Some of the rumors circulating at the time had his ill-gotten gain totaling upwards of two million dollars’ worth of gold. Legend has it that that Sam Bass used Longhorn Cavern as a hideout and that he left stolen money there. 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. According to The Rising Star Record (May 12, 1927), the treasure was purloined by workers on April 13, 1927. At Longhorn Cavern State Park in Burnet County, folks are still searching for Sam Bass’ gold. Outlaw years Union Pacific Big Springs robbery. One tale involves who else but Sam Bass, who allegedly used the cavern as a hide-out following nearby robberies. Longhorn Caverns, outside Burnet, is said to be the home of more than one treasure trove. Pinging is currently not allowed. Today the main opening of the cave is called the Sam Bass entrance. Topics include Hours & Pricing, Tours & Groups, Accessibility, Pets & Service Animals, Children & Infants, Events & Production, and more. The explorers had been bitten by cave ticks. The location is on private land, but it is located on Signal Hill, which can easily be spotted from Interstate 35. No treasure was ever recovered, and today there is little remaining of the original McNeil, located in the northern part of Travis County near Round Rock. After young Sam Bass inadvertently causes an outlaw to gun down the sheriff, everyone in town turns against him, so he decides to join up with the outlaw. Some say the treasure was found by a Mexican laborer, hired by a local rancher to cut fence posts on Packsaddle Mountain. Allegedly, the robber hid canvas sacks marked “U.S.” and filled with gold in a cave on Packsaddle Mountain. He was orphaned before he was thirteen and spent five years at the home of an uncle. No one’s found the Spanish silver cache, but some treasure seekers in this area have struck gold–or gemstones, as the case may be. Bass was in Round Rock making plans for a bank robbery. One of the most common tales is of a loot hid in an old tree by the outlaw. Passport to Texas is a Texas Parks & Wildlife Department site. $2 million.,: Please let us know as comment, if the answer is not correct! Sam Bass, (born July 21, 1851, near Mitchell, Ind., U.S.—died July 21, 1878, Round Rock, Texas), American Western outlaw who was finally gunned down by the Texas Rangers.. Bass left his Indiana home at age 18 and drifted to Texas, where in 1874 he befriended Joel Collins. COVID-19 Resources. ... for something … Sam's first brush with the law was over a horse racing dispute. In the 1920s, during prohibition, Burnet County residents used the cave as a speakeasy; they installed a wooden dance floor where residents danced to live bands. (Last Privacy Policy Update July 2020), Byways & Historic Trails – Great Drives in America, Soldiers and Officers in American History. Llano County is home to other buried treasure sites, including $60,000 in gold and silver coins buried by Sam Bass near the community of Castell in the western part of the county. Per the governor’s Executive Order GA 29, effective July 3, 2020, face coverings are required in the Longhorn Cavern State Park visitor center and on all cavern tours. Nov 20, 2013 - Explore Denise Paula's board "~Outlaw Sam Bass~", followed by 613 people on Pinterest. And much of this treasure lies under the rugged oaks and rocky landscape of the Texas Hill Country. The Shoal Creek treasure may be gone, but plenty of others lie beneath the surface of the Hill Country. Bass buried the loot on a creek bed, marking the spot with a rock in a fork of a tree. The treasure has never been recovered and is said to be in a … What was it?" The Sam Bass legends are not the only treasure-filled stories flying around Williamson County. An estimated $340 million. With Don Collier, Barton MacLane, Dennis Patrick, Walter Burke. The location was said to be in a hollow tree on what is now the Sam Bass Road, about two miles west of Round Rock. About the Authors:  Paris Permenter and John Bigley are a husband-wife team of travel writers and guidebook authors based in the Texas Hill Country. Outlaw Sam Bass and his band of train robbers were operating out of Denton county around 1874, they hid in the cave … Sam Bass, outlaw, was born on a farm near Mitchell, Indiana, on July 21, 1851, a son of Daniel and Elizabeth Jane (Sheeks) Bass. When questioned, they replied that they were working on “the foundation for a new bridge” and, later, “the foundation of a fine house.”  A guard was kept on the tunnel at night. Snavely of Taylor, who had hunted treasure for 60 years, found a ruby arrowhead weighing 15 karats, along with many other gemstones. Two of the privates murdered their co-conspirators. That’s our show for today…Brought to you in part by RAM Trucks. He would simply have stopped by one of the caves where millions of his dollars are said to have been buried, and hightailed it to Mexico, … For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti. He was shot trying to rob a Round Rock bank. The two men hauled out several hundred pounds of the metal, shaping it into bullets. And while there's no evidence to prove it, legend has it that Old West outlaw Sam Bass hid his stolen millions somewhere inside. WordPress It was dedicated as a state park in 1932 and in 1938 was opened to the public. he robbed the Union Pacific Railroad in September of 1877 and got away with more than $60,000 in gold; he gave portions of the stolen money to strangers who were needy; finally, he was betrayed and mortally wounded at Round Rock on the day of his 27th birthday. Geologically, it has formations known as calcite channels, crystals, columns and draperies. "...1. a trunk of jewelry 2. In 1860, Larimore took a last trip to the mine with a man named Jim Rowland. and Comments (RSS). No Bass treasure has been found, but even today, parts of the 11-mile cavern are still being explored. Legend has it that outlaw Sam Bass hid something inside the cavern. The total value? Legendary outlaw Sam Bass is said to have buried his bounty from stagecoach, train and bank robberies near Round Rock. Packsaddle Mountain is also the home of the Blanco Mine, named for a Spaniard who found the location long ago. Sam Bass (outlaw) is similar to these people: Richard West (outlaw), George E. Goodfellow, Billy Stiles and more. One tale involves who else but Sam Bass, who allegedly used the cavern as a hide-out following nearby robberies. The biggest treasure of all, some say $3 million dollar’s worth, is said to be buried in Austin. Your email address will not be published. Sam Bass was a Texas outlaw who died in 1877 in Round Rock, Texas at a fairly young age. An outlaw, gambler, and train robber, Sam Bass is … During the Cold War and President Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration, the cavern was to be used as a bunker. The real treasure is its geology and history. Where there had once been a metal container–and possibly a treasure–there was only a rust-lined hole. Entries (RSS) He joined a gang and robbed the Union Pacific Railroad gold train from San Francisco, California.Bass and his men intercepted the train on September 18, 1877, at Big Springs, Nebraska, looting $60,000.To date, this is the single largest robbery of the Union Pacific. "The cave is about 70 feet long, and about three miles northeast of Roanoke. They mined bat guano, used to manufacture gunpowder during the Civil War. Another Longhorn Cavern tale involves the search for a treasure supposedly buried on Woods Ranch near Burnet. 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 born in Indiana, as everyone who has ever heard the “Ballad of Sam Bass” knows. His face glistening with the sheen of sweat, he works faster and faster, listening all the while for distant hoofbeats. Many legends and stories surround the cave. History of the Sam Bass Outlaw Gang . Supposedly, he diverted a gully directly into the mine, filling it with silt. Another version of the story says the gold still lies hidden somewhere in the mountain.Packsaddle Mountain is also the home of the Blanco Mine, named for a Spaniard who found the location long ago. Part of the booklet appears to be from a letter, and an the author and publisher of the booklet are unknown, although the author claims to be the child of Captain Jack McCulloch of the Texas Rangers. Please see the text of the order for more information. Help plan your visit to Longhorn Cavern State Park with these answers to our guests' most frequently asked questions. With permission from private landowners, anyone is free to take a pick and shovel and, like generations have done in the past, search for gold. In 1878, outlaw Sam Bass was in Round Rock hiding from the law while making plans for another bank robbery. See more ideas about texas history, outlaw, old west. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. He can’t let anyone see him–he has something to hide. Historically: Confederates used the cavern during the Civil War to make gun powder from bat guano. Legend has it that that Sam Bass used Longhorn Cavern as a hideout and that he left stolen money there. People similar to or like Sam Bass (outlaw) 19th-century American Old West train robber and outlaw, who died as a result of wounds sustained in a gun battle with Texas Rangers. Sam soon quit this job to become owner of a one-man racing stable. About 229 treasure sites … Bass (Baz) L. Outlaw was a lawman, gunfighter, and Texas Ranger during the days of the American West.. Bass Outlaw was born in 1854 to Meshack Napoleon and MaryAnn Elizabeth Smith Outlaw in Lee County, Georgia. Sam Bass was a Texas outlaw who died in 1877 in Round Rock, Texas at a fairly young age. One cave that is believed to have been frequented by Bass and his gang is located in Longhorn Caverns State Park in Burnet County, about 63 miles northwest of Austin. Longhorn Cavern State Park is open. [citation needed] Shortly af­ter­ward, Bass formed his own gang (in Texas), which staged a string of rob­beries. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Before his death from a shootout with the Texas Rangers in 1879, they say Bass hid much of his loot from bank, train, and stagecoach robberies somewhere in … "According to Dr. J. H. Allen of Justin, who started practicing there in 1902, said the cave and some of the land in the immediate vicinity have always been infested with ticks." A tree similar to the one described on the map was spotted by treasure-hunters and chopped down–only to come up empty. In addition to cavern tours, check out the calendar section of the TPW website for events planned inside the cavern. We follow the exploits of Sam Bass, legendary outlaw in the old west about the 1800s. Sam ran away from home about 1869 and wound up in Denton County, Texas, where he worked as a teamster. He made a map of the site, showing that it was buried five feet underground, close to an oak tree with two eagle wings carved on it. Larimore, who was leaving the country, declared that he would hide the mine so well that no other person would ever find it. No one knows for certain if Sam Bass hid that much gold in Longhorn Caverns, or hid any gold—or even visited the cavern, for that matter. Texas is estimated to have $340 million in buried treasure, more than any other state in the U.S., according to TexasHillCountry.com. No Bass treasure has been found, but even today, parts of the 11-mile cavern are still being explored. Today the main opening of the cave is called the Sam Bass entrance. While hunting, Larimore discovered the old mine–with its contents of lead and a high percentage of silver. Fron a good family, Bass grew up to be a refined gentleman, but he had a serious drinking problem that continually got him into trouble.. After he allegedly … Your email address will not be published. [Answer] Visitors to Longhorn Cavern State Park outside Austin will learn that outlaw Sam Bass is said to... Hayyil April 06, 2019 Step 1 : Introduction to the question " Visitors to Longhorn Cavern State Park outside Austin will learn that outlaw Sam Bass is said to have hid something inside the cavern. This entry was posted Longhorn Cavern State Park If the walls could talk at Longhorn Cavern, boy would they have some ... Sam Bass hid his stolen millions somewhere inside. Heading west, back into the heart of the Hill Country, lie a number of treasure sites. The land for Longhorn Cavern State Park was acquired between 1932 and 1937 from private owners. You can learn all about these stories and more — and of course, see the cavern's truly unique formations — by hopping onto their guided walking tour, which is offered 364 days out of the year. Sam Bass (July 21, 1851 ‒ July 21, 1878) was a 19th-century American Old West train robber and outlaw, who died as a result of wounds sustained in a gun battle with Texas Rangers.Notoriously, he was part of a gang that robbed a train of $60,000 (equivalent to $1.4 million in 2019). Working on the banks of Shoal Creek, a crew of eight men worked on a forty foot tunnel for over eight months. Built to Serve. The outlaw Sam Bass and his gang are reputed to have hidden in the caverns back in the days of the Old West. After fail­ing at a se­ries of le­git­i­mate en­ter­prises, Bass turned to crime. According to one version of the story, the rancher went to look for the laborer when he failed to return to the ranch. Sam Bass (1851-1878) owned one of the fastest horses in Texas. … The remaining outlaw returned to Mexico, then found he was unable to come to Texas again. We use cookies. As a child, Sam received no formal schooling and he chose to strike out on his own in 1869. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Anglo settlers discovered the cavern in the mid-1800s. Texas has more buried treasure than any other state, with 229 sites within the state’s borders. According to one source, this money, part of the Mexican payroll in 1836, was stolen by the paymaster, a general, and seven privates. What was it? After failing at a series of legitimate enterprises, Bass turned to crime. During prohibition, the cave was a speakeasy, and a large room was used for a ballroom. This portion of Passport to Texas is powered by Passport to Texas is made available by: Sport Fish & Wildlife Restoration. Before he died; however, many say that he hid much of the loot from his train, stagecoach and bank robberies somewhere in the area. Sam Bass was born on July 21, 1851 near Mitchell, Indiana. Small booklet published for the Sam Bass Cafe that includes lyrics to the Sam Bass Song, a biographic retelling of the Sam Bass Story, and a brief description f Round Rock, Texas. A man in soiled clothes quickly throws another shovelful of dirt over his shoulder. Among this treasure is the hidden loot of Sam Bass, an infamous outlaw who lived in the late 1800s. When Sam Bass was born in 1851 to a respectable Indiana family, no one could have predicted the wild path his life would take, or that he would one day become a notorious figure of the half-civilized frontier[i]. Country, lie a number of treasure sites has something to hide then covered it with silt addition cavern. That the treasure was found by a Mexican laborer, hired by a Mexican laborer, hired a... 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