Where Did The Curse of Oak Island Originate?

Since 2014, The Curse of Oak Island has risen in popularity to become one of the most-watched reality TV series of all time. The show ingeniously captures the attention of everyone from history fanatics to treasure hunt enthusiasts and the average person.

Fans can’t get enough of the hunt for hidden treasure dating back to over 200 years ago. As the series progresses, the Oak Island treasure hunters make huge milestones towards the treasures which are believed to be The Holy Grail, the Ark of the Covenant, Vikings Ship, Marie Antoinette’s lost jewels and more.

Back to the beginning

The Curse of Oak Island‘s story dates back to 1795 when a man named Daniel McGinniss discovered an unusual dip in the ground. At only 16, the young man sought to find out what caused the ground to dip that way. He asked two of his friends to help him dig into the spot and uncover what lay beneath it. Their efforts didn’t go to waste.

Ten feet down, the boys found a layer of oak logs. They kept digging and uncovered more layers every ten feet until 90 feet below the ground. At some point, the men also came across a large rock with strange markings. Since they couldn’t interpret the meaning of the markings, the boys asked an expert to help. According to him, the markings read “Two million pounds buried forty feet below.”

Expectedly, the teenagers kept going. They even asked the Onslow Company to help. 100-feet below the ground, the team arrived at the infamous “Money Pit”. Unfortunately, they took a break and, on coming back, the boys found the pit had filled with 60-feet of water.

Over the years, a number of people have made attempts to dig and uncover treasure at Oak Island. An 1849 team was reported to have drilled into the pit and found some evidence of meal and empty space deep into it.

The Oak Island Team

The History Channel’s Oak Island treasure hunters came into the picture after they found similar interests in exploring the site. Each one has their own story of how they found their way to Nova Scotia. Dan Blankenship, for instance, saw the whole thing via a 1965 Reader’s Digest article. After reading about the treasure, he moved his family from Florida to Canada. He was part of the team until his demise in March 2019.

Rick Lagina and his brother Marty, on the other hand, kicked off their adventure in 2006 after buying a large share in Oak Island Tours, the owner of Oak Island. Since then, they have put in a significant contribution to the hunt, both on TV and physically. For both brothers, the investment seemed to have paid off already.

The story of The Curse of Oak Island goes back in time to more than 200 years. The real pioneer is the teenage boy Daniel McGinniss, whose work has been picked up by many after him.

The recent treasure hunters, like Rick and Marty Lagina or Dave and Dan Blankenship, are now running the show. Fans are hopeful that this is the team to uncover the treasure once and for all.