Chouteau's Island Treasure Info Needed

[Solfilium]

Greetings, I'm from Kansas and I'm preparing to do some treasure hunting in the southwestern regions of the state. One treasure I was hoping to search for is simply called the "Chouteau Island Treasure", where legend says that $24,000 worth of silver is buried on Chouteau's island about 5 miles southwest of Lakin, KS. I was wondering if anyone knew about the origins or history of the treasure, or really anything about it. I've tried to research it but came up pretty dry, only suspecting that it's likely Spanish in origin, probably from the early to mid 1800's. Again any information would be helpful
Thanks for reading

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

A Handbook of Civil War Bullets and Cartridges - Grab it through Amazon!

[KANACKI]

Greetings, I'm from Kansas and I'm preparing to do some treasure hunting in the southwestern regions of the state. One treasure I was hoping to search for is simply called the "Chouteau Island Treasure", where legend says that $24,000 worth of silver is buried on Chouteau's island about 5 miles southwest of Lakin, KS. I was wondering if anyone knew about the origins or history of the treasure, or really anything about it. I've tried to research it but came up pretty dry, only suspecting that it's likely Spanish in origin, probably from the early to mid 1800's. Again any information would be helpful
Thanks for reading

Hello Solfulim

The National Park service states the following.

Historian Louise Barry describes an event in 1828 involving a caravan that included Milton E. Bryan,
Thomas Ellison, and John Means. As the group was returning to Missouri from Santa Fe with a considerable
quantity of silver, they encountered a band of Comanche Indians. Some of the caravan's livestock were
driven away, Means was killed, and another traveler was wounded.

Barry notes, "Forced to abandon their wagons and baggage, the merchants set out on foot, at night, on a northward course, each carrying as much silver as he could manage. On reaching the Arkansas (at Chouteau's Island?) they buried most of the money, and headed for Missouri."

The following year, Bryan accompanied Major Bennet Riley through the area and retrieved the buried silver. Subsequent rumors of buried silver brought treasure seekers to the site in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but nothing was ever found.

Source: 12 Barry, The Beginning of the West, 151-152. Citation covers paragraph.

Kanacki

 

[Solfilium]

Thanks for the info, so the majority of the silver likely isn't even there anymore? Save for a few loose coins and such?

 

[DetecTom]

I would still search out the area. You never know what coins may have been left behind! It would be cool to find a hoard like that though.