The man who started it all is dead.
Byron Preiss died in 2005, two decades after he engineered a multi-city treasure hunt with puzzles provided in his book, The Secret.
Twelve treasure boxes (he calls them casques) were hidden in 12 cities. If you followed the clues in the tricky verses in the puzzle book and interpreted them correctly, you could find the casque and turn it in to Preiss to receive a fabulous gem.
As of 2024 three of the 12 treasure casques have been found in the 42 years since Preiss kicked off his treasure hunt. The first was found in Grant Park in Chicago in 1983, and the second in Cleveland's Greek Garden in 2004. A third was found in 2019 at Puopolo Field in Boston.
That leaves nine undiscovered casques, believed to be hidden in San Francisco; Charleston, S.C.; Roanoke Island, N.C.; St. Augustine Fla.; New Orleans, La.; Houston, Texas; Montreal, Canada; Milwaukee, Wis.; and New York, N..
In Chicago, i a group of 19-year-old friends followed the clues and found the casque. After digging many empty holes in Grant Park, they contacted Preiss, who sent them a photo of freshly-packed earth. They tried again and found it.
But Preiss is no longer here to give any further clues, and some treasure hunters say development has probably destroyed or paved over the casques by now. In Milwaukee, one of the most experienced hunters says the casque was probably under a tree that has disappeared under concrete, according to Atlas Obscura.
The Preiss family is still around though — and they are still prepared to reward successful hunters with precious gems.
