"The Devil and Tom Walker" begins by establishing a legend surrounding Captain Kidd, a pirate and privateer who once operated in the New England area. Kidd supposedly had amassed a large fortune, though it was never found. This story relates that Kidd buried the fortune in a wooden inlet outside of Boston, but its location was forgotten when Kidd was hanged shortly thereafter.
Kidd, and his treasure, don't take up very much space in the plot following their introduction; they are simply established as a part of the introduction. This may have been a choice on Irving's part to give the story an "American" flavor, or just to contribute to the mood, tone and setting of the story. For example, the treasure is said to be guarded by Satan, which foreshadows unfortunate circumstances for anyone who seeks it.
The treasure probably qualifies as a macguffin: a plot device intended more as a means by which to motivate the characters rather than being intrinsically important due to its nature. The relevance of the treasure being buried, or having pirate origins, is relatively inconsequential to the plot by the end of the story.
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