There have been plenty of archeological digs in Boston’s historic North End, but this is the first one in search of hidden treasure.
The scene took place at the baseball fields at Langone Park / Puopolo Field on Commercial Street as featured on this week’s season finale of Discovery’s Expedition Unknown. The TV crew followed the story of Jason Krupat and his family who figured out a puzzle from a 1982 book, The Secret, leading the clue-seeking treasure hunters to stop the construction at the waterfront parks.
The Secret book described twelve locations in cities around the country, but only two of the treasure jewels have been found in nearly 40 years since the book was published. Each treasure box has a key that can be turned in for a precious gem with a value estimated at $1,000.
The Secret puzzle book includes 12 poems and 12 elaborate paintings by renowned fantasy illustrator, John Jude Palencar. In the North End, the painting matched that of the Christopher Columbus statue at the namesake park on Atlantic Avenue. The book’s author, Byron Preiss, looked to celebrate immigrants groups, including Chicago’s Irish, Cleveland’s Greeks and now, the Italians in Boston’s North End.
Game and puzzle designer, Jason Krupat, works in downtown Boston and had long suspected the clues referred to Paul Revere’s ride. The book said, “Face the water with back to the stairs” leading him to the ball fields opposite Copp’s Hill Terrace. That also matched the location where Paul Revere rowed from the North End to Charlestown, leaving from what is now Langone Park.
When Krupat saw the construction at the site for the ball field’s renovation, he went to the city’s construction crew. They dismissed it at first, but then found the treasure box near home plate at Puopolo Field in the North End. That led to the calls to Discovery Channel host Josh Gates and the filming of the TV episode re-enacting the find.
So, where are the remaining boxes? According to those hunting the clues, there appear to be jewels hidden in San Francisco, Charlestown, Houston, New Orleans and perhaps Montreal.
The full episode of the hunt in Boston’s North End will be available for online viewing shortly at the Discovery Channel’s Expedition Unknown website.
The Krupat family is not the sole finder of this treasure. Many others alerted the construction crew about the hunt., even when they thought it was not there. Krupat’s were lucky in that their email/request was returned, as possibly a family makes for great tv!
Not denying this response, do you have proof of your requests through legal channels? Did the family? Just interested because my daughter and myself are throughly enthralled with the whole story. We are hoping to get the book for Christmas!!! Hoping it continues to encourage her interest in the wonders of our beautiful world and the way that things can be looked at.
What a great episode. Who knew right at home plate there was a treasure. The program did the North End proud especially the Christopher Columbus park the statue was a clue And the hopscotch was a treat for the presenter. If you didn’t see it watch it on demand
No, no, just go ahead and dig for your treasure. The rest of us will just sit on our hands and wait and wait and wait for you to put our park back together. Stop the construction for a tv show? How about let’s get that project done before next spring so residents can actually enjoy their park space on the waterfront?
It’s the solution to a 40 year old mystery. Suck it up.