Traversing the Central Mineral Region, Lt. Juan Galvn heard from Indians of a cerro de almagre, a hill of red ocher, indicating the presence of mineral-bearing ores. item, 279 So, was the mine one mile distant from camp, or one mile The next day they fought a ferocious battle, driving off the natives, but themselves suffering On sale now, while supplies last. But the riches somehow slipped through his fingers, probably because Spanish officials believed the mines belonged to the crown and not to a no-account foreigner. Our way led us today over many pretty . By 1830, he had become a Mexican citizen, spending time as a prospector and land speculator. In James Bowie's written account of his expedition with his brother Rezin Bowie to find the lost silver mine, the battle takes place in Calf Creek, some 25 miles east of Menard. Rezin Pleasant Bowie (/ b u i / BOO-ee) (September 8, 1793 - January 17, 1841) was a planter, inventor, and mercenary.He also served three terms in the Louisiana House of Representatives.. With his brother James "Jim" Bowie, Rezin Bowie smuggled slaves and worked as a land speculator.The brothers set up the first steam-powered sugar mill in Louisiana. And that land would have made him rich, had he kept the land and survived another decade or two. Historic newspapers digitized from across the Red River. After a two-day rest, they started searching the countryside for signs of the abandoned mines. The silver of San Saba was nothing of the sort, though. Where ever it is, there used to be a stream nearby, a trail to the east, and a hill with a cave one mile distant. 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The Lost San Saba Silver Mine - Lone star treasure That would have made Dupont between 50 or 60 years old, when he wandered into Texas in the 1770s. Fray Diego Jimnez and Capt. This map shows up from time to time in the San Saba legend, often with a translation of a Spanish waybill. Dupont was puzzled by the wide-eyed reception until someone explained that the defector had told everybody he was dead. In 1788, six prospectors were working where they thought the mine was located, when they were attacked by the Apache. Felipe de Rbago y Tern, Ortiz Parrilla's successor at San Sab, proposed reestablishing the San Sab Mission on the Llano River, so that the mineral veins might be worked. After brush fires and wind and Lt. Juan Galvan, the leader of the expedition, heard from the local Indians about a hill near San Antonio which contained large deposits of mineral-bearing ore. A group of men from San Antonio was led to the hill by several Apache, but no signs of large silver deposits were discovered, however, reports of the mine spread across the region, and the legend was born. WBAP-TV (Television station : Fort Worth, Tex.). She put up the bridle and the knife as collateral for a loan. She was a trend settertoday it is the Menard Manor, a A sample of ore had been taken and it assayed well. Lewis, David C. The Special Collections Department collects and preserves rare and unique materials including rare books, oral histories, university archives, historical manuscripts, maps, microfilm, photographs, art and artifacts. February 15, 1966; Geographical information about where this book originated or about its content. Shortly after the Spaniards abandoned the mission, rumors of silver mines in the area circulated in San Antonio. The presidios captain, Diego Ortiz Parrilla, in an effort to have his command moved to Los Almagres, had ore samples dug from the mine, which were smelted at the presidio. For partners and peer institutions seeking information about location. After the marriage he hit up his father in law for a loan. Los Almagres Mine, Every dollar helps. Oak Island: Season 2, Episode 6 - Rotten Tomatoes Ortiz Parrilla's slag heap left by the old presidio, coupled with Bolton's discovery, emphasizes the futility of their quest. Quick Facts 1 USGS record of mines in San Saba County, Texas. Lost mines are a popular form of lost treasure legend. 4 Jan. 2022. We are a community-supported, non-profit organization and we humbly ask for your support because the careful and accurate recording of our history has never been more important. 1 and worked their way northwest toward the San Saba River. McCaslin was buried near the location of the fight. No matter where you are in the state, youre bound to be able to search for some tempting hidden loot. The stories appear to possibly involve several locations of buried treasure in the same general area. The San Saba Treasure: Legends of Silver Creek - UNT Digital Library In 1756 the lieutenant general of, the Texas province, Don Miranda, reported the findingsof gold and silver deposits in the area of present. They erected a cross of pipe at that location, and it is still there. Trading was, however, merely his day job. December 2018. accessed July 9, 2023), Menard (near the legendary San Saba Mines ) and San Antonio are on the map for reference. Rick, Marty, and Matty assist with the drilling operation to locate millions in lost gold and silver at the mine location, in this clip from Season 2, "The S. Unfortunately, no paying mine has ever been opened, and not for a lack of looking. Dates and time periods associated with this book. Lewis, David C. One hundred and fifty years later, a descendant of one of those four men set out to discover the history behind the legend. Those listed below are just a sampling. Your support aids students of all ages, rural communities, For guidance see He calculated a yield of 1 ounces of silver from seventy-five pounds of ore. After destruction of the San Sab Mission by hostile Indians in March 1758, Ortiz Parrilla was reassigned. It seems like a plausible place for a notorious bandit to hide his loot, so we are inclined to believe it! The San Saba Treasure legend essentially covers lost mine / buried treasure stories in the Texas Hill Country somewhere between San Antonio and San Angelo. The Agatha Christie Poirot short story "The Lost Mine" features a map revealing the location of a lost mine in Burma. In the 1930's the treasure hunters Judge Norton and Princess Wenonah found a skeleton to the north of where their main diggings were in and around the egg-shaped basin. For the mine search being one of the most famous incidents in Jim Bowies life the expedition comes with two mysteries. These controls are experimental and have not yet been optimized for user experience. Their Indians and bungling officialsprevented the working of the mines.BOY ON BIG ROCKOther clue _ markings and carvings on rock. Jim lived in San Antonio and The Mexican government promised the Indians a large sum of money if they could defeat the Texans, but upon the realization that that was not going to happen, they buried the gold and silver and ran. Oil workers actually picked up readings that metal was to be found at the bottom of the lake. Work there ceased during WWII. Taking them at their word, they were This map was actually drawn by an Emmett Sarver in 1927, in an apparent attempt to put all the alleged mines one map, based at least on part on an engraved rock said to have been found buried at the presidio. The mines involved usually contain a high-value commodity such as gold, silver or diamonds. More information about this book can be viewed below. David C Lewis wrote this article. This entry belongs to the following special projects: Sign up for our newsletter and stay up to date on all things Texas. After recovering from the Sandbar fight, and after some shady land deals catching up to him, Jim Bowie and his brother Rezin (pronounced like Reason) moved to Mexican controlled Texas. The most common image of a silver mine is a deep shaft cut into a mass of hard rock that contains gleaming veins of silver running through it. legally, if someone ever found a stash of silver is enlightening. ], The Search for the San Saba Mine Feb 08, 2022 | 40m 54s | tv-pg v,l | CC The Laginas head to Texas with Matty Blake to help treasure hunter Hoppy Eubanks and his team search for the legendary. Most of the books about Jim Bowie are, frankly, works . The natives moved on. So abundant were the ore veins, Miranda reported, that he guaranteed "a mine to each of the inhabitants of the province of Texas." Unique identifying numbers for this book in the Digital Library or other systems. On the The Indian ran for his life and did not stop until he arrived safe and sound in San Antonio. Eventually they headed further north to take shelter for the night. The fact is that the Los Almagres mine that inspired the legend was at another location more than seventy miles away. UNT Digital Library, This book is part of the following collection of related materials. 1. The story of this mine, which is purported to contain the largest amount of silver ore ever discovered, is very short on facts and supportable evidence, but long on action and mystery. On the heels of his last visit, six prospectors from San Antonio were attacked at Los Almagres by Apaches. had an office in the hotel. University of North Texas Press KXAS-NBC 5 News Collection The map is stolen in London, and its carrier murdered. For partners and peer institutions seeking information about In 1868, four treasure hunters from San Marcos, Texas, searched for a lost mine on the San Saba River, near todays Menard. Hidden gems in Texas are one of our state's greatest joys. large collection of U.S. government documents. According to legend, the infamous robber Sam Bass stole 3,000 gold bars worth $20 each from the Union Pacific Railroad. Some content on this site may be difficult to view. awards, and more. The slag heap the Spaniards left on the bank of the San Saba River when the presidio was abandoned a decade later fired the imagination of later treasure seekers, who supposed the mine to be in that area. He is holding the bridle. One that was apparently not found. endowment We also provide Traversing the Central Mineral Region, Lt. Juan Galvn heard from Indians of a cerro de almagre, a hill of red ocher, indicating the presence of mineral-bearing ores. Dupont made his living as a trader with a clientele that included most of the Indian tribes in the eastern half of modern Texas. Now Jim Bowie wanted to check it out and claim it, and possibly plan how best to work it. She attended college in the Houston area and changed her major twice (psychology, computer science, and finally criminal justice) before taking a leap of faith and dropping out to pursue a career in freelance writing. Today, the legend is the focus of an annual Menard festival called Jim Bowie Days, which, like Austin's pamphlet, has a promotional intent. 14 miles away from Calf Creek. For years afterward it was mentioned in nearly every book about Texas. Comanche Attack on Early Texas Frontier - HistoryNet Im ready to break out my metal detector! Although the journal begins in the summer of 1787, it is clear the author had been in Texas for ten years or longer and knew his way around the Spanish province better than most Europeans. found? In 1831 Jim Bowie, of Alamo fame, went looking for it, and found an epic battle with a band of natives instead. This map was actually drawn by an Emmett Sarver in 1927, in an apparent attempt to put all the alleged mines one map, based at least on part on an Will the real fight location ever be found? His final fame came from dying at the Alamo in 1836. The San Saba Treasure Legend - Silver In Texas legend of the lost San Saba mines.' The story, a fanciful blend of the histories of the ill-fated mission and a mine seventy-five miles east called Los Almagres, apparently evolved in San Antonio de Bejar during the 1810o's. The territory of San Saba encompassed a large part of the hilly country between the San Saba presidio on the upper San . By Texas Hill Country | December 16, 2015 By Lloyd Tackitt Legends abound in the Hill Country. His father-in-law was connected to the government and probably had access to records of where silver mines were thought to have been. Most people wrote it off as another myth until a magazine published a story about long-forgotten silver, causing treasure hunters from everywhere to rush to the area. Who knows. All but one were slain. The Shafter mines were the most important, with 90% of the silver and 70% of the gold ever mined in Texas coming from there. Common reasons for the mines being lost include: Some lost mine legends have a historical basis; some have none. Relics from the Bowie search for the San Saba Mine? University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, Brightness, Contrast, etc. Relics from the Bowie search for the San Saba Mine? - Texas Lost Mines The State of Texas decided it was far east of Menard when But the lure of lost mine legends is attested by the many books on the subject, and the popularity of publications such as Lost Treasure magazine. Mines had been (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc989920/m1/1/: This collection contains photographs, video, and scripts from news stories produced by the KXAS-NBC 5 station. Denton, Texas. But after all, isnt that what really makes a great tale? Dupont spent eight months making ready for his next treasure hunt. Nearly mythic mine still eludes seekers