It is best not to always believe everything that you are told.................

[Kelley (Texas)]

A couple of days ago, I received a phone call from a friend of mine, telling me that I needed to call a man that could tell me about a possible treasure site. Billy and I visited for a few minutes, talked about the normal things that friends talk about. Near the end of the conversation he again told me that I needed to call the man, that he was expecting my call. After he gave me the man's name and telephone number, we ended the call.

After I poured myself a cup of coffee, I picked the phone up and called the man. He was an old Hispanic man that was 89 years old and had grown up in the area that he was fixin to tell me about. He told me that he knew where an old bar was located near Martinez, Texas where some gangsters back in the early 1930's got in a gun battle with a rival gang. This one gang hung out at this bar and there were rumors that they had money hidden on the property. He gave me directions where the old bar was located on Farm to Market Road 1346, just a short distance from a gas station. After I hung up the telephone, I headed for the computer...Google was going to be busy that night.

After a couple of hours on that computer, I could not find anything pertaining to gangster activity at Martinez, Texas in the early 1930's. This puzzled me because the old Hispanic man seem convinced that there was a treasure hidden at that old bar, hidden by gangsters. I thought about it for a few minutes, thinking to myself that the site was not too far from the famous bar owned by the Alligator Man. He was the one that would kill his bar maids and feed their bodies to his pet alligators that he kept in a pit behind his bar. His name was Joe Ball and he had been a bootlegger in the early 1930's before he opened his bar. Then and there, I made the decision to check the site out, see if the story had any merit.

After a light breakfast, nothing really planned for the day...well, nothing planned that I wanted to do, I decided to take a ride over to Martinez, Texas and check out the story about the Pancho Villa Lounge and the gangsters. It took a while, but I finally found a Pancho Villa Lounge, but something was wrong! I thought to myself, must be another Pancho Villa Lounge in the area, so I drove around the area for pretty near an hour until it dawned on me that it had to be the one that the old man had told me about. I pulled off the road in front of the bar and grabbed my camera...I was laughing so hard that I almost fell as I got out of the pickup truck. After I took the pictures, I drove around the area and took a few other pictures of some interesting sites that I had seen. Needless to say, I must admit that I at least enjoyed myself and isn't that what life is all about? I think that the old man let his imagination get the best of him and he probably enjoyed the attention that he was getting too! This evening I will give him a phone call, thank him and visit with him for awhile...maybe he will give me another treasure lead. Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas)

This is the famous Pancho Villa Lounge that the old Hispanic man told me about. I don't think that you could get more than three tables inside this bar.
[attachment 155230 PanchoVillaLounge_4.jpg]

[attachment 155231 PanchoVillaLounge_5.jpg]

This looks like it would be a good Mexican Cafe to eat at...notice the breakfast special posted in the window?
[attachment 155232 HenrysMexicanCafe_2.jpg]

If you ever need an affordable attorney, you might keep this man in mind.
[attachment 155233 attorney_1.jpg]

This is some type of prayer center located a short distance from the bar. Please note the "handi-cap" parking signs in front of the building.
[attachment 155234 prayercenter_5.jpg]

[attachment 155235 prayercenter_4.jpg]

 

[Wayne in BC]

the Christmas lights up, do you think there could be a Canadian connection?
Maybe you should detect there anyway? Wish i had been with you as that breakfast special looks good! Perfect place to set with a friend.
Thanks for the pics

 

[Kelley (Texas)]

I need to try to find out who owns the old bar. Kelley (Texas)

 

[Micheal_R]

Wish that I was down in your neck of the woods.

Looks beautiful

Calm seas

Micheal

 

[George-CT]

size of it, a lot of them might of spend more time outside. Should be some goodies laying around there.

Seem to be a lot of vacant places around there to detect if they allow it. Some here but very hard to get permission. People up this way are very guarded. I know where there was a very old Tavern from way back. Its actually a TV repair shop now but its still a no go to detect there. Maybe when he moves, I will get a shot at it. I don't dare tell him my interest in why. I doubt he knows what it was or cares. Nice pictures..... Good luck swinging there.

George-CT

 

[Cupajo]

Fred I remember some of those old beer joints, my Dad's home away from home.

The ground around the places was usually paved with beer and soda bottle caps!

Good luck finding a coin in that mess!

CJ

 

[Royal]

that was a business and people came there to spend money. It doesn't look like it had bathrooms and if not those fellers had to wizz somewhere. That somewhere had to be out back and you can bet if that place has not been hunted there are coins around there. Has to be. Maybe not a hidden treasure but I would check it out with a detector for sure. No telling what might be there. It would be great if the place didn't have a floor, you know, just a dirt floor as any coins that were dropped the would still be there if nobody has swung a loop there.

Looks good to me