W. Craig Gaines Boeken

Go on a thrilling treasure hunt through Oklahoma history, track down the James Gang's unrecovered plunder and discover the stories behind scores of other historic troves. Oklahoma keeps her secrets. Adventurers combing the Wichita Mountains for the legendary Lost Cave with an Iron Door can slake their thirst at Cache Creek or Treasure Lake. In the tradition of French and Spanish explorers, miners and pioneers stashed their valuable discoveries along the Santa Fe Trail and the California Road. Chief Opothleyahola reportedly buried gold coins which could be worth more than $14 million today, while businessman Dr. John J. Hayes never returned from a Confederate refugee camp to reclaim his hidden fortune. From the fabled funds of the Knights of the Golden Circle to the precious cargo of sunken steamboats, W. Craig Gaines follows the money across 60 Oklahoma counties.

Track pirate gold and misplaced riches across 168 counties in this comprehensive guide to the lost treasures of Texas. Countless fortunes have disappeared into the vast expanse of the Lone Star State. The history of the coast is cluttered with shipwrecks like that of the 1554 Spanish fleet. Even when pirates such as Jean Laffite managed to get their ill-gotten gains ashore, their loot vanished just as completely as if it had sunk beneath the waves. Entire mines, including the ventures of Jim Bowie and San Saba Presidio, have been reclaimed by the earth. The unmarked caches of bandits like Jesse James and Pancho Villa still bedevil the dreams of treasure seekers today. W. Craig Gaines reveals what has been lost, what has been found and what remains to be recovered.