This is the eighth of a series of Six Questions with dedicated searchers of The Secret (A Treasure Hunt) published in 1982 by Byron Preiss. Each Six Questions of the series takes a look into a proposed location for a buried Casque of The Secret Armchair Treasure Hunt. There were 12 buried casques of which only two have ever been found. When will the next one be brought to surface?

The following takes a look at the believed location for the casque in Houston. Mark Locascio, better known on the forums as Wilhouse, is another searcher which has been with The Secret since the start. How wonderful it is to get perspectives and thoughts from those who have lived the adventure for almost 40 years now! Enjoy!

It is believed Image 8 matches with Verse 1 leading to Houston

1Q) When did you first hear about The Secret?

My mom always felt that birthdays were for her to give you a present that she thought you’d like. She had previously given me an impossible puzzle on my birthday (all the pieces were green, both sides, and there were no straight edges). So in December 1982, she bought me The Secret and said it looked interesting. To say the least. So yes, I’ve been involved with it since its inception.

2Q) What inspired you to look for the Houston Casque?

Simple expedience, since I live in Houston. In 1982 I lived in Sacramento and it wasn’t practical for me to go to SF to dig. Plus there was no internet or computers so you really couldn’t communicate or do on line research.

But in 1990 I got my first computer and started researching people talking about The Secret. I eventually fell into Geocities and afterwards Q4T and started looking at sites. I was in L.A. and there were no indications of casques around me. In 1997 I moved to Houston and when I picked back up on my research I found what I believed was the image and verse for Houston. Credit to catherwood for making that connection on Q4T which I visited regularly and posted on for years.

3Q) What makes you believe the Casque is in Houston? Would you mind sharing some of the highlights of your solution?

My solution has been well documented over the years, so I’m not going to repeat it here.

Preiss told me there was a casque in Houston. I had no reason to doubt him then or now. Plus, Fox’s now infamous finding that some images have the latitude and longitude in them pointed Image 8 to Houston. The 982 train outside the zoo linked it to verse 1.

I have been convinced, and still am, that the casque was in or right next to the Children’s Zoo (CZ) in Hermann Park. Below is the image I sent to Preiss detailing my prediction on where he was when he had Image 8 drawn and where the casque was.

Here are some snippets from Preiss:

6/15/2004 – take a picture
(6/25/2004 – sent Preiss picture attached)
6/25/2004 – sometime in the next month i will go to the vault and check
(7/6/2005 – again sent Preiss picture attached, telling him the CZ would be destroyed in construction)
7/7/2005 – it might be there…
7/8/2005 – it would not be a waste of time to dig there, but I cannot make any guarantees whatsoever.
He said in further discussions he would check and get back to me…
7/9/2005 – Preiss dies in car accident

The CZ was modified many times over the years, especially the dirt areas. It is possible it’s been gone for years. Or that I missed it (though I searched almost every area of dirt available with a probe, GPR or shovel). If you want to search for the Houston casque, you have to assume I’m wrong, or else figure out a way to dig under 15 feet of dirt and a bunch of gorillas.

4Q) What is the most unique thing you found while searching or what did you enjoy most about your search?

I always enjoyed the search. I dug with family and friends and the best part was I could say I dug for treasure in the Houston zoo. I was the first to use GPR and so far the only one to use a bulldozer. I met some great people, from the zoo and other treasure hunters, some of whom I’ve known for almost 20 years. It’s been a great adventure.

5Q) What would you say is the major obstacle preventing a successful unearthing of the Casque?

Gorillas.

6Q) Do you have any advice for someone else looking for this treasure or is there something more you would like to add?

Some people ask me if I’m disappointed that I didn’t find the casque. Of course I am. I especially wanted to honor Preiss by finding it. However, I have learned, that the real treasure is the memories you make with your friends and family being out on an adventure. The new people you meet and the new friends you make.

I have nothing to advise for anyone trying to find the Houston casque, except to wish them good luck.