the late 1840s, settled, and prospered at Las Cruces Ranch (former Padre Ballí grant). The family found Spanish coins on the beach and, by legend, a chest with ~$80,000 in jewelry. Singer stored wealth in a large sand dune called Money Hill. Ordered off the island in 1861 for Union sympathies, the family buried their treasure before fleeing. Federal troops later burned their house; a hurricane during the war reshaped the island. Singer returned twice with son Alexander to find Money Hill but failed. He died impoverished in 1877. Some say a second cache lies between two small oak trees. Shifting sands have frustrated searchers for 160+ years.
Status / Verification legend — Legendary or approximate

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