Hidden in the unforgiving earth of West Texas were clues: archaic clues etched upon buried rocks, stacked as artifacts upon other clues, or carved into Rock walls.
The third stone map turned up in Waco, where it had been used as a doorsto.
With them were map tracings, letters, and documents describing an extensive search.
But the Terrell family had kept a secret for almost seventy years: that many of those ancient items survived.
The first two stone maps and many of the artifacts found near them were long believed destroyed in a 1909 fire at the Terrell Drug Store in Haskell, Texas.
Then, in the 1930\'s, more clues were found, including crude smelter pits, small silver crosses and statuettes and nuggets of gold.
The search was renewed a decade later by one of the original seekers.
Dave Arnold\'s bizarre quest unfolded over a decade, until he disappeared without a trace in 1914.
Still later, moving sixty miles west-northwest, he uncovered yet another stone map, bearing the same concentric circles and symbols that appeared on the first tow.
In 1905 he moved his search to a wilderness sixty miles southeast, and once again unearthed a beautifully carved stone map imprisoned in the roots of a huge oak.
Nearby he found silver epaulets, a Spanish sword, silver crucifix and copper plates bearing strange tracery.
After months of searching, he unearthed the stone map called the Spider Rock, with its tantalizing Spider web-like design, Roman and Arabic numerals, and cryptic symbols.
On dogged treasure hunter was Dave Arnold, who appeared in 1902 with an intriguing sheepskin map.
The story involves several towns and counties in West Texas; including Rotan, Aspermont, Haskell, Fisher County, Stonewall County and one of the area\'s most prolific landmarks, the Double Mountains.
Wilson left no stone unturned in his quest for clues, weaving his story from numerous interviews with eyewitnesses, early newspaper accounts, letters, documents, extended reconnaissance of the actual sites, and finally the cryptic stone maps that had gradually been unearthed by the original seekers.
The story he unraveled is an incredible tale riddled with murder, mystery, and adventure.
But the question still remains: Has the Spider Rock treasure ever been found? Steve Wilson first began his research on the treasure in 1960.
These centuries-old clues, placed to lead Spaniards back to their cache, eventually formed an intricate web that has lured treasure seekers and captured them in its mystery.
Hidden in the unforgiving earth of West Texas were clues: archaic clues etched upon buried rocks, stacked as artifacts upon other clues, or carved into Rock walls
