I will be presenting the tall tales of Harry Rieseberg, the subject of my book PAPER DIVER, at the Shipwrecks, Survival, and Lost History conference in New Iberia, LA on Saturday, October 31st. My presentation will be about a man who pretended to be a treasure hunter, while all the others will focus on the real thing. Optional tours are available on Sunday. See all the details at http://www.needhelpservices.com/seminars.html.

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The beautiful Tyrrell Historical Library in Beaumont will host a book talk sponsored by the Center for History and Culture of Southeast Texas and the Upper Gulf Coast. The session will feature a presentation based on my book BRIDLES AND BISCUITS: The Contraband Culture of Spanish East Texas. For more information, contact Dr. Jimmy Bryan at 409.880.8510.

The 29th Annual Alton C. Allen Historical Conference will be held on Saturday, October 17, 2026. This year, the theme will be “Ghost Towns & Buried Treasure in Texas.” My presentation will cover the treasure legend of Hendricks Lake in East Texas, the focus of my book TRUE BELIEVERS.

The speakers & topics are:

Doug Kubicek- Ghost Towns in Lavaca County; Regina Williamson- Smoothing Iron (ghost town)’ Carol Brincefield- Clinton (ghost town in DeWitt County); Gary Pinkerton- East Texas Buried Treasure; Paul Spellman- Jim Bowie’s Lost Mine.

The $10 registration includes lunch. The conference will meet at the St. Peter Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall in Hallettsville. You may pre-register by emailing lavacacountyhistoricalcommission@yahoo.com; payment is due at check-in.

My book BRIDLES & BISCUITS will be the focus of this lunchtime presentation in downtown Houston. On September 16th, the Heritage Society opened an incredible new exhibit titled “Spanish Texas During the American Revolution: Life and Legacy, 1775-1783.” Be sure to make time to visit the exhibit when you come. For a look at the exhibit, go to https://spanishtexasexhibit.com/

Following the annual meeting of the Friends of San Felipe de Austin, I will be making a presentation based on my book, BRIDLES AND BISCUITS: The Contraband Culture of Spanish East Texas. I’ll also debut the new website for the Friends, which I designed and implemented.

The Annual meeting of the Friends of San Felipe de Austin begins at 6:00 pm, with my talk beginning at 6:45. Both events are free of charge and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served at 5:30. For more information, visit: https://thc.texas.gov/events/history-night-bridles-and-biscuits-contraband-culture-spanish-east-texas.

The annual Red River Symposium always brings together a variety of perspectives on the history focused on the Great Bend of the Red River. This year, I’ll present on the documents that guided my research on Trammel’s Trace on Saturday afternoon. That morning I have the pleasure to help conduct a bus tour along the routes near Trammel’s Trace between Fulton, AR and Texarkana, TX. For more information and to register go to:

https://www.arkansas.com/state-parks/experiences/park-events/20th-annual-red-river-heritage-symposium-teacher-and-researcher

This is a bit of a different presentation about how a simple question that I asked my father in 2004 turned into 22 years of research and three books where treasure plays a key role.

Texas Research Ramblers Genealogical Society members are interested in furthering their knowledge of genealogical research procedures and documenting their family history. This talk will focus on the contraband culture of Spanish East Texas. For more information about this event or the group, email ramblerstx@gmail.com.

The Allen Shivers Library and Museum in Woodville will host my talk as part of their summer reading program called “Dig up a Story.” I’ll be covering Spanish contraband trading trails across East Texas during the late 18th century.

For more information, email ashivers.library@yahoo.com or call 409.283.3709.

The History of Diving Museum in the Florida Keys will host a presentation based on my book PAPER DIVER. From the 1930s till his death in 1970, Harry Rieseberg claimed to be a treasure diver and expert, but he never got wet. All the stories he sold as true never happened.

This is both an in-person event for those in Florida and a virtual online presentation. Click here to register for the Zoom presentation. 10:00 AM Central time.

This talk will focus on the contraband culture of Spanish East Texas in the late 18th century. The nature of the trade, the trails used to carry on illegal commerce, and the role of Antonio Gil Ibarvo will be the primary focus.

Zion Hill Baptist Church has been beautifully restored and is reason enough to attend in itself. Stay tuned for additional details. Click here for additional information about the venue.

The HAS is a group of incredible archaeologists, both professional and avocational, with a deep appreciation for history. This presentation will focus on places, trails, and other historical sites related to the final years of Spanish East Texas. I’ll be focused on my book Bridles and Buiscuits: Contraband Culture in Spanish East Texas.

Each month, the Fort Worth Westerners hosts a Zoom presentation of history and folklore. Click this link to join the Zoom meeting at 7:00 pm.

My presentation will focus on Trammel’s Trace as the boundary for the county line between Rusk and Panola counties. The Trace was such a significant feature on the landscape that it could be used as a defined boundary, the same as rivers and streams.

Noon talks at the Harrison County Historical Museum are where stories about the past come to life. This presentation will focus on a history of the East Texas region before Anglo settlers began to find their way to Texas. For more information, contact the Harrison County Historical Museum at 903.935.8417 or visit their website at https://harrisoncountymuseum.org/.

This presentation, sponsored by the Friends of the Jefferson Carnegie Library, will focus on Trammel’s Trace. Both the history of the road that crossed East Texas and its current remains and likely route will be covered. For more information contact the library at (903) 665-8911.

For a webinar series sponsored by Preservation Texas, Gary will discuss how he has used documents from the past and present-day technology to locate spaces and places from the past that help create emotional connections to history.

For more information contact Rick Featherston, program chair, at 1stvp@etgs.org

Rayburn Ladies meet monthly to listen to programs about regional history and current events. My presentation will be about my upcoming book, BRIDLES & BISCUITS: The Contraband Culture of Spanish East Texas.

The New Kentucky Chapter of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas is an active and energetic chapter based in the Tomball area. This presentation will focus extra attention on the trail’s namesake who grew up along the Tennessee-Kentucky border, Nicholas Trammell.