The document we found at the Public Archives of Nova Scotia (MG1 Volume 1228) was the Bureau's "Re-statement of all locally known circumstances" pertaining to Oak Island in Mahone Bay Nova Scotia. When you read through the statement you will see that it was written sometime between 1951 and 1953. It is an interesting look into what the current lines of thought about the island were in the early 1950s, and also just how popular the island was as a tourist destination at that time (even without the internationally popular Curse of Oak Island television show to introduce the island to the world). Enjoy the read!      One piece of information that I found most interesting was their account of the "original" oak trees. Though dead, I noted that they were referred to as "Live Oak" trees. Driscoll, in his much earlier account, almost three decades earlier in fact, also called them Live Oaks. Here we have two publications describing the trees as Live Oaks, and they had the benefit of seeing them in person. Perhaps we need to allow that the origin of the trees was less in doubt to those who saw them firsthand back then, than they are to us in the present day, who have no tangibles to work with. They were almost certainly not native to the area, but it seems that we have to give serious consideration to the idea that they were brought here from further down the North American continent. We hope you enjoyed this look into the state of affairs on the island some 63 or so years ago. Goodnight from The Blockhouse!
13 Comments
Laura
5/6/2016 03:03:16 pm
Mr. Doug Crowell – I enjoy all of these articles and I’m having fun with this mystery. Question - Is there any proof that Live Oak was used on the island in any of the subterranean structures? I haven’t found any citation indicating that tests on wood removed from the Money Pit or other digs on the island have identified the wood by species along with age. I’m assuming this testing has been done (rather recently). I can find some notations that oak logs, oak leaves, acorns were found in the Money Pit, but were they Live Oak? Your comments above have led me to think that Live Oak has not been found in any testing. Can you tell me where to find more information? If I should ask my questions elsewhere, let me know. Thanks. L
Doug Crowell
5/6/2016 03:21:52 pm
Hi Laura. Glad to hear you are enjoying the mystery. As far as I know, various pieces of wood have been carbon dated, but I have not heard that any of those pieces were tested to determine species or sub-species. John Wonnacott and his colleagues have performed recent testing on various wood samples and are waiting on the results to come back. Soon I hope. There has been much debate over the origin and type of trees the presumed non-native oak trees actually were. Until a sample can be found and tested, the best we have to go on is the statements made by those who saw the trees firsthand. Of course, they may not have had the expertise to give an authoritative opinion. So we can't stamp this part of the mystery solved as of yet. Cheers!
Laura
5/11/2016 04:09:03 pm
Hi Doug. Thank you for responding. I’m skeptical that Live Oak could have grown to maturity on the island. So finding buried Live Oak might point to something more important than spare ship parts. It’s difficult to make any logic, any corollaries without concrete scientific data. A few of the early treasure seekers didn’t use the most rigorous methodologies (neither would I). Well, I'm not writing anything you haven't pondered before. I’ll wait to hear more on this topic. So much to read and so little time, I have. Unfortunately, my career (the one I get paid to do) keeps getting in the way of my interests. Ha! L 5/30/2017 10:25:43 pm
At that time, constructing something is quite difficult. 5/30/2017 11:08:29 pm
Thank you for sharing such a important information regarding to Oak island.
Elaine
12/17/2017 05:28:31 pm
Were any of the acorns found on the island saved and put in the Oak Island Interpretive Center? Lee Lamb's book, Oak Island Obsession, mentions that the Restalls found acorns and one perfectly preserved Oak Leaf in one of their digs. If an acorn, leaf or even a sketch or photo of what they found still exists, then a botanist might be able to identify the sub-species of live oak tree based on acorn size and shape or leaf size and shape.
Doug Crowell
12/21/2017 06:41:54 am
Thanks Elaine. Great thought!
Elaine
12/21/2017 08:52:04 am
If an acorn or leaf still exists, DNA analysis could be really helpful as well. They really should try DNA analysis on the Coconut Fiber too. There is a DNA database with 1322 different species of coconut. Coconut is not native to the Caribbean. The Spanish planted coconuts in the Caribbean after 1500. If the Coconut fiber is older than that, it didn't come from the Caribbean. Coconuts are limited to the tropics and subtropics in areas with plenty of sunshine and water. That limits where they can grow. Finding out where the coconut came from could lead to more information about the people that brought it to Oak Island.
Ellen
1/24/2019 05:45:41 am
Doug, you and Jack have been real heroes lately.
Cyndy Naylor
5/12/2019 07:28:49 am
Hi Doug,
JASON C UPDIKE
8/20/2019 11:13:16 pm
Hi Doug. Great post. I was really struck by the comment by the author about the island being covered in roses. Any thoughts on a possible link to Templar lore and the Rose.
Mark
1/20/2020 01:36:17 pm
As a person that lives in the south and from reading the many documents. Northern Limits; The Northern boundary for the native range of live oak is controlled both by cold temperatures, and by summer dryness and evaporation index. Live oak does well in cold hardiness zones 8b through 11. Live oak’s Northern growth limit for temperature is roughly the 42oF minimum sustained winter air temperature zone. Sites which provide non-freezing temperatures maximize the chances for live oak survival. There are some single specimens and multiple stem stands of Northern outliers of planted live oaks which can be found in protected areas. I really believe the use of the verbiage Live Oaks, meant there were oak trees that were alive. . I would class the oaks found on the island as a Red Oak Leave a Reply. |
From The Blockhouse
is published by Blockhouse Investigations and oakislandcompendium.ca in Nova Scotia, Canada Editors and Chief Correspondents Kelly W. Hancock, CD Doug Crowell Writers Jonathan Guy Contributing Writers John Wonnacott, P. Eng. Les MacPhie,P.Eng. Researchers Linda Rafuse Tammy Sloan Trevor McFetridge Consultants Alessandra Nadudvari Shawna Goodall Webmaster Jonathan Guy All material and images published herein, unless otherwise credited, are copyright of Blockhouse Investigations and oakislandcompendium.ca and may be reproduced by permission only. Views expressed in these blog posts are our own. The views of those that comment are their own. Archives
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