Question: What Texas lake was the site of a pearl rush in the early 1900s?
Answer: Caddo Lake. Around 1910, people from all over the U.S. came to East Texas in search of pearls that could be found in mussels along the shores of what was called The Great Swamp. While Native Americans used the pearls in jewelry for generations, the presence of the valuable gems was largely overlooked until a Japanese man named George Murata reportedly found a pearl at Caddo Lake in 1909. In 1912, nearly $100,000 worth of pearls was extracted from mussels at Caddo Lake. The reservoir was dammed shortly thereafter, causing water levels to rise to the point where it became impractical to dig for mussels along the shore.
