This document is written and published under the assumption the reader is familiar with the history of Oak Island , the treasure hunt , the treasure hunters and the various finds dating back over the last 220 years or so , and is here to explore alternative explanations as to what has happened on the island since Europeans started visiting Nova Scotia .
One of the biggest mysteries in the treasure hunt history are the timber structures uncovered in Smith's cove by Dan Blankenship
in 1970 . Let's go back to 1850 , the Truro Company built a cofferdam in the cove , located 5 box drains , made various attempt's to plug them , until the cofferdam succumbed to tidal action and collapsed . The work was well documented in several newspapers .
But not one mention of any timber structures in any of the account's at the time , not one . The Oak Island Association made further attempt's to stem the supposed flow of water in from Smith's cove to the pits in 1863 . And the Eldorado Company in 1866 also made several attempt's to block the drains in the cove . And still no mention of any timber structures . The only thing found apart from the box drains was a burnt piece of oak . Let's just go back to 1862 for a moment , now if you are familiar with the chronology of events on the island , you will know 1862 was a big year . Lots of men , lots of horses , the decision to bring steam powered equipment to the island , the need to build a wharf to transfer the equipment from schooner to land , and a lot of time to bring timber from Frog island ,and Mahone bay to build the wharf and for cribbing . But wait , what about all the timber in the cove , why not use that ?
Because in 1850 , and 1863 , and 1866 , it was not there .
Here is part of that account of men going to Frog Island and Mahone Bay for timber .
One of the biggest mysteries in the treasure hunt history are the timber structures uncovered in Smith's cove by Dan Blankenship
in 1970 . Let's go back to 1850 , the Truro Company built a cofferdam in the cove , located 5 box drains , made various attempt's to plug them , until the cofferdam succumbed to tidal action and collapsed . The work was well documented in several newspapers .
But not one mention of any timber structures in any of the account's at the time , not one . The Oak Island Association made further attempt's to stem the supposed flow of water in from Smith's cove to the pits in 1863 . And the Eldorado Company in 1866 also made several attempt's to block the drains in the cove . And still no mention of any timber structures . The only thing found apart from the box drains was a burnt piece of oak . Let's just go back to 1862 for a moment , now if you are familiar with the chronology of events on the island , you will know 1862 was a big year . Lots of men , lots of horses , the decision to bring steam powered equipment to the island , the need to build a wharf to transfer the equipment from schooner to land , and a lot of time to bring timber from Frog island ,and Mahone bay to build the wharf and for cribbing . But wait , what about all the timber in the cove , why not use that ?
Because in 1850 , and 1863 , and 1866 , it was not there .
Here is part of that account of men going to Frog Island and Mahone Bay for timber .
Several attempts were made to block off the drains by driving vertical planks into the seabed
The next photo is a screenshot taken last year on the tv show , The Curse of Oak Island . Note the vertical planks amidst the u-shaped structure , a searcher attempt to block of flood drains . Searchers could not have possibly driven those planks into the ground , and not seen the structure .
Gilbert Hedden is the first treasure hunter to find part of the structure in Smith's cove in 1936 .
Having established the structure wasn't in Smith's cove during the mid 1800's excavations , but Gilbert Hedden discovers part of it in 1936 , we must assume the structure materialized sometime between those dates . And this is where it gets really interesting .
We know from dendrochronology tests carried out by Colin Laroque on timbers taken from the cove in 2018 that some of the logs had been cut from trees felled circa 1770 . There is no reason to doubt the accuracy of these tests , I have spoken to Colin , and other scientists regarding test procedures , the dates cannot be disputed .
So , how could it be , a timber structure , built from trees felled circa 1770 could be buried under several feet of mud in the tidal zone of Smith's cove , but it wasn't there in 1850 - 1866 ?
We know from dendrochronology tests carried out by Colin Laroque on timbers taken from the cove in 2018 that some of the logs had been cut from trees felled circa 1770 . There is no reason to doubt the accuracy of these tests , I have spoken to Colin , and other scientists regarding test procedures , the dates cannot be disputed .
So , how could it be , a timber structure , built from trees felled circa 1770 could be buried under several feet of mud in the tidal zone of Smith's cove , but it wasn't there in 1850 - 1866 ?
Read on for some amazing facts .
Dr Jonathan Prescott was the founding father of Chester , operating a sawmill as early as 1761 , owning Birch Island , Meisners Island , 300 acres on Zink point , 2 lots on Oak Island , and Quaker Island . The good doctor also owned a rum distillery in Halifax , a fishing fleet ,and resided and mixed with some of the wealthiest residents in the town .
September 13 , 1776 , Dr Jon's schooner was moored at Quaker island , during the Patty incident , he owned the island , so nothing suspicious , in fact , the Prescott family would be the only owners of Quaker island , ever . After the Prescotts moved away from farming the island remained abandoned until 1884 , when the first lighthouse was built .
September 13 , 1776 , Dr Jon's schooner was moored at Quaker island , during the Patty incident , he owned the island , so nothing suspicious , in fact , the Prescott family would be the only owners of Quaker island , ever . After the Prescotts moved away from farming the island remained abandoned until 1884 , when the first lighthouse was built .
In 1871 , a hurricane hit the coast of Nova Scotia , causing considerable damage to Chester , Lunenburg , and a tidal wave washing away a barn and several acres of land from Quaker island .
A barn that would have been built during Prescotts tenure a 100 years before .
Extract from The History of the County of Lunenburg
" Several acres of land, with a barn and wharf , were washed away from Quaker island "
A barn that would have been built during Prescotts tenure a 100 years before .
Extract from The History of the County of Lunenburg
" Several acres of land, with a barn and wharf , were washed away from Quaker island "
An account of the storm in the 1895 edition of the History of the County of Lunenburg authored by Judge Mather BesBrisay .
The hurricane responsible was storm # 8 in the 1871 hurricane season .
Newspaper account of the hurricane .
Destructive waves have washed away part of Quaker island , the barn and wharf , storm waves have carried the roof section across to Smith's cove and neatly deposited it in the hollow behind the old cofferdam . Follow up storm waves have carried a thick slurry
of mud , and deposited it over the entire beach in the cove , thereby covering all traces of the structure until 1936 .
of mud , and deposited it over the entire beach in the cove , thereby covering all traces of the structure until 1936 .
Inside of a 18th century barn for reference .
The corner of the south arm and east arm showing one fascia board and ends of rafters .
End of rafter cut at angle to mate with fascia board .
North arm rafter with batten notch , this would have been a roof extension over a door . Also known as a pent roof .
A modern barn with pent roof above the doors .
The 4th side , removed by Gilbert Hedden in 1936.
A very rough interpretation of the roof before disintegration.
A gallery of photos taken of carpenters marriage marks ( Roman numerals ) in old barns .
A modern build showing carpenters marriage marks and the same style of mating the rafters to the bottom roof cord .
A gallery of barn interiors and barn frames , mid to late 18th century .
In summary ,
Treasure hunters in 1850 - 1866 built a cofferdam around Smith's cove , found box drains , no mention of any timber structures .
Timber samples taken from the U shaped structure and dated by Colin Laroque , dendrochronologist , were found to have been taken from trees felled in 1770 .
The structure is in the tidal zone , behind the 1850 cofferdam , buried beneath approximately 5 feet of mud . It appears to be on the same level as the bottom of the 1850 excavations , ie , it is at the same level as the vertical planks , a searcher attempt at blocking off flood drains as described above .
Searchers at that time could not possibly have carried out the work they were credited with in various newspaper accounts without finding the structure .
The structure has no foundations .
My conclusion is this .
The U shaped structure is the bottom cord of a barn roof , the barn built circa 1770 by Dr Jonathan Prescott on Quaker Island .
In October 1871 , a hurricane generated storm surge destroyed the barn and carried parts of it into Smith's cove , and depositing it behind the cofferdam built some 20 years previously , the same storm carrying tons of soil and burying the roof frame and filling the excavation behind the dam . Bizarre as it may seem , the U shaped structure simply washed up in a storm , buried in the same storm , and lay waiting until treasure searchers uncovered it and associated it with part of the mystery .