Lost Treasure Anthology - CALIFORNIA Treasure Stories Volume-I (digital downloadable book) This digital book contains 22 different stories -- over 100+ pages -- all dedicated to California Treasures! Anthology: This Anthology is a collection of published stories, by multiple authors, in a book format. It was compiled from the Archives of one or more of our six publications: Lost Treasure – Treasure Cache – Treasure Facts – Treasure World – True Treasure – Rockhound.

Treasure Tales and Treasure Stories About California from the Archives of Lost Treasure Magazine

Lost Spanish Church Treasure

There are dozens of stories of lost Spanish church treasure in California. The following one is interesting because, according to written records, a French pirate named Hippalyte de Bouchard, who was in the pay of Argentina, operated along the California coast and is known to have robbed several missions.

Following an attack on Mission San Diego and theft of precious church treasures, the padre at Mission San Juan Capistrano heard that his church was next on the pirate's list.

With the help of a servant, the padre gathered all the valuable church possessions into a large chest which they buried somewhere on the Rancho Mission Viejo. Its key was hung on a nearby tree to mark the site.

Years later, a cowboy rounding up stray cattle found the key, but did not know about the treasure. The key was passed from generation to generation to its present owner, Chafles Carillo, who through church records, uncovered the story of the buried riches but was never able to find the valuables.

The treasure is believed hidden in upper Trabuco Canyon in San Diego County.