True Believers: Treasure Hunters at Hendricks Lake

Book excerpt: By the author of "Trammel's Trace-The First Road to Texas from the North."Houston oilmen. A TV repairman. Some tough Texas lawmen. An MIT-educated electrical engineer, and the self-proclaimed "world's greatest underwater treasure hunter." These are just some of the men who believed the treasure legend of Hendricks Lake in east Texas enough to search for silver there.For over 150 years, people have heard the tale that Jean Lafitte plundered the Spanish brig Santa Rosa in Matagorda Bay in 1816. His caravan of six wagonloads of silver headed north along Trammel's Trace but was overtaken by soldiers. Rather than give up the silver, the wagons were cut loose and rolled into Hendricks Lake. At least that what the legend says.By combining meticulous historical research with personal accounts, this work brings the story of these characters to life. W.C. Jameson (author of The Lost Canyon of Gold), says "this book is a compelling history artfully wrought by an excellent writer with an intimate connection to the land and the people." The book is supported by a website (www.hendrickslake.com) and a Facebook Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/hendrickslake/) to keep readers engaged in the ongoing stories around the Hendricks Lake treasure.