Dad found a buried necklace after landscaping his yard and immediately regretted it?
A father named Liam Ward followed a buried chain and found a hidden treasure trove in his backyard.
Although this story was pure fiction, Snopes managed to find out the origin of the photo of the necklace and provide details about what was found after the necklace was pulled out of the ground.
In late 2023 and early 2024, Facebook users promoted a story with the headline “Father finds buried necklace after yard work and immediately regrets it.” The posts all featured an interesting image of a person with a green shovel, apparently trying to figure out why a necklace was buried underground.
Snopes sought answers to both the history and the origin of the photo.
“Father finds buried necklace”
On March 31, 2024, the Facebook page Abandoned Things shared a post with the caption about a father finding a buried necklace and then immediately regretting it. The same photo and caption were also shared in dozens of other Facebook posts.
A comment under the post included a link to the website xnews6.com with the following article:
Father finds buried chain after gardening and immediately regrets it
Liam Ward has discovered a hidden treasure in his seemingly ordinary backyard. What began with the discovery of a mysterious buried necklace has turned into a major archaeological find, revealing a network of underground tunnels and hidden chambers dating back to the Prohibition era.
Liam Ward, a homeowner known for his inquisitiveness, found the chain one Saturday morning and, driven by curiosity, decided to pull on it. Little did he know that this act would set off a chain of events that would lead to the revelation of a hidden world beneath his property.
With the chain resisting removal, Ward delved into the area’s history. His research uncovered stories of abandoned mines, rumors of buried pirate treasure, and tales of tunnels used to smuggle liquor during Prohibition. His research led him to a 1920s newspaper article describing notorious gangster Vincent “the Snake” Moretti, who allegedly hid a stash of jewelry and money before disappearing.
Driven by the prospect of unearthing a piece of history, Ward enlisted the help of local historians and treasure hunters. Together, they formed a team armed with metal detectors and historical knowledge and met on Ward’s property. The metal detectors quickly indicated the presence of hidden objects.
The excavation uncovered a cache of wooden boxes bearing Moretti’s signature, containing decades of untouched Prohibition-era liquor. The team continued its exploration and discovered hidden chambers containing valuable antiques and documents that shed light on the city’s secret history.
The city recognized the historical significance of the find and decided to preserve the tunnels and chambers as a museum. Ward and his family, who appreciated the city’s history, moved into a nearby house offered by the mayor to support the preservation efforts.
Ward’s discovery in his backyard has become a symbol of the city’s resilience and the enduring appeal of the past. The museum has attracted visitors from across the country, made Ward a local hero and inspired him to pursue a career in archaeology. His passion for history now benefits enthusiasts and scholars alike.
What began as a mysterious necklace buried in a backyard has transformed [Town Name]History. Liam Ward’s chance discovery has not only enriched the town’s historical narrative, but has opened a window into a bygone era and captured the imagination of residents and visitors alike. The archaeological treasure trove beneath Ward’s property is a testament to the enduring power of history to captivate and inspire.
However, this story was pure fiction. A Google search found no evidence that someone named Liam Ward followed a buried chain to a hidden treasure in his backyard. Furthermore, the story did not mention the name of the town where these events supposedly took place. In fact, the last paragraph contained the words “[Town Name]’s story.” Someone apparently forgot to fill in the brackets before the article was published.
This story told a type of narrative known as a “glurge” – a sentimental or heartbreaking story that undermines its own inspirational message by twisting or ignoring the facts.
The origins of the photo
The image of the person with the green shovel and chain sticking out of the ground was originally taken in Alabama in 2019. It was a still from a video shot by the YouTube channel Exploring Alabama.
According to one of the videos, a bulldozer was used to pull the four-meter-long chain out of the ground. The people involved found that the chain was attached to an old 1.8-meter-long piece of railroad track. They also discovered several decades-old bottles, including two for Lucky Tiger hair tonic.
The same moment with the chain in the ground that was seen in the posts and articles above can be seen in this video at minute 2:16:
In this other video the chain is pulled up at 4:36:
In other words, the Alabama videos may have involved a father, but the real story of the chain did not involve gardening in someone’s backyard, nor did anyone express any regret, as the false story claimed.
