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Is a sunken fortune hidden in the bottom of Lake Michigan?  CASE DETAILS It is only a speck of rocky land just east of Wisconsin, surrounded by the chilly waters of Lake Michigan. It is called Poverty Island, an apt name, especially when treacherous storms sweep in across the lake without warning. Furious winds and lightning-swift currents have spawned a graveyard of sunken ships and over the years, intriguing tales of lost treasure.  One legend in particular has claimed that, just offshore of Poverty Island, there are five chests stuffed with gold bullion and coins, which would today be worth more than $400 million. Richard Bennett, a professional diver and author, has spent more than 20 years and $100,000 of his own money searching for the sunken fortune:
But how could $400 million in gold end up on the bottom of Lake Michigan? The treasure story reaches back to 1863, when the tide of the Civil War was turning in favor of the Union. The beleaguered South, strapped for capital, put out a desperate call for relief to France. According to the legend, the French emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte III, secretly dispatched a shipment of gold across the Atlantic to Canada. It was then spirited down the St. Lawrence River and into Lake Michigan. But some believed that, while traveling inland to Chicago, the ship was attacked and sank. Others believed it was shipwrecked in a storm. In either event, the chests of gold never arrived. Steve Harrington, a maritime historian, is convinced the treasure is still located off the coast of Poverty Island:
 However, historian Chuck Feltner disagrees. He has spent many years in the Great Lakes searching for shipwrecks. Feltner believes that the legend of the treasure is a good story, but holds no truth:
Despite the lack of a paper trail, the legend of the secret shipment has persisted. In 1929, a group of sailors were said to have snagged the five chests with their anchor. Up it came, just seconds away, a fortune in gold, when suddenly the chains broke. The treasure plummeted back to its watery grave. A few years later, a group of investors in Chicago raised $50,000 to try their luck at Poverty Island. According to Richard Bennett, a young boy named Karly Jesson, whose father was the local lighthouse keeper, was said to have watched the salvage operation for three consecutive summers:
 According to the boy, a storm hit that night, and the salvage ship sank with all the men on board. The heartless tides of Lake Michigan had once again reclaimed the Poverty Island treasure. Today, Richard Bennett feels confident that he will succeed where others have failed. Bennett has devised an ingenious underwater sled to comb the murky depths of Lake Michigan.
Will Richard Bennett ever find the Poverty Island treasure? Only time will tell. Until that day, Lake Michigan will keep its grip on the five wooden treasure chests hidden far beneath its surface. Photos by Richard T. Bennett Watch this case now on Amazon Prime in season seven with Robert Stack and in season five with Dennis Farina. Also available on YouTube with Dennis Farina. Various seasons available now on Hulu. |
So… the elephant in the room to me is why would gold meant to help the south be sent to the North and through Chicago? Wouldn’t it be far easier to just send a ship directly to a port in the South? The entire premise seems off.
Initially yes. But to try to go to a Southern port would mean getting past the Northern navy. Going through the Great Lakes and then through rivers in Illinois to the Mississippi was hoped to somehow get around that. Still seems a bit far-fetched.
I spent my summers for 57 years snorkeling swimming and fishing in bay de noc. It’s littered with the bones, timbers and planks of wrecked vessels. The wooden and steel vessels didn’t sink, they floated onto the rocks, we’re smashed to pieces, and distributed by currents and waves all around the bays half under water until they became waterlogged and sunk. You’ll find many pieces of ships from the same era, but alas matey, wrong wreck.
Rick I live in the area of interested and have always wanted to dedicate time to something with allure. May I get to know you sir.
Why is it names Poverty Island?
Looks like Marty Lagina has gotten wind of the story and is searching for it! Hopefully they do some side-scan sonar on it and they can get to the “Bottom” of the story!
David Bagdon
Thanks for the offer, however I have never taken any money for our search for the Poverty Island Treasure search and after 50 years of being involved I don’t think it’s in the future. If you have finances why not do your own search. Maybe because of Poverty’s inherit dangerous location this may not be for you. There are treasure stories around us
find one that is plausible for you and do the research. That in itself is rewarding. I can’t believe how much I have learned about the US Civil War and all its components. Good luck and if you find a treasure invite me to the party.
Jean Anne Arden, Me too.
Rum Runner, You are correct about many people looking for the Treasure of Poverty Island. It is difficult to tell how many people actually dived near Poverty Island over the years. Or how many times they dived on each trip there. I for one started before we had any formal search devices, side scan, GPS that sort of equipment. Loran had just came out and was available to the public. When we started it was dead-reckoning each time we went out. Often, we likely went over the same spot or at least part of the same spot. Even with modern search equipment it took wreck hunters many years to find the Captain Lawrence and she was a schooner length ship. Now imagine a few boxes 2X2X3 feet or there about in 60 to 80 feet of water in a square mile area. That’s the challenge.
Thanks for the good wishes. Without dreams life would be pretty boring. Many people dream about winning the lottery or being a great sports figure. As long as you don’t take advantage of someone either by money or reputation I don’t see how it can hurt. We just had a basketball celebrity here in Milwaukee return to his childhood part of the inner city and consul youngsters in following their dreams. He had dreams of becoming a basketball star on the very street he just visited. Dreamers are also doers, that’s also how inventions are born.
I think you sent me an e-mail about your Poverty Island screenplay. The discipline it takes to write a screenplay is daunting at best. I wrote a screenplay about a scuba accident and it was the thing sleepless nights are made of. I wish you good luck in your endeavor.
I doubt the Poverty Treasure has been found. One could hardly walk into a bank with hundreds of pounds of gold and cash it in. Even people with the means to dispose of some of the gold would find it hard the move any large amount. They must have a source where it could be integrated into a normal flow of gold supplies. Better to make it known and use the courts to reap a reward. Some is better than none, and you sleep well at night.
You are correct, people did believe the earth was flat. However, there were those that didn’t believe it, and got off their behinds and proved it was curved. I often wonder if they thought it was round. Where would we be if we didn’t challenge the legends and the unknown?
Actually. contrary to what we;ve all been told, most people did NOT believe the earth was flat. In fact VERY FEW people believed that. Mostly uneducated people. but it’s all a lie. A lie that many, many storytellers have made up. Do some actual research and you’ll see. I know, I was astounded when I first heard this belief was NOT true. I’ve been an historical researcher for about 45 years. trust me lol. https://www.thoughtco.com/did-medieval-people-believe-in-a-flat-earth-1221612
The best part-
“Any story that survives 100 years has to have some validity to it. If they survive 100 years, they probably have an 80, 85% chance of being true.”
Hahahahahaha
People believed the earth was flat for longer than that.
And don’t even get me started on the whole God thing, singular or plural.
People are dumb.
Poor guy.
Want to know how to spot an ignorant atheist? Don’t worry, they’ll tell you.
You could not be more correct!
Actually. contrary to what we;ve all been told, most people did NOT believe the earth was flat. In fact VERY FEW people believed that. Mostly uneducated people. but it’s all a lie. A lie that many, many storytellers have made up. Do some actual research and you’ll see. I know, I was astounded when I first heard this belief was NOT true. I’ve been an historical researcher for about 45 years. trust me lol. So better watch who you’re calling DUMB https://www.thoughtco.com/did-medieval-people-believe-in-a-flat-earth-1221612
All, I am currently finishing a screenplay on the Poverty Island Gold. I have read the above comments and hope to provide you a feature movie someday.
Dear Richard, I’ve also have read, years ago, in newspapers about the five sunken treasure chests linked together in bottom of Lake Michigan. I believe it is true. I really hope you find them. Then you and I can conclude that persevering faith in hoping dreams to come true exists, to the non-believers. Wish I could be there when you pull them out of the water!
Never give up…and God go with you!
Richard, are you still looking for the treasure? I almost came over to your house, to get your papers on the treasure. I grew up two blocks away from you, I think I may have been your paperboy in the late sixties. Or my brother Jim. If 85 th st went though, we wouldn’t t have had a back yard. You know the house big and very old on Lisbon Do you really think it s there? What about that guy from escanba, that looked for it, and then retired in Florida. That sounds a little like maybe he found it and just sort of slipped away. What say you, Mate.
The leader of our scuba diving club dove many times looking for the gold with no luck. The original story from the 1980’s tells of a bartender from Washington Island that dove many times also looking for the five chests. Rumors were that the bartender found the gold. As he was pulling the chests up, one of the chests opened and the gold spilled to the bottom but he got four chests.When the person who wrote the story in the eighties tried to find the bartender on Washington Island to confirm the story he was long gone. The story ends with the bartender living in Hawaii and owning his own construction company.
Hello Mr. Bennett
As we know the story of Poverty Island treasure has been around a long time. However I believe it to be factual regardless of what the naysayers say. If your research has been exhaustive then you know that it does exist. The big questions is has anyone else found it and recovered it and kept there mouth shut. The advantage today is the sophisticated equipment available for such endeavor’s it’s available however not inexpensive. Even better than the equipment is luck Mel Fisher had this and it made him very successful where other’s failed. May he rest in peace. I have been fascinated by treasure hunting all my life whether on land or sea it’s addictive. I would love to be there when this particular treasure is found and recovered. Beat of luck be safe and careful.
Rrrrrrrrrr/shiver me timbers/another treasure story/ I’m hopeing this ones true/all I can say is/PLEASE/PLEASE/BE CAREFUL/I’ve personally saved 5 children from drowning / including myself twice/true story/ MAY GOD BE WITH YOU /and PLEASE donate/some of the findings to /ST. JUDES CHILDRENS HOSPITAL /GOOD LUCK to all Treasure Hunters Everywhere
WOW I am speechless !
I Agree With You Jean Anne Arden Ah Am A Little Bit Speechless If That We’re Me I Would Display It In The Museum!
I’ve heard this story many times. had a conversation with a salvage captain out of green bay many years ago who’s father hunted for this treasure. I’ve always wanted to pull my sidescan around there a bit as it has phenomenal definition. Since I began my latest job I’ve been interested in it more as we have tech available that can discriminate gold returns from other metals.
To answer Joe from the 8-30-16 comment: Your right Joe, that was the point, to be odd. By early 1864 the Union blockade was so strong only one in three blockade runners made it though. So coming in the back door was longer, but had higher odds of succeeding. We are only talking about adding weeks to delivery time. Support of that kind coming through the North was not probable. Covert projects rely on the uncommon.
Richard Bennett
Traveling up the seaway to the Great Lakes seems to me a very odd way to reach Richmond VA.
I live on the garden peninsula a few miles north of poverty island and have always been intrigued by the story. I’m a commercial fishermen and own many boats that could be very useful in the search. Contact me if your interested Mr Bennett.
i beleve the boxis of gold will never be found or brat up for the simpel fakt
the souls of the sukin ship dont want the trezer found and lotid so the souls
of that ship will never leat that trezer leave the merky deps of the water
so i thak people shood stop triying and this is my apinyin
i dont beleve this trezer reley egzist’s and i havint senn iny thing to shaing my mind
Please tell me you half of it
Like all adventures in treasure hunting there is a lack of funding. Because the odds are always against you. Above in this page talked about the sea stories he heard as a young man. They were true, now add the problem finding a few small chests in a mile square area. I remember when we were working on raising the Alvin Clark from Green Bay Wisc.someone took our buoy off. We had dived the Clark a hundred time and still lost it for a while. She was 26 feet wide and 105 feet long and stood 60 feet off the bottom. See the problem? Luck is as important as working capital. Fee will invest in luck. Only the daring apply.
I’d love to join Mr Bennett and help with the salvage, I’m. sure some funds would help with equipment. and the expenses needed for this type of endeavor.l would welcome a discussion. with Mr Bennett.
I’d love to join Mr Bennett and help , and fund his search.
I have no problem that you are using the underwater shots, but I would like a ‘photo/video by Richard T. Bennett’ tag.
Hi Richard – it’s in the works!
That ‘s interesting. My grandfather spent half of his life after coming home from WWII with a friend in Benzonia, MI. looking for the lost gold of Poverty Island. Spending years building long running, fast boats he could “outrun the storm” in, once getting to the island from Traverse City area. Had some really wonderful stories coming back from trips where he stared into the “Gates of Hell” with “water walls” on both sides and lightning crashing all around. Even went so far as to buy a 2-man submarine in 1964 from a company in Fort Wayne called Nautilette, for the search. Hauling it by boat to the island was to dangerous, making the boat seem like towing a rock, so the lil’ craft never made it down to the bottom. They did manage to find chains diving on a ledge about 80′ down. Having a museum historian carbon-date it to the same era left them eager for the adventure. But alas, life’s priorities and age dissolves their dream. Best wishes to Mr. Bennett and crew. Never forget, mother Michigan can be an unforgiving, raging b*#ch, and they don’t call it Poverty Island for nothing… Safe journeys, Captain.
What about one of those small manned submarines?? How deep is it??
Submarines- Got one too hard to deploy and recover in rough water. A underwater tow sled is far more efficient