The Longhorn Caverns Smith, Helena Huntington. Several years ago, a tree that was noted to be similar to the one that was described in the map was found by those seeking Bass treasure was chopped down and the men came up with nothing. One tale involves who else but Sam Bass, who allegedly used the cavern as a hide-out following nearby robberies. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Bass and his gang made off with about $60,000, which included a large number of gold coins, during the robbery. Another pair, composed of James Berry and Nixon, was split up and Berry was captured; Nixon, it is assumed, escaped with his share to Canada. amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "raregold-20"; Personal interview, October 28, 1991. Bass is also tied to legends of treasure buried treasure in Burnet and Llano counties as well as Packsaddle Mountain, Lone Star Treasure reports. amzn_assoc_region = "US"; Sam Bass, an orphan from a young age, brought up a working man who earned success his way in horse racing, then tasted bitter failure and humiliation and probably a ton of self doubt because none . ), and other accounts say that he became a prosperous West Texas rancher (Round Rock Remembers). Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. One of the most common tales is of a loot hid in an old tree by the outlaw. It has been noted that the gang was especially violent, even going so far as to pistol whip a freight agent on the train. Texas history has often referred to him as Texas Beloved Bandit or Robin Hood on a Fast Horse (Centennial Commission). Major Jones was surprised to hear that the gang was moving so far south; he immediately directed Rangers Dick Ware, Chris Conner and George Harold to proceed to Round Rock and be on the lookout for any members of the Bass Gang. As a legend, the accounts of Sams life are as varied as the number of individuals telling the tale. They chose Bass to be their example, and they set out to capture him at any cost. It was at this point that Sam indicated that he was in too much pain to continue (Scarbrough 295-296). A map was found that were said to lead to the alleged treasure. Please know we do not sell your information to third parties as Big Tech sites do. He was able to escape the shooting on horse with another member of his gang however he had to dismount just outside of the town due to the pain. It was here that he also met many of his friends, with whom he would later engage in unlawful activities. In 1860, Larimore took a last trip to the mine with a man named Jim Rowland. In association with Jack Davis and another man known as Nixon, they held up seven stages over the next few months (Ibid. All trademarks are property of their respective owners in the US and other countries. But theres some pretty darn convincing evidence that Sams loot, if there was any left, is somewhere around Denton! Meeting up with Ranger Ware, Jones fired what was considered to be his only shot as a Texas Ranger at the fleeing gang; the bandits returned the fire, missing Jones but lodging a bullet in the stone wall behind him (Webb Century of Frontier Defense 387). Secret map to the famous outlaw Sam Bass hideout and treasure. Grimes never even had the opportunity to draw his gun; six bullet holes were found in his dead body (DiGesualdo and Thompson 113). Bass went to his hideout at Cove Hollow near Denton, Texas. In a desperate attempt to flush the gang out, the Rangers conducted a sweep of all residents suspected of harboring the bandits. Among this treasure is the hidden loot of Sam Bass, an infamous outlaw who lived in the late 1800s. Anyone have a suggestion or other help? So finish that cup of coffee, put on your pants, turn your brain on and get to work. Bass was in Round Rock making plans for a bank robbery. Nathan Smith thinks hes found a sunken ship just north of Corpus Christi, according to OnlyInYourState.com. Its speculated that he likely did not burn through his money so quickly, but rather he likely enjoyed the sport of thievery. Why Are America's Food Processing Plants Suddenly Exploding. One story places the hidden gold in a cave in East Mountain at Mineral Wells (Grigsby). The Williamson County Sun reported that after the bandits picked up their things at their camp, they turned up Georgetown Road, present day Chisholm Trail Road, passing a Mrs. Tisdales place; they then turned down a lane headed towards the woods. Before he died; however, many say that he hid much of the loot from his train, stagecoach and bank robberies somewhere in the area. But one thing is certainno one definitively knows if and where Sam Bass may have hidden his treasure! Doc has written about numerous local places and personalities at his Denton Haunts blog, and is forever indebted to the great work of the fine folks with the Denton County Department of History & Culture as well as our local keepers of history like Mike Cochran and Laura Douglas at the Emily Fowler Library for their tireless work in helping preserve Dentons intriguing past. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive exclusive discounts and industry news. However, you walk in and disappear, but you don't really go anywhere. Sam Bass Treasure Following a train robbery outside of Big Springs, Nebraska, Sam Bass and other outlaws got away with 3,000 twenty-dollar gold pieces, along with jewelry and money taken from the passengers. Murphy, stalling for time, suggested that stealing horses would only raise suspicions and that they should rest their horses and then rob the bank on Saturday. Note: This is ONLY to be used to report spam, advertising, and problematic (harassment, fighting, or rude) posts. A few of the men were later captured or killed. It is believed that he went to Denton for a few days (Ibid. 1978. Yet this fast turnaround led to future stories of Sam hiding his stash in various places around Texas while he went out and committed more robberies. With his death went the knowledge of the location of his treasure caches at Cove Hollow. Glenmoril Wyrd Treasure Map: Eastmarch. Sam was brought to a small shack for questioning, but he did not divulge any information about the members of his gang. I live about 35 miles from the cow town Ogallala Ne. He ran away in 1869 and worked most of a year in a sawmill at Rosedale, Mississippi. By ProvidentMetals.com on September 15, 2017 Filed Under: Extras. We appreciate your readership and sharing of our articles. A deputy named Moore fell, wounded. John R. Banister, the Ranger who was assigned to guard the dying Bass claimed that Sams last words were actually This world is a bubble, trouble wherever you go probably a more fitting epitaph for Sam Basss life (DiGesualdo and Thompson 114). Moore, who had been waiting outside the door of Kopperals Store, entered and opened fire on the bandits, shooting Bass through the hand. All rights reserved. The hunt revolves aroundlocal trivia about Denton's most notorious outlaw, Sam Bass. Because of Big Techs recent banning, receiving email notification circumvents their censorship. The Ballad of Sam Bass, written by John Denton of Gainesville, Texas, was sung by many cowhands in an attempt to sooth the herd on stormy nights. Glenmoril Wyrd Treasure Map: Daggerfall. Born in 1851 on a farm in Indiana, Sam Bass was orphaned by age 13. Its said that John Singer discovered a wooden chest containing $80,000 in Spanish coins and jewelry on the Texas coast and buried it in the sand dunes to protect his treasure from looters. The outlaw, however, did get up and flee. Further supporting this theory is the account from Bass himself who indicated that he had been shot before he reached the horses, not in the alley where Harold claims to have shot him, and that the man that shot him had lather on his face. There are also local legends that Bass used a cave located near Grapevine Lake. Dentons second courthouse, rebuilt in 1876 after the first was allegedly burned to the ground by Sam Bass neer-do-well pal Henry Underwood. The Laginas and Matty Blake help treasure hunters Donna McCauley and Gypsy Jewels search two hideouts in Mineral Springs, Texas where the legendary outlaw Sam Bass is believed to have stashed more than a million dollars in stolen gold. During the time of these Texas train robberies, the Sam Bass Gang was staffed by Frank Jackson, Seaborn Barnes (who was shot in the legs during the Mesquite job), Thomas Spotswood, Arkansas Johnson, Henry Underwood, Sam Pipes and Albert Herndon; Bass and Barns took place in all four of the robberies, Jackson participated in three, Johnson in two and the others in one (Webb Century of Frontier Defense 374). The Sam Bass legends are not the only treasure-filled stories flying around Williamson County. Even with a cache of $10,000 from the robbery, Sam began robbing trains again a few months later. One treasure story dates back to an ancient Spanish document regarding an old Spanish mine, located somewhere near Burnet. Copyright 2023 Provident Metals Corp. All Rights Reserved. At the 1949 movie premiere of Calamity Jane and Sam Bass at the Campus Theater, several old timers claimed that an elderly Frank Jackson had secretly returned 12 years prior hunting for a pot of gold buried near Denton, but he never did find it. So the question remains: Is Sam Bass gold hidden somewhere in Denton? Sam Bass Cave Near Pilot Knob Description Exterior view of Sam Bass Cave located near Pilot Knob. The legend says Bass used Longhorn Caverns as a hideout after some of his robberies although treasure seekers have yet to find any loot there. They uncovered $60,000 worth of freshly minted $20 gold coins from the San Francisco Mint. His money and good spirits attracted many people, some of whom would later become a part of the Sam Bass Gang when he took to robbing trains in Texas. While one man held the horses on the west side of the tracks, one man boarded the engine and held a pistol on the engineer. This eventually took them to Nebraska, where they sold the herd and used the money to take up gold prospecting in the Black Hills. Glenmoril Wyrd Treasure Map: Rivenspire. Saving his earnings, he was able to purchase a 15-hand mare, referred to as the Denton Mare. Mary Claire Patton has been a journalist with KSAT 12 since 2015. On the night of April 13, a box was lifted from the square cut chamber between the rocks, for the next day the workmen were gone and the blasting has ceased. In July, Sam and his gang made it down to Round Rock, just north of Austin. Of course the truth was that the actual Sam Bass Gang at this point was composed of only four individuals, one of whom was now dead and another having deserted the gang. The doctors who examined Sam noted that the bullet had hit a cartridge in his belt and then split in two, part entering his back and passing out near his groin, the other part lodging in his body. As a child, Sam received no formal schooling and he chose to strike out on his own in 1869. #1. Sam gave him all of his money, guns, ammunition and his big bay horse, which was superior to Franks. The trail of Sam Bass continues to near the state capital, where he allegedly buried $30,000 in the community of McNeil. Sam Bass was a Texas outlaw who died in 1877 in Round Rock, Texas at a fairly young age. It is believed that the ambush may have been set into motion by a member of Bass own gang who had cut a deal with law enforcement. Some say Texas Ranger George Herold shot him. Snavely of Taylor, who had hunted treasure for 60 years, found a ruby arrowhead weighing 15 karats, along with many other gemstones. Thanks for having me! If you are seeking to enter any of the caves that Sam Bass and his gang may have frequented, be sure to always exercise the utmost care and caution as cave exploration is most certainly a dangerous task. Westernlore Press, Tucson, Arizona: 1988. They then walked up the street to Kopperals General Store, located at the southeast corner of Mays and Georgetown Avenue. He died on his 27th birthday, two days after he was shot and just eight years after he initially arrived in Texas. It was decided to bury him in the Round Rock Cemetery. The next year, Sam met a teamster named Scott Mayes and the two headed to Denton, Texas, about 30 miles north of Dallas. Ifyado, well seeya at the secret hideout! JavaScript is disabled. Bass went to his hideout at Cove Hollow near Denton, Texas. A few Dentonites claimed Sam had left his treasure somewhere on the Denton Square with a trusted confederate, who took its secret location to their grave before Frank returned. The bandits hitched their horses in the alley north of Georgetown Avenue at the corner of Lampasas. You can hit it with the drill or your pickaxe until it's destroyed and exposes a chest. Other lawmen, who had also been lying in wait, opened fire. Why was he not true?. Whatever the reason, Grimes decided to investigate the strangers intentions. Through patronizing saloons, Sam met Joel Collins in San Antonio and the two men decided to run a herd of cattle up north. At the same time, Ranger Ware crossed the street from Highsmiths Livery Stable to the barber shop. This is the story of Bass and the treasure that may still be out there waiting to be discovered. Anyone have a suggestion or other help? She has reported on several high-profile stories during her career at KSAT and specializes in trending news and things to do around Texas and San Antonio. Longhorn Caverns, outside Burnet, is said to be the home of more than one treasure trove. The legend began several years after Bass' death, when maps leading to the alleged treasure appeared. Why? Sam saved up his money and bought a racehorse that allowed him to quit his job and focus on racing and gambling. One member of the gang was killed while Bass was mortally wounded. Get started by scanning the QR code in the image above. Working on the banks of Shoal Creek, a crew of eight men worked on a forty foot tunnel for over eight months. So Frank never returned to get the outlaw gold. Together they made their escape from the firing citizens and Rangers (Ibid.). Aug. 12, 1902. Over the following few months, they held up seven stagecoaches, but only fared small payoffs. While no one is entirely certain if this is true or not, the area is certainly one in which Bass frequented quite a bit so there is certainly a chance. Where it remains today. During the four months of the Bass War, the gang became the stuff of legend; they led the Rangers on long chases with narrow escapes. Several deputies were shot as well. Carmack, George. In Denton, Sam was considered to be a hard worker and was known for his thriftiness. I have been researching treasure stories in Texas for my history students for an upcoming section. Shootout At Round Rock. San Antonio Express News. Webb, Walter Prescott. New clues to the $60,000 in newly minted gold coins from the train robbery that Sam Bass buried. The legend of Sam Bass has grown way out of proportion in relation to his actual deeds. Born on a farm two miles from Mitchell, Indiana on July 21, 1851, he was soon orphaned and he and his brother and sisters moved to a nearby farm to live with their uncle and his nine children. New clues to the $60,000 in newly minted gold coins from the train robbery that Sam Bass buried just before he died in a bank hold up in Round rock Texas. Found this at a rev war site in SC, any idea what it may be? These pages are adapted from the original 1991 print version. But more important than what he said was that he, Frank and Seaborn also opened fire on Grimes, killing him instantly. The maps stated that the location of Bass treasure was in a hollow tree on what is now called Sam Bass Road, roughly two miles west of Round Rock. Jim was taken to Tyler to face charges of robbing the U.S. mails. Who actually shot Bass has been the subject of much controversy. JavaScript is disabled. 8 Lost Treasures of Texas. It gave citizens something to identify with and it gave the town something to distinguish itself. Allegedly, the robber hid canvas sacks marked U.S. and filled with gold in a cave on Packsaddle Mountain. He had told his buddy to continue the retreat without him. It's how we do our books. It was here that Sam learned how to handle a pistol and honed his card playing skills. Back in Round Rock, the Sam Bass legend was memorialized beginning in 1964 with the establishment of the Frontier Days Celebration. In that spirit, Shaun Treat has collaborated with We Denton Do It to create a treasure hunt keeping with the historical legend. Sam traveled down the Mississippi, to Rosedale, Mississippi, where he worked for a year in Charles Mill. He, along with Sam Bass and another man named Jack Davis, then drove the herd north to Ogallala, Nebraska, where they the herd for $8,000. The firing had also attracted the attention of Major Jones, who was at the International and Great Northern Telegraph Office at the time of the initial shooting. Sam Bass was barely cold in the ground when folks started hunting for his hidden gold, and still are to this day. By using this site you consent to the use of these cookies by various third-party partners such as Google and other advertisers. The gangs success in avoiding capture can be ascribed to both the difficulties of the terrain and ineptness of their pursuers (Smith 33). According to the story, Comanche Indians were chasing a train of pack mules carrying hefty loads of silver and the men in charge of the bounty buried the silver to keep it from being stolen. It to create a treasure hunt keeping with the drill or your pickaxe until it destroyed! 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