Well how life keeps throwing heaters. Finally found myself after yet another breakdown. As the saying goes, it's hard to soar with Eagles when you're surrounded by Turkeys.

Got shoved into the outlaw life, saw a barbed wire fence on a walk, hopped it and wandered around. Noticed things. Noticed the trees...then one in particular...that has to be a Sam Bass tree.

Sure enough, when he was on his crime spree knocking over four (4) successful attempts within 25 miles of Dallas, I know where he laid low. I've sat in the seat he made for himself to watch the sunrise. I've discovered his private lake, undisturbed. Based on my research before going out, nobody has been living there since before 1970.

Maybe there's buried gold, probably, but what I found is something way, way, way more impressive if you're into Native Philosophy and Humanism (Hi really good person Indiannation65 you are a trooper if still here!) and also Arborist Art and Horticulture. The things to unpack are just getting started, but if you ever spent a morning splicing bramble branches onto a live oak to make your own security system, well, you'd really like Sam's work.

He didn't become an outlaw because he liked money or theft - he hated the railroad and the way we treated the land compared to the Natives being pushed out of the correct way of life as he saw it. Honestly I'd never have walked this trail if not betrayed by a close, close person to me also involving law enforcement. You can't arrest what you can't catch.

I've emailed Texas Monthly and also copied Robert Wilonsky at DMN now in case they're interested in my 3,000 word part 1 writeup. I think I'm going to ask more than a dollar per word.

If you keep questions generic enough or based on "what was this guy thinking?" there's a lot I've already discovered from written / shared history, but so much more by finding his personal playground where he wanted to retire and continue his work.

It should be on the National Register of Historic Places and restored to its full potential for young people to experience. Especially the getting stabbed by brambles part.

Can post sketches of some trees or maybe a photo snippet, but I gotta get paid for now. Reeeeaaaaalllllyyyy need the money. No man but a fool writes for anything but money...

I've always heard that it's the hill between 35W and Ponder.

Nope, everybody was thinking gold, but his treasure was his art. For him, he'd rather bury the money than let the railroad or jerks have it.

But if you go looking for it and take a minute to stop (because of his booby trap / prank), you get it.

I noticed one of his favorite styles was to work live oak trees to emulate deer antlers. Definitely shows some training by indigenous folks and he took to it.

Literally everywhere and this is before even getting to the obstacle course. Some of the up/down/through/under paths are even split in forks and one way takes you to brambles to the face and the other just enough to have to duck again. Guy just thought in riddles and was bored to tears by regular jobs. That's why he never got caught as a thief. He just wasn't as good with a pistol as I grew up with haha.

Welp, you got to see it, bye thread!

On the land on the northwest corner of I 35 W and the Robson Ranch exit. Supposed to be in a cave on one of two tree covered hilltops. The lake is there, too. I think it's the Hunter Ranch. Lots if rumors about the hideout.

Longhorn Caverns......

I’m with Moto on this one,but using his logic it could be anywhere there are live oak trees.

Yeah, and there’s still loot hidden in some caves out near Stevenville from my g-grandpa stealing horses around 1900.

And my wife struggles finding her car keys.

Yeah that's the point, it's hiding in plain sight and right near major thoroughfares for old rail that still is on track up in Justin but siding now.

I worked rail and BNSF is in the neighborhood. That's why they need dip cups.

There's no reason for Sam to use a cave. Caves are for Neanderthals and winter storage. Gold doesn't go bad. Dirt don't hurt it nor does water.

If IndianNation65 wants to bring a pole for himself and me I will give him a tour but only him. He's the one who should see this out of all of you because it's spirit food. Something that we've been bulldozing for car lots and bigger roads to nowhere instead of walking around and enjoying our own neighborhoods.

Here's the write-up Part 1:

The Ghost of Texas Hero Sam Bass Led Me to His Secret Treasure

Don't whine at me if you're not willing to cough up the money to read it. It's part 1. Part 2 is even better and will have videos. I've still got my claim placed out there old world style.

On a side note, anybody know a connection to this dude? Just found his Master's thesis and about to read it:

Same here.

That was a fun read 6string. Thanks for sharing.

You ran off last time after this was posted. What happened?

Maybe that’s when he, began this treasure hunt, smoked some peyote, then wrote about his treasure hunt?