The legendary Red River Treasure continues to captivate treasure hunters and history enthusiasts alike, a tale spun from a daring 1894 bank robbery and a significant cache of gold coins lost along the Texas-Oklahoma border. This enduring mystery centers around $10,000 in gold, reportedly buried on the south bank of the mighty Red River, waiting to be rediscovered over a century after its disappearance.
The Daring 1894 Bowie Bank Robbery
In the spring of 1894, the tranquil town of Bowie, Texas, was shattered by a brazen robbery at the First National Bank. Four notorious bandits stormed the bank, making off with an impressive sum of $28,000. While a substantial portion of this loot consisted of paper currency, a crucial $10,000 was in the form of twenty-dollar gold pieces, a detail that would later fuel the legend of the Red River Treasure. The outlaws, having secured their ill-gotten gains, immediately turned their horses north, aiming for the relative safety of Indian Territory across the Red River.
A Frontier Chase and a Flooded River
As the bank robbers galloped north, news of their crime quickly spread, reaching the ears of U.S. Deputy Marshal Lewis Palmore, stationed in Indian Territory (modern-day Oklahoma). Palmore received a timely telegram from the Bowie City Marshal, alerting him to the bandits’ escape route and their likely destination. Knowing the Red River was notoriously unpredictable and currently flooded, Palmore shrewdly anticipated that the thieves would have to cross at a known ford: Rock Crossing. He quickly assembled a posse, preparing a strategic ambush on the northern, Oklahoma side of the river.
The Double Ambush and Missing Gold
After a long day’s ride, the four outlaws reached the south bank of the swollen Red River. Realizing they were being pursued by a Texas posse from the south, they plunged into the turbulent waters, desperately swimming alongside their horses. They were, however, completely unaware that they were riding directly into a second, more formidable ambush. On the northern bank, Marshal Palmore and his deputies lay in wait. The element of surprise was complete; the four men were swiftly apprehended. Upon searching their saddlebags, Palmore’s posse recovered approximately $18,000 in paper money. Yet, to the bewilderment of the lawmen, not a single one of the $10,000 in twenty-dollar gold pieces was found.
A Dying Confession and an Enduring Hint
The captured outlaws were subsequently transported to Fort Smith, Arkansas, where they faced the stern justice of the infamous
