Preface

By Gordon Fader, P.Geo.

My involvement and interest in Oak Island began many years ago as a young marine geologist with the Geological Survey of Canada at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography. As a regional geologist working with a team mapping both the bedrock and sediments offshore, most of the early work took place far away from the coast of Nova Scotia, but later moved to the many bays and estuaries of the nearshore region. My first association with Oak Island was in the early 1970s when I undertook my own survey, with my children during a summer vacation. I collected samples from the tops of piles of sediments that appeared to have been removed from digging pits, in the hope that the samples would represent the material from the deepest areas excavated, from which I could learn about the deeply buried sediments and perhaps bedrock. Some samples were dark grey angular limestone fragments filled with coral fossils that I could identify as Windsor-aged rocks (Fig. 2). There was the proof that the eastern island was underlain by limestone and that someone had dug into those rocks and piled the removed material. I kept a sample in my collection for more than forty years.

Fig. 2 – Sample of limestone bedrock collected from Oak Island by Gordon Fader. Note the presence of a distinctive fan-shaped singular coral fossil.

In the 1980s I began to be officially visited by some of the principles in the treasure hunt – including people cited in this book, such as Dan Blankenship, David Tobias, Fred Nolan and Les MacPhie – who wanted to discuss the geology of the island and how my experience with the sediments of the nearby offshore could assist them. These were astute gentlemen who had well thought-out answers to all my novice questions at the time. I began to develop some insight into their issues and theories which sought to explain unusual features, and to make my own geologically focused interpretations of the information they presented.

As my own research and seabed mapping moved into the nearshore regions of Nova Scotia with a major new nearshore program of the Geological Survey of Canada in the 1990s, new data began to shed light on coastal drumlin formation and the glacial and sea level history. Together with Ralph Stea of the Nova Scotia Dept. of Natural Resources, who was mapping the adjacent land, we explored the sea level history of the region and the processes of glaciation and subsequent sea level rise that formed all the features in that near shore zone (Fig. 3). After all, glaciers never stopped at the coast but continued across the continental shelf to Sable Island and beyond.

A special opportunity arose in 1998 when the Canadian Hydrographic Service, working with a German documentary company, studied the seabed around Oak Island using a new technology called multibeam bathymetry that shows in detail all the seabed features. The resulting imagery is like draining the water and flying over the area as the evening sun casts shadows and enhances the topography. My colleague Bob Courtney processed the multibeam data to produce a wonderful coloured 3D map of the bottom; together we undertook an interpretation and published it in a Geological Survey report #3610 (Fig. 4). Interestingly, many have used the map to plan their activities around the island and the map has been copied and published by all of the treasure seekers, but they seem to have neglected to look at the most important part – the accompanying interpretation and report. In fact, some, including Joy’s first book, have given credit to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute for its production, but it was indeed a Canadian Government project and publication. In the report we identify some unique features that needed to be investigated by divers, such as potential shipwrecks, sinkholes and long linear boulder ridges, as well as areas where the data is of poor quality and where features should be ignored (Fig. 5). Over subsequent years, I continued to talk to many researchers of Oak Island providing geological advice and information to help with their work as they explored new ideas and hypotheses and undertook field studies.

In watching the many video productions related to Oak Island, both old and new, I was always frustrated by the lack of scientific rigour in how some of their activities were approached and undertaken. I cringed when I saw samples that held keys to the story being casually cast aside, contaminated and undocumented, or when bulldozers shuffled around large piles of till changing the landscape without consideration for their properties or stratigraphy (layering). Every rock and piece of soil is important in understanding the geology, and throughout all the activities should have been properly sampled, logged and analyzed. An example is the discovery of many wood samples covered in a black sticky substance. There have been many references to such a find, but in most cases the material is discarded or misinterpreted. They are a clear piece of evidence for tar production, as Joy has tirelessly advocated.

A reoccuring issue in dealing with Oak Island is a lack of precision in locating many of the earlier boreholes, shafts, artifacts and landscape elements. This is largely the result of major changes to the island from digging and moving large amounts of surface materials. Coupled with inadequate mapping, it has been almost impossible to locate features and to compare and contrast their relationships. The application of a GIS (Geographic Information System) would address that issue whereby features are placed in a digital mapping system so that layers can be created and features properly positioned. It is also possible to relocate features and reposition them based on aerial photos, descriptions and their relationships to one another. This remains a major issue regarding future research on Oak Island and with modern mapping tools that GIS provides, will alleviate an existing problem.

Fig. 3 – Map of survey tracks along the eastern shore of Nova Scotia from Survey CSS Dawson 91-018, Geological Survey of Canada Open File report #2633, 1991. Seismic reflection data off Mahone Bay showed the presence of thick Windsor-aged rocks in the nearshore. Oak Island is indicated with an X.

Fig. 4 (also back cover in full colour) – Multibeam bathymetric map of the area surrounding eastern Oak Island collected by the Canadian Hydrographic Service and published by Fader and Courtney, 1998, Geological Survey of Canada Open File report #3016. Difficult to distinguish in black and white, it shows features of the seabed in shaded relief.

Fig. 5 – Map of an interpretation of image in GSC Open File Report #3016. On this interpretation are identified gravel ridges with boulders, boulders, scarps, sediment types, sinkholes and possible shipwrecks.

Many stories and interpretations of the history are in contradiction, and it is difficult to place trust in all that has been reported as time clouds memory. One event that stands out as consistently repeated was the appearance of many large strange long-burning fires on the island around 1720, tended to by what has been described as pirates. These activities were conducted in secrecy and the disappearance of two fishermen who attempted to find out what was going on the island has remained in the island’s recorded history. The description of the fires and those tending them surely fits the unusual characteristics of high maintenance tar kilns blazing away for days.

It is not the intent of my geological assessment to review all of the exploration activities regarding the mystery of Oak Island. I assume that the reader is familiar with much of the history as it is readily available, and has been done many times before by others; Joy chronicles these in considerable detail in chapter one. My contributions focus on the main issues where an understanding of the geology is paramount to undertaking a serious assessment of the potential for buried treasure and the possibility of the construction and operation of tar kilns.

Truth be told, I have often considered, as have many other geologists I’m sure, entering the treasure fray on Oak Island and publishing a book. But does a serious scientist want to get involved when the word “buried treasure” is implicated, where emotions often dominate facts? Then again, who is more qualified to apply the scientific process to the study? It remained on the back shelf until I was contacted by Joy. We had so much in common on the story and her new evidence and careful research was so intriguing and compelling and I wanted to place it in the context of the scientific knowledge that already existed, and to which I had access. And so that is why I appear in these pages, intending to provide a modern and regional context of new geological information and to assist Joy by asking some scientific questions concerning her theory and evidence. It is all done in the hope that it might even prevent yet more loss of life digging deep holes under dangerous conditions, wasting large amounts of money, and to seek the truth as to what really transpired on Oak Island.

∞

Two major elements have interacted regarding the long-standing interest in Oak Island and the suggestion of buried treasure. One is the natural geology of the island: complex, not well-understood and difficult to decipher. The second is the interaction with the geology by humans who have visited, lived on the island and undertaken a wide range of activities. These are normally two very separate aspects. In the case of Oak Island, however, the interactions have been in unusual ways that are misunderstood – misunderstandings that are largely responsible for the myriad theories and ideas about hidden treasure.

When non-geologists observe something unique or unusual about the landscape or the geology surrounding them, they have a strong desire to understand the origin of the features. With limited knowledge of geological processes and history, they often invoke non-scientific explanations and their imaginations can run a bit wild. Such is the case concerning Oak Island. Chapter 13 will explain how nature has shaped the area of Oak Island with some unusual features, but which to the geologist can be readily explained by natural processes. These features are common throughout other areas of Nova Scotia and have been studied better than at Oak Island. To give Oak Island the same attention, I will cover topics such as the bedrock geology, glacial history, the immense amount of time involved, sea level history, the marine evidence, development of sink holes and other relevant geological phenomena. These will be discussed in terms of Joy’s research and her discoveries. Examples will be provided to illustrate the characteristics of the area to help the reader follow the ideas with clarity.

Geology plays a major role in the study of Oak Island – and should have played a greater one – and in all of the explorations and theories that have been proposed for buried treasure. Note that the event that started the whole search was actually a depression in the earth’s surface – a geological feature. If that feature had not been discovered and given special meaning, then the Oak Island treasure story would never have evolved. I have been surprised at the lack of professional geological input into many of the studies; it may have been excusable one or two hundred years ago, but not today. That’s not to say that nothing has been done in geology, as there has been a tremendous amount of investigation over the years including a great synthesis by Graham Harris and Les MacPhie.¹ But – with apologies to colleagues – most of it has varied in terms of approach, often using brute force and not the best scientific principles and practices. Many assessments have been undertaken by engineering groups in drilling and assessing boreholes and geophysical studies, but there has been a lack of geological input into the interpretation and understanding of the geological framework of Nova Scotia as it applies to Oak Island. It is interesting to see how published government reports and maps, including my own, have been reinterpreted and used by others. The results have not always been properly understood in a modern geological context that included the adjacent offshore and other similar regions of Nova Scotia. The key to understanding the story of Oak Island is the knowledge and experience provided by geologists and archaeologists.

Finally, if you are new to the process of pine tar distillation, it may come as quite a surprise that this process is the source of all the misunderstanding about treasure on Oak Island. Back in the 1700s, pine tar and related products were extremely valuable and an essential part of ship maintenance. Early world-conquering explorers would not have been able to travel the seas without non-leaking ships, and tar production and its importance can be viewed today in the context of oil. Our evidence is very strong for tar production on Oak Island; when you combine that with unique and unusual geology unknown to the early inhabitants, it is easy to understand and explain how the two have interacted and led to a speculation of buried treasure.

References are made to two distinct groups of people who have interacted with Oak Island – depositors and searchers. As will be presented, our research has indicated that there is no treasure and thus no depositors. We propose to use the term “developers” for the first group to inhabit Oak Island that have been followed by the searchers who drilled and dug up large regions of the island.

Fig. 6 – Crown Copyright, Province of Nova Scotia, 2012, CMC-661.

Fig. 7 (detail) – Government of Canada; Natural Resources Canada; Earth Sciences Sector; Canada Centre for Mapping and Earth Observation. CanTopo - 021A09 - CHESTER, Nova Scotia.

1 Harris, and MacPhie, Oak Island and It’s Lost Treasure, 3rd ed., 2013.

1 – Introduction

The History and Folklore of Oak Island

Fig. 1.1 – Newspaper feature from 1969 (Sunday News) highlighting the interest in Oak Island’s buried treasure. “The Riddle of Oak Island,” newspaper clipping, September 7, 1969. MG 12, 75 D3 (p. 10C). Beaton Institute, Cape Breton University.

Oak Island has become known as the most elusive treasure in the world, and the Money Pit and its adjacent works the greatest piece of engineering on the American continent. – R. V. Harris, The Oak Island Mystery

Just off the rugged southeast shore of Nova Scotia lies a tiny island fashioned somewhat like a question mark. The shape is appropriate, for little Oak Island is the scene of a baffling whodunit that has defied solution for over two centuries. Here, since 1795 – not long after pirates prowled the Atlantic coast and left glittering legends of buried gold in their wake – people have been trying to find out what lies at the bottom of a mysterious shaft dubbed, hopefully, the Money Pit. (Reader’s Digest, December 2014, 118-26)

Oak Island is one of more than 300 islands nestled within the confines of Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia. Situated about 6 km (4 miles) from Chester town, itself about 72 km (45 miles) southwest of Halifax, Oak Island measures approximately 1,200 m (.75 mile) in length and is about 800 m (.5 mile) wide, narrowing near the centre where is formed a low-lying marsh.

According to tradition, the current name, Oak Island, likely reflects a grove of lofty red oaks that once grew on the island’s eastern drumlin.¹ These unique and impressive trees were not only a signature for the island but became part of its folklore as well. One creepy myth forewarns, “The treasure will be found ... when all the oaks have gone and seven men have died.”²

Fig. 1.2 – Smith’s Cove, Oak Island, ca. 1931. Note the majestic trees towering in the background along Isaac’s Point. Photo (photographic copy) given to the author by Kaye Chappell, Sydney River, NS.

As if in fulfillment of the myth – or curse, as the case may be – the disturbing reality is that six men have died, thus far, in pursuit of an elusive treasure, and the oaks are all gone; their sad disappearance reportedly due largely to plagues of black ants in the 1800s, with the last few trees dying about 1960.³ It seems to us, however, that regardless of the reasons given for the trees’ disappearance, trees don’t all die at once, but over time – one-by-one. There are alternatives to consider, including rising sea levels, and/or shifts in the substrate exposing the deep roots to salt water, which would impair growth.⁴

From the time of its “revelation” apparently dating from the close of the 18th century, no fewer than seventeen expeditions have mounted attempts to overcome the island’s challenges and to get to the bottom of the mystery, and thus to its treasure. So far, each attempt has ended in failure or disaster, collectively racking up costs in the millions of dollars. Worse still, of course, are the aforementioned lives lost in accidental deaths in the quest. Despite its violent history, the desire to unlock the island’s secrets is alive and well, as the current ventures attest, Oak Island Tours Inc. and the television series The Curse of Oak Island.⁵ These groups suggest that it will be they who will provide the final chapter to this challenging and bizarre mystery now spanning 220 years. For Joy A. Steele and Gordon Fader – and hopefully for you the reader – it will be this book that does that.

∞

So what is this enigma all about? Does the island really harbour a treasure? Is it the resting place of some ancient or holy relic? Is it a cache of priceless documents? The truth is that nobody really knows, and every imaginable theory, from the fantastic to the ridiculous, has been concocted to explain and uncover it. Most assuredly, treasure has been a powerful compulsion; entire fortunes and, as noted, lives have been risked and lost chasing empty or shattered dreams.

Whether a great mystery or a great scandal, the circumstances and events that surround this island are incredible. In truth, the very root of the Oak Island story is embroiled with politics and treachery that rivals the intrigue of the treasure itself. Truly, this is the stuff of which history is made.⁶

To know the story of Oak Island is also to know how that story includes some very unsavoury behaviour, even by 18th-century standards, including what may have been the greatest financial scandal the world has ever witnessed.

Brief Chronology of Generally Accepted Oak Island Events and Campaigns

It’s important to note that much of what are accepted as historical events on Oak Island is derived from articles and books about the presumption of and search for treasure.

1720 – Alleged disappearance of two men who dared to investigate strange lights and figures on the island.

1758 or 1759 – The island was without an English name at this time. Numbered on maps as “Island 28.”

1762 – Labelled as Smith’s Island, named after Richard Smith on a map by Captain Charles Morris. Smith and partner, John Gifford, were granted this island on December 27, 1753, for the purpose of fishing.

1764 – First mention of it as Oak Island, as found in the diary of Reverend John Seccombe.

1770s – Appears on Desbarres’ Neptune maps as Gloucester Island, but came to be known once again and forever as Oak Island.

Fig. 1.3 – Map of Mecklenburgh Bay. (Detail) Southwest Coast of Nova Scotia, 1781. J.F.W. Desbarres. Map 1006. Beaton Institute, Cape Breton University.

1795 (allegedly) – Daniel McGinnis first discovered a saucer-shaped depression on Oak Island’s east drumlin. He and two friends, John Smith and Anthony Vaughn, began digging in the depression discovering a layer of flat stones 2 feet (60 cm) down, followed by a layer of oak timber at 10 feet (3 m). At 20 feet (6 m) another layer of oak timber is struck and, at 30 feet (10 m), more of the same. The trio are of the belief that Captain William Kidd (1645-1701) cached a treasure on the island not long before he was captured and hung for piracy.

1803-1805 – The Onslow Company was set up by Simeon Lynds of Truro along with the three discoverers McGinnis, Smith and Vaughn. Excavation of the so-called Money Pit continued and at around the 80-90-foot (24-27 m) level a stone inscribed with glyphs was found. They succeeded in digging to 93 feet (28 m) but encountered flooding. The following year, a parallel shaft was dug to 110 feet (34 m) and then driven laterally toward the Money Pit. Within two feet (61 cm) of intersecting the Money Pit, flooding again occured.

1849-1851 – The Truro Company was formed and began digging in the Money Pit. Water was encountered but operations resumed, and they drilled through what was assumed to be oak boxes containing metal in pieces, and then in a subsequent boring through cask(s) or barrels. The following year, further digging efforts were again frustrated by water problems. Attention switched to Smith’s Cove when salty water was noticed issuing from shore banks. A quantity of coconut husks was discovered. A cofferdam was built and discovery made of a complex system including box drains thought to be a system to flood the Money Pit.

1861-1864 – The Oak Island Association took over and began work at the Money Pit, clearing down to 88 feet (27 m). A second parallel shaft was driven 25 feet (8 m) east of the Money Pit but abandoned. Another shaft was sunk 18 feet (5.5 m) west of the Money Pit and 118 feet deep (36 m). A lateral tunnel was then driven from its bottom intersecting the Money Pit. Flooding occurred and the Money Pit collapsed. The partial end of a keg was noted among the debris. Later that year, the first life of a treasure hunter was claimed by Oak Island when an unidentified man was allegedly scalded to death by an exploding boiler.

1866-1867 – The Oak Island Eldorado Company (The Halifax Company) took up work on the island in May. A cofferdam at Smith’s Cove was constructed to investigate the filter bed and box drains but shortly afterward was destroyed by sea action. Efforts returned to the Money Pit and area, in vain. By late 1867 the company was dissolved.

1878 – The ground collapsed beneath a team of oxen led by Sophia Sellers near Smith’s Cove (350 feet (107 m) east of the Money Pit). Frederick L. Blair and searchers later dubbed the site the “Cave-in Pit.”

1893-1900 – The Oak Island Treasure Company formed, led by Frederick L. Blair. In 1894, work began with exploration of the Cave-in Pit but cut short by water problems at a depth of 55 feet (17 m). Efforts switched back to the Money Pit, but were stopped due to flooding. In 1896, the company was restructured, and work resumed at the Money Pit, eventually reaching the 97 foot mark (29.5 m). During this operation, on March 26, 1897, Maynard Kaiser fell to his death while being hoisted by rope from the Money Pit. Charges of dynamite were detonated near Smith’s Cove in an effort to stem flooding in the Money Pit, in vain. The company continued to sink shafts and drill holes around the Money Pit area. A cement vault and a scrap of parchment were later discovered. A stone triangle formation was found on the south shore near the beach. Work continued in and around the Money Pit until finally halted due to flooding in 1900.

1909 – Old Gold Salvage and Wrecking Company decided to try their luck, led by Henry L. Bowdoin. Future United States President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, purchased stock in the company and turned up for several brief visits during that summer, working with Bowdoin’s crew. A total of 28 holes were drilled in the vicinity of the Money Pit. Flooding, as well as funding problems, plagued the enterprise and work stopped by November 1909. Bowdoin then declared Oak Island a hoax.

Fig. 1.4 – A young Franklin D. Roosevelt (third from the right) during a visit to Oak Island in 1909. From a book review of O’Connor, The Money Pit in Business Week, February 20, 1978, p. 10. MG 12, 75. Beaton Institute, Cape Breton University.

1931 – Fred Blair and William Chappell were joined in the venture by: William Chappell’s son, Mel, brother, Renwick, and nephew, Claude. A new pit was dug (the Chappell Shaft) just southwest of the Money Pit. Artifacts recovered included tools (perhaps a previous searcher’s) and an anchor fluke embedded in clay (thought to be left by original builders). Mel Chappell eventually theorized that a cache of priceless documents are the real treasure.

1934 – The Canadian Oak Island Treasure Company (Thomas Nixon of British Columbia, Canada) drilled fourteen holes over the summer and fall with no significant results. Frederick Blair terminated his contract on October 30 of the same year.

1936-1937 – Gilbert Hedden, in 1936, deepened the Chappell shaft to 160 feet (49 m). That same year, Hedden noticed old timbers protruding from sand at Smith’s Cove. A partial excavation revealed what was thought to be an old slipway. The following spring, Hedden sank a shaft to 125 feet (38 m) near the northeast side of the Money Pit (the Hedden Shaft). The project was abandoned for lack of funds.

1938-1942 – Professor Erwin Hamilton undertook to drill an additional fifty-eight holes down the Hedden shaft in 1938 finding nothing of great consequence. The next year he re-cribbed the Chappell shaft to 160 feet (49 m). Hamilton returned to the Hedden shaft in 1940 and deepened a section to 155 feet (47 m). In 1941, he switched once again to the Chappell shaft and deepened it to 167 feet (51 m). The same year, he conducted dye tests showing a connection to deep water on the south shore. The project was closed due to an acute labour shortage as a result of the Second World War.

1955 – George Green drilled four holes north of Chappell shaft finding little of any consequence. Green theorized that a treasure was left by Spanish conquistadors during their conquest of Central and South America in the 16th century. (In 2014, another similar theory suggests an Aztec treasure dating back to the 16th century.)⁷

1958 – Victor and William Harman conducted drilling in and around the Money Pit. Samples of oak, spruce and coconut fibre were brought up. Like George Green before them, the brothers believed a treasure was deposited by the Spanish. Insufficient finances caused the project to be terminated.

Fig. 1.5 – Drilling rig on barge en route to the island. Unknown date, unknown photographer. Photo courtesy Kaye Chappell.

Fig. 1.6 – Busy assortment of people and buildings at one of the workings. Unknown date, unknown photographer. Photo courtesy Kaye Chappell.

1960-1965 – Robert Restall, on a lease from Mel Chappell, explored the Money Pit and Hedden shafts. Extensive work was undertaken in the Smith’s Cove area, digging sixty-five shallow pits and excavating two shafts. Part of the box-drain system was unearthed during this time. Calamity struck in August 1965, as Restall, his son, Bobbie, Cyril Hiltz and Karl Graeser die in a tragic accident on the island. Restall believed that a treasure was deposited by English privateers consisting of plunder from raids on Spanish ships and settlements during the 17th century.

1965-1966 – Robert Dunfield excavated at the South Shore Cove, the Money Pit and the Cave-in-Pit, and rediscovered the site of the original Money Pit. Heavy equipment caused great destruction to the island, including the obliteration of the stone triangle.

1967-1969 – Dan Blankenship and David Tobias contracted Becker Drilling Ltd., which sank some sixty holes in and around the Money Pit. Core samples contained charcoal, oak buds, wood, cement, blue clay, metal and fragments of china. Excavations in Smith's Cove turned up many artifacts, including the remains of a supposed box-drain system, a heart-shaped stone, a massive horseshoe shaped cement foundation (that showed signs of intensive heat) and a pair of 300-year-old wrought iron scissors. Coconut fibre was also found.

1969-2005 – Triton Alliance Ltd. formed with Dan Blankenship, David Tobias and other investors. (Note that Triton Alliance had not held a board meeting since the mid 1990s but operated through wholly owned subsidiaries.) A cofferdam was built to probe more closely into Smith’s Cove. The significant find of a “U-shaped” structure was excavated along with a wooden box. Golder and Associates of Toronto were hired to carry out an extensive geotechnical survey. Borehole 10 was explored and later, as 10X, a shaft sunk. Fragments of chain links and metal were collected. A camera lowered into the area showed grainy images of what is thought to be three chests.

1992 – Fred Nolan (independent landowner on Oak Island, and treasure hunter) publicly announced his discovery of a megalithic stone Christian cross formed by five cone-shaped boulders (which he had found in 1981). At the intersection of the stem and arms was found an odd stone resembling a human skull. The cross measures 720 feet wide and 867 feet in length (219 by 264 m). Fred held the theory that the British had buried a portion of the treasure plundered during the sack of Havana in 1762.

1995-1996 – The prestigious Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution was recruited by Oak Island Discoveries Inc. to perform seismic, dye, side-scan sonar and piezometer tests in Smith’s Cove, 10X and the Money Pit areas. Also done was detailed ground water, tomography and bathymetry mapping.⁸

Fig. 1.7 – Excavations inside the cofferdam exposed (lower centre) a U-shaped structure. Oak Island, 1970-1971. Photographer unknown. 81-576-5656. Beaton Institute, Cape Breton University.

2006-present – Oak Island Tours Inc. (along with Dan Blankenship) had resumed operations on the island with the goal of uncovering buried treasure and the mystery of Oak Island. Sadly, as this second edition was being finalized to go to print (March 2019), Mr. Blankenship passed away. Dan’s personal theory was that the island is a repository for gold and silver left behind by marauding Spaniards in the mid-16th century.

2014-present – Prometheus Entertainment and History [Channel], created a reality television series titled The Curse of Oak Island, which enjoys impressive ratings. The series is hugely popular, promising: “Armed with the knowledge of those that came before them, the muscle of heavy machinery and decades of engineering know-how, brothers Rick and Marty Lagina and their partners may be closer than anyone in history to finding the treasure that has so far claimed the lives of six men.”⁹

Fig. 1.8 – Lot map of Oak Island, n.d. MG 12, 75. Beaton Institute, Cape Breton University.

Habitation on Oak Island

There are inconsistencies with respect to habitation on Oak Island prior to 1795. R. V. Harris’s research reports that the first survey was made in 1762. Harris states, in a letter to a W. L. Johnson (June 30, 1966) that he had seen a survey made in 1785 showing lots laid off by Charles Morris, Surveyor General. Two more generations of Morrises were surveyors. Charles Morris (b. 1711 in Boston) “surveyed the whole of Nova Scotia in 1745-1746.” Harris goes on to write that there were “no settlers on the Island in 1795....”¹⁰

We can see, however, on the copy of a survey map (Fig. 1.8) by William Nelson (1785) that the island had been well-carved into lots, with owners of those lots listed as early as 1767. Researcher Paul Wroclawski, on the other hand, reports that the island was “divided” by Josiah Marshall on a plan submitted to authorities October 24, 1764. Wroclawski reports that the Poll Tax records of 1791 indicate that five men over the age of twenty-one listed Oak Island as their primary residence. Among early landowners were Anthony Vaughn (father of Anthony Vaughn Jr., “of supposed discovery”).

1 According to Joy’s long-time friend Kaye Chappell, treasure hunter M. R. Chappell was a lumberman and “knew his trees,” and they were oak. A drumlin is a geological formation – an elongated hill formed by glacial movement.

2 O’Connor, The Secret Treasure of Oak Island, citing Creighton, 1950.

3 Harris, R. V. The Oak Island Mystery, 2nd ed., 1967, 4.

4 Kaye Chappell relayed such an observation by treasure hunter M.R. Chappell.

5 The Curse of Oak Island, 2014- , History [Channel], Prometheus Entertainment.

6 Malone, Pine Trees and Politics, 1979, x.

7 O’Brien, Oak Island Unearthed, 2014, 12-14.

8 A piezometer measures the pressure of a fluid or the compressibility of a substance. A tomograph makes an x-ray of a selected plane of a body. Bathymetry is the measurement of the depths of oceans, seas or other large bodies of water.

9 https://www.history.ca/shows/the-curse-of-oak-island/about/

10 Letter from R. V. Harris to W. L. Johnson, June 30, 1966. MG 12.75. Beaton Institute, Cape Breton University.

Copyright

About the Authors

Praise for The Oak Island Mystery, Solved (CBU Press 2015)

Note from the Editors