Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-09-06
SILVER
STILL BURIED
!, BENEATHSAND
BY H. G. STILwELL, Jr.
Herald Staff Writer


Herald Staff Writer
And now comes the real story OF
the lost city, OF Pad-e Island
from the lips OF q man who lived
there.
The city was, at least during part
OF its history, Santa Cruz" the
home of John v. Singer and his
wife, Johanna Shaw Singer, who
we're ~shipwrecked off Padre Island
In 1847.
This formation comes from
Alexander Singer. son Of John Sing
er and Johanna Shaw Singer, and
who lives at Palacios, Texas.
1t Is related to his niece, Mrs.
Fred Peters, a granddaughter OF
Mr. and Mrs. John Singer.
Mrs. Peters first communicated
with II. M. SHELTON, ST.. county
auditor, who turned the communi-
cations over to the chamber OF
commerce. The local chamber has
been In communication with Mrs.
Peters since that time.
New Light Shed
New light shed on this mysterious
Uytlement on Padre Island, the re-
mains Of which were found q short
time ago by Charles Hardin OF
Brownsville, indicates that the set
Element in addition to being Santa
Cruz, and the Singer estate, was
in all probability Los Tres Cor
rales" ranch, and an outpost of the
Union army during the Civil War.
1t also was probably used for
other purposes in the past. in the
opinion of Harbert Davenport,
Brownsville historian, who pointed
out that the various settlements
described by different persons Of
fering a solution TO the mystery of
the lost city" were on Padre Is
land at different times, and prob
ably were all in the same buildings.
Another new angle to the set
Element Is reyealed-one which may
prove of interest 70 treasure hunt
erS.
That is that at least $4,000 in
gold and silver was buried at the
lost city" by the Singers when they
were forced to leave suddenly7and
this money is in al probability still
there. as the Singers upon return
ing in later years were never able
TO find 1t.
Alexander Singer is authority for
this statement, and remembers the
incident clearly. He = 81 years old,
but his memory Is very clear on all
the events that took place on Pa
DIRE Island while he lived there. He
remembers viyisly the wreck Of the
ship on viii n he. a boy OF sew
en-, was travelling with his parents
SD brothers in 1847.
S~hipwrecked
The ship was wrecked off the
coast OF Padre Island. The Singer
family lived for two weeks in a
tent pitched on the beach where
they landed. where the Alice Sad
ell, the vessel in which they were
travelling. went to pieces.
Singer. who, by the way. was a
GAOAAAlA Va lAAL A4hCAAAOA u l&lG GEN-
ing machine, then moved up the
island and built a house, where the
family lived until 1851-four years.
In 1851 Mrs. Singer. who had
considerable money in her own
name. according to her son. bought
the old Santa Cruz ranch, where
the family made their home for
the next ten years.
In 1855 John Singer bought all
Padre Island from Juan Soils Bali.
Padre Parras. and Dolores SOS
Bali, nephews and nieces OF the
original grantee. r. ther Nicolas
Bali. who was given Padre Island
in 1927 by the King of Spain on
the condition that he settle 1t and
establish missionaries there.
Father Bali. according 20 Har-
bert Davenport. local historian.
founded the settlement of Santa
Cruz In 1927. and 1t is this set
Element which is the lost city. and
which has. from time to time. been
used by various groups of persons,
and under various names.
II Is the theory Of Mr.. Davenport.
borne out by records and the word
Of \those who remember. that this
spXt on Padre Island was at vari-
Gus times the lost city of San.a
Cruz, the Singer Estate. an out
post OF the Union army during the
Civil War. Los Tres Corrales"
ranch of the King and Kennedy es-
tate. and the Holland ranch.
The most significant feature OF
the entire lost city matter is
that 1t is unquestionably the old
city OF Santa Cruz. the exact site
Of which has been a matter Of
mystery for fifty FEARS. and for
which historians hove been hunt
ing.
At the outoi ak Of the Civil War
the Singers got into trouble with
the Confederates because Of their
sympathies with the Unions cause.
AS a result in 1861 tn, we're or
dered off the island. and left hur-
riedly one night. on short notice.
They buried their money, which
was too bulky 70 carry. About
$4,000 in gold and silver was buried
al the spot. Alexander Singer saws.
The Singers moved TO Flour
Bluff. near Corpus Christi. where
they lived until 1864. when they
started TO Matagorda. and were