Acorn Research

anhydrite 

I admit to being an acorn. Acorns are the affectionate name for people who are "nuts about Oak Island, NS". We are an odd group. It's a love-hate relationship with truth, hope, and history thanks to the tv show "The Curse of Oak Island" on the History Channel. The Michigan Group is heavily invested in discovering what, if anything, is there to be discovered. This group formed (from a previous collaboration) in February 2019 Important (IMHO) facts about Oak Island: Geologically, the island is fascinating.There are two types of bedrock-to the south it is limestone and gypsum and the north is slate. Features above ground (and some below) are from glaciers over the past 75,000 years. Oak Island is underlaid by a series of water-filled anhydrite cavities.  When this type of limestone dissolves, which it does quite easily, it forms caves and voids.  It is closely connected to sulfter and natural ocean thermal chimneys. As for population, the Micmac (I know that has to be spelled wrong!) were the first indigenous people in the area. They once populated all of Newfoundland, and it is likely they lived on Oak Island as well. The first recorded Europeans were French in the 1750s, then when Britain took over land was granted to Nova Scotians of european lineage in 1759. The first group of any size came in 1761. Most of the island was granted to families Monro, Lynch, Seacombe and Young. Oak Island was generally viewed as an off shore section of Chester, and we would be well advised to study the history of that town for insights into early OI. The causeway was built in 1965. It isn't just cold and snow that hinders searching. The area is prone to hurricanes and nor'easters as well, which heavily damage current shorelines and change the topography. In addition, the island is prone to dense fog which is sometimes so bad you can't see the mainland. They get about 60 inches of rain/precipitation each year. This is twice as much as Seattle. The island is only 36 feet above sea level. The first "seekers" were all adults, not boys as often is reported. They lived on the mainland and had heard the legend all their lives. They first searched in 1795, based on finding fishing gear hanging from a tree. By 1866 there were many shafts, bore holes, and tunnels from searchers, including the Money Pit and Smith's Cove. In 1896 searchers brought the first steam powered equipment. They also brought hole boring machinery. This was when they first found parchment, and first (1898) poured red paint into the tunnels which discovered three places where the pain flowed out. Captain Henry L. Bowdoin and FDR were part of the group that searched the Money Pit and Smith's Cove in 1909. This group (Old Gold Salvage Group) found nothing but the 1850 Cofferdam. When Bowdion examined the "stone cipher" and found no evidence of writing on it. He said that because it was basalt, it was unlikely that writing had simply worn away. They gave up just three months after they started searching. Although FDR remained interested throughout his life, his involvement, and the effect of the OGSG is minimal and tangential at best. FDR never visited the island. The stone deserves a show of its own. It's been said to have all sorts of things written on it (the only verified are the initials JW carved by a kid about 1866) and that it is highly significant. It has been used in a book bindery, as part of a fireplace in an Oak Island home and once displayed in a store window. The 1897 shaft that was supposed to go to the Money Pit was basically randomly selected. This is the shaft that Chappell reopened in 1931. It was abandoned when it was found to be littered with old searcher stuff. Heddon came next (1935) after respectable research included visiting now debunked journalist Harold Wilkins (Remember the map associated with Captain Kidd?) but reported to King George 4 that nothing was found. Enter Restall, 1959. This was when so many died, after exposure to hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide is what is commonly known as "swamp gas". It isn't at all weird to have come from the shaft. It is also explosive, and when liquified is an acid. When it hits large amount of oxygen (like the fresh air on the island) it becomes sulphur. Smells like rotten eggs.

1967 brought the Triton Group; Daniel C. Blankenship, David Tobias, Robert Dunfield, Mel Chappell, and Fred Nolan,  They dug borehole 10-X in 1971  and claimed they lowered cameras down the shaft and into a cave.   They claimed the cave held chests, human remains, wooden cribbing and tools.  The images were unclear and no independent person or group has confirmed the "treasure" in the photos.  When a diver went down in 2016 no evidence was found.  This group had some serious ego problems and eventually disbanded.  They were fraught with legal battles and lack of funds, they had to pretty much abandon work on the island.  The group was ordered to pay Fred Nolan a significant sum, and there was a long term issue between Dan Blankenship and Nolan.

Oak Island Tours  (https://www.oakislandtours.ca/)

By April 2006, the Laginas owned a large part of the island that was formerly part of the land held by  the Triton group.  The new alliance was made up of the Laginas, Blankenship, Center Road Developments, Allan Kostrzewa and Brian Urbach and successfully negotiated purchase of land owned by David Tobias.   Oak Island Tours Inc. is a partnership between Dan Blankenship(heirs), Rick and Marty Lagina, Craig Tester and Alan J. Kostrzewa that started in 2007.  Oak Island Tours Inc. has headquarters in Traverse City, Michigan.  It is registered as an incorporated company in the Nova Scotia, Canada.

In 2016, the new Oak Island Tours bunch allowed Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) to map the island.  This technology gives a virtual 3-D map of the surface which allows  accurate shoreline maps, make digital elevation models for use in geographic information systems, to assist in emergency response operations, and of course, treasure hunting.  It's important to note that this is done from the air and maps only the surface.

The Oak Island Treasure Act was established by the Nova Scotia legislature in 2010 and amended in 2014.  This is actually named Bill 40 and was introduced by the representative for Chester, NS.  The "new" bill better protects treasures found as (mostly) Canadian property and cancels the need to renew the licenses to dig.  This is significant.  First, the Laginas save a ton of money on fees, but more importantly Oak Island is now a protected heritage site where everything has to be overseen by a certified archaeologist (at the expense of the searchers) and any finds have to be reported to the government.  In my opinion, this would not have been done unless somebody with significant pull truly believes there is something to be found there.

The show has increased the amount of visitors to eastern Nova Scotia.  It was much needed.  Oak Island Conference Center should be noted as NOT ON OAK ISLAND.  Some people blindly book there for $100-400 per night thinking it is actually on the island.  It is actually about a 45 minute drive south from Halifax.  It's a beautiful resort, with lots of things to do nearby, but they don't take you to Oak Island.  They best you can do from there is a boat tour-which is already sold out for 2019.  The resort also has replicas of the various artifacts found on OI in sort of an homage museum.

Many don't realize that Dan Blankenship was also an American, born in Ohio in 1923.  He moved to OI from Miami, FL and spent his last 45 years there.  He died in March 2019.  He had been a contractor and moved his family there in 1970 after reading about OI in Readers' Digest in 1965-as did Marty Lagina.  He was named after his dad and in the  eulogy, his son said his dad was never the same after his wife died in 2011.  Dan is buried in Lunenburg at the Western Shore Cemetery.  He was born in Delaware, OH but by the time his sister was born when he was 7, they were in Connecticut.  Four years later when his brother was born they were in New York.  He married Jane in 1945 and they lived in Connecticut for a while.

I'm not sure I believe that any treasure is on Oak Island.  I tend to lean more toward Big Tancook Island, but that's another post entirely.
Oak Island is roughly due west of the famous Peggy's Cove Lighthouse.  It also isn't too far from Lunenburg, which is a World Heritage Site.  You definitely can't make this area a one day trip.  Do make the trip, however.  You might find some kind of treasure, even if it is just a golden experience.

Resources:
https://www.novascotia.com/
https://nsgi.novascotia.ca/datalocator/elevation/
https://nslegislature.ca/legc/bills/62nd_2nd/1st_read/b040.htm
https://www.oakislandtours.ca/tours.html
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/dan-blankenship-treasure-hunter-oak-island-funeral-1.5071691
https://www.thechronicleherald.ca/obituaries/daniel-christian-dan-blankenship-17296/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oak_Island_mystery
http://rruff.info/doclib/hom/anhydrite.pdf
https://www.tancookcommunitynews.com/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/CurseofOakIsland/