References are numbered in [brackets], which are listed here. A number after the dot gives the page in the source.

Last updated: 2007 October 3.

1641-1860

1861-1908

1909-1964

1965-end

1909 April Captain Henry Bowdoin forms The Old Gold Salvage and Wrecking Company, based in New York. Company has $250,000 authorized capital. Officers: president Henry Bowdoin, vice president Frederick Blair, treasurer L.H. Andrews, secretary G.D. Mosher, and a board director Captain John W. Welling. Despite impressive talk, only raises $5000 through sale of shares. [1.198] [4.87] August 27 Henry Bowdoin and workers arrive on Oak Island, setting up "Camp Kidd". [4.89] (month unknown) Excavations commence near Smith's Cove, looking for the flood tunnel, unsuccessfully. [4.89] The Money Pit is excavated with an excavation bucket, ripping out platforms, ladders, and cross timbers down to 107-113 feet. Drills bore 25 holes at various angles and depths (to 171 feet), only finding limestone pitted by water. [1.198] [4.90] November The Old Gold Salvage and Wrecking Company closes down operations. [4.90] 1911 (month unknown) Henry Bowdoin publishes an article in Colliers calling the Money Pit a hoax. [1.199] 1919 (month unknown) The bookbinder business in Halifax merges with Philip and Marshall company. The engraved stone slab is reported still at this location. (Searchs in 1933 and 1935 cannot find the stone anywhere.) [3.30] [4.21] 1922 December 7 The Journal of Commerce of Boston runs an advertisment by Frederick Blair looking for someone to buy half interest in the Oak Island treasure hunt for $50,000. [4.107] 1928 May 8 The New York Times publishes an article on the island. [4.113] 1931 (month unknown) Frederick Blair joins with Chappells Limited of Sydney, Nova Scotia. One of the company owners is William Chappell. Also with company are son Melbourne Chappell, brother Renerick, and nephew Claude Chappell. William tells Blair a secret he kept for 31 years: he noted traces of yellow metal or gold on a drill bit during 1897. [4.108] Unsure of where excatly the Money Pit is, William Chappell and his brother create a 12 x 14 foot shaft. The dig down to 155-163 feet, using a 450 gallon/minute pump to keep water under control. Drilling another 12 feet hits hard clay. They conclude they are not directly over the Pit, but may be 6-7 feet south. During digging, they found the pointed fluke of an old anchor at 120 feet, and an axe head resembling a 250-year-old Acadian axe. From 116.5 to 155 feet, they found tools and timbers and soft soil, even through supposedly no one had been there before. [1.79,199] [4.110] Mel Chappell locates the triangle of stones near the high water mark of the south shore, previously discovered in 1897. [4.112] Sophia Sellers, widow of Henry Sellers, owner of the eastern end of the island, dies. She is succeeded by twelve heirs who refuse to renew the Chappell/Blair lease on the land. [4.112] October 29 After expenditure of $40,000, work is halted. [4.112] 1932 (month unknown) Another group gets permission to dig, drills holes, finds nothing. [4.113] 1934 (month unknown) Thomas Nixon of Victoria, British Columbia, forms a company to search for treasure on the island. He drills 14 holes north of the Chappell pit. One hits a vacant space 136 feet to 170 feet. End of operations. [1.200] 1935 March Gilbert Hedden of Chatham, New Jersey, signs an agreement with Frederick Blair. [4.113] July Gilbert Hedden purchases the east end of Oak Island from the Sellers heirs for $5000. [1.200] [4.113] 1936 April Gilbert Hedden hires Sprague and Henwood, Inc., of Scranton, Pennsylvania, to pump and re-excavate the Money Pit, Chappell shaft, and others, and to drill laterally at depths of between 125 and 160 feet. [4.114] (month unknown) Using electric turbine pumps to keep water out, the Chappell shaft is excavated and re-timbered to 170 feet. No trace of treasure encountered. Work is put on hold at the end of the season. [1.200] [4.114] 1937 (month unknown) (Spring) Another new shaft, 12 by 24 feet, is excavated adjacent and east of the Chappell shaft, down to 125 feet. An oak stump is found at 80 feet. At 93 feet, putty-like clay not found on the island previously is encountered. At 110 feet, the original water tunnel with beach rocks is found. Holes drilled at the bottom to 160 feet encounter oak varying in thickness from 1 to 30 inches. Finance problems end work for the Winter. Cost of this company's operation to date is $50,000. [1.79] [4.114] The book Captain Kidd and His Skeleton Island, written by Harold Wilkins is published in London, England. The book, about pirates and treasure, includes a map resembling Oak Island. The legend on the map includes "W.K. 1669", and three bearings to the treasure: "18 W and 7 E on Rock", "30 SW 14 N Tree", and "7 by 8 by 4". [1.201] [4.117] August Gilbert Hedden explores the island after reading the Captain Kidd book. He finds a white granite boulder 50 feet north of the Money Pit with a drill hole. Another is found about 400 ft away, near shore of Smith's Cove. The holes are 2 inches deep, 1.25 inches diameter. He locates the stone triangle, near south shore, 50 feet from the high water mark. It is made of large granite beach stones 12-14 inch diameter, arranged to form a large equilateral triangle 9-10 feet on each side. The base runs east-west, and a line of stones runs from the base to the apex in true north direction. This line intersects the Money Pit. [1.201] [4.117] August 16 Charles Roper, Nova Scotia Land Surveyor of Halifax, and assistant George Bates, arrive on the island to make measurements to investigate a possible connection to the Captain Kidd book map legend. Distance between the two drilled granite rocks is about 25 rods (one rod equals 16.5 feet). At the point 18 rods from the Money Pit rock and 7 rods from the other drilled rock is near the Cave-in Pit. 30 rods south-west from this point is behind the stone triangle. But the original oak tree at the Money Pit is about 18 rods north from this point, not 14 rods like the map legend. [4.120] November 10 Gilbert Hedden travels to London, England, to meet with Captain Kidd book author Harold Wilkins. Wilkins is surprised to learn of the coincidences of his map with Oak Island, claiming to have never been to the island, and that the legend was completely made from his imagination. [4.122] 1938 (month unknown) (Spring) Professor Edwin Hamilton of New York University offers to take over the search from Gilbert Hedden, when Hedden runs into financial difficulties. [1.202] [4.124] July (mid-month) Edwin Hamilton signs an agreement with Gilbert Hedden and Frederick Blair, to split any treasure 40% to Blair, 30% to Hedden, and 30% to Hamilton. [4.124] (month unknown) (Summer) Sprague and Henwood continue drilling and excavating. 58 holes are bored laterally in the Hedden shaft. Main result is possibly relocating the original Money Pit, slightly north of the Chappell shaft. They deepen the Chappell shaft to 176 feet, striking a 24-foot thick layer of limestone bedrock. Drilling through this reveals oak chips. [4.125] 1939 (month unknown) Popular Science publishes an article on Oak Island. [1.36] 1941 (month unknown) Edwin Hamilton's workers discover that a tunnel leads out under the waters of Smith's Cove. [1.202] 1942 (month unknown) (approximate year) Edwin Hamilton extends the Hedden pit down to 168 feet, but finds nothing. [1.202] 1943 (month unknown) Edwin Hamilton ceases his search for treasure, due to World War II. [4.125] 1946 May Nathan Lindenbaum from New York arrives at the island, with pick and shovel. He is allowed to dig a bit, but soon quits, making this the briefest search ever. [4.125] (month unknown) Anthony Belfiglio, an engineer of Toronto, Ontario, offers to buy the Money Pit lot for $15,000. Hedden says he can buy all his property for $25,000. No deal is worked out. [4.126] 1949 June 30 Frederick Blair's treasure trove license expires. [4.126] 1950 January Newsweek magazine runs an article about Oak Island. [4.126] April 1 Frederick Blair dies, at age 83. Mel Chappell takes over the treasure trove license. [4.127] May 12 Gilbert Hedden sells his Oak Island property for $6000 to John Whitney Lewis, a mining engineer of New York. [4.116,126] July 14 Frederick Blair receives a new treasure trove license for five years. [4.126] (month unknown) (late in year) John Whitney Lewis sells his Oak Island land to Mel Chappell. [4.127] December Parker Contract Company of Bellville, Ontario, takes their "Mineral Wave Ray" to the island to search for gold. They identify five locations, but Mel Chappell digs and drills each, finding nothing. This cost him $35,000. [4.128] 1951 (month unknown) M.R. Chappell, son of William Chappell, buys Oak Island. He and Frederick Blair (with Treasure Trove license) begin work. They use an electronic metal-locating device, and a clam shovel. At 45 feet down, they stop digging, as the locator indicates something now further south. [1.202] 1955 September George Greene of Corpus Christi, Texas, representing five large oil companies, signs a contract with Mel Chappell. [4.130] (month unknown) (Autumn) George Greene drills four 4-inch core holes near the Money Pit. Three holes hit oak platforms every 10 feet down to 110 feet. Drilling hits a cavity at 110 feet, extending for 45-70 feet. He pumps in 100,000 gallons of water to determine the size of the cavity, but it is not enough to fill it. [1.203] [4.130] October 28 Mr. Greene ceases his search operations for the season. An oil drilling contract takes him elsewhere, and he does not return. [1.37] [4.130] 1957 January 28 Letter from Mel Chappell to Bob Restall, says agreement with Mr. Greene now terminated. Says new agreement with Restall would be fifty-fifty split of any treasure recovered. [1.38] March 1 Bob Restall replies by letter to Mel Chappell, with a proposal for finding the treasure of the island. He includes the right of Chappell to terminate the contract if Restall fails to seal off the source of sea water within six months. [1.38] April 8 Mel Chappell replies by letter to Bob Restall saying an engineer from New York is going to try locating the treasure. [1.39] October 4 Mel Chappell writes to Bob Restall referring to Ontario mining men making arrangements to be next searchers. [1.40] 1958 May The Harman brothers drill four holes near the Money Pit, finding bits of oak, spruce, coconut fiber, and ship's caulking, from about 150 feet and below. [1.203] [4.130] July The Harman brothers run out of money, and cease operations temporarily. [4.130] (month unknown) The book The Oak Island Mystery is published, written by Reginald Harris. [4.viii] 1959 October The Harman brothers quit their search. [4.131] Mel Chappell and Robert Restall sign a contract for Restall to begin work on Oak Island. Term is three months, more if progress made. Profit from any treasure found will be split 50 percent to Chappell, 25 percent to Restall, and 25 percent to Restall's financial backers. [1.41] [4.131] October 15 Bob Restall and family arrive on Oak Island, with $8000 in savings and equipment. [1.41] December Mel Chappell extends the contract with Bob Restall through all of 1960. [1.54] 1960 January 19 Bob Restall and Fred Sparham sign a contract for Sparham providing $6000 in exchange for 25 percent of Restall's share of the treasure. [1.61] April 9 Bob Restall purchases a large water pump used by previous searchers, for $1000. [1.62] July 15 Bob Restall begins pumping out water from main shaft, reaching down to a level probably not seen since 1942. [1.80] November 6 Bob Restall discovers a slate rock with number "1704" on one side. The number is assumed to be a year date. [1.88] December Mel Chappell extends the Restall contract to March 31. [1.103] 1961 March 23 In a letter to Bob Restall, Mel Chappell extends their contract to May 10. [1.103] April Lloyd McInnis of the CBC records film footage on the island for the TV show Gazette. [1.103] June 2 Bob Restall locates a vertical hole with 1-foot diameter under a small dome of beach stones, not previously discovered, believed to be the work of 256 years ago. Work on this hole continues for a month, trying to force concrete down to bottom to block water from the ocean. The attempts are unsuccessful, as the unset concrete blows out to sea. [1.115] (month unknown) Mel Chappell gives the Beamish family $1800 for one-third of Oak Island. [4.155] (and 1962) Frederick Nolan spends several thousand dollars on men and equipment laying out a grid over the entire island. He establishes 25 concrete surveying markers, cutting dozens of lines thousands of feet long. [4.154] October David Tobias contacts Bob Restall saying he is interested in financing recovery operations. [1.125] 1962 January 11 Fred Sparham agrees to drop his interest from 25 percent to 19. [1.125] January 22 Robert Restall meets with Mel Chappell. Chappell says he will not extend the contract with Restall, and will switch to another hunter. But Restall pleads his case, and Chappell gives him another year, but only for the south end of the island, up to 100 feet north of the Money Pit. [1.126] February 8 David Tobias and Robert Restall sign a contract for Tobias' investment. [1.126] (month unknown) The book True Tales of Buried Treasure is published, written by Edward Rowe Snow. Referring to the engraved stone slab, it claims an Irish schoolmaster deciphered the code as "Forty feet below two million pounds are buried". According to rumors, a Dalhousie University professor translated the code as "Ten feet below two million pounds lie buried". [4.21] (or 1963?) Frederick Nolan discovers at the Registry of Deeds in Chester that Mel Chappell did not own Lots 5 and 9-14. He acquires the land from the heirs of Sophia Sellers for $2500. [4.155] July 10 Karl Graeser signs an investment contract with Robert Restall. [1.135] 1963 January 2 Mel Chappel informs Robert Restall that as per their agreement a year ago, his contract expired at the end of 1962. [1.141] January 19 Robert Restall is granted a new contract to the end of June. [1.143] April Frederick Nolan offers to trade his land on the island to Mel Chappell for an opportunity to excavate at the Money Pit. Chappell refuses. [4.155] (month unknown) (and 1964) Frederick Nolan excavates two 30-foot shafts on his land, only finding a 2-inch brass buckel at the bottom of one. [4.155]