According to some stories David Colbert "Cobb" McCanles was a
lazy, ruthless man from North Carolina with a checkered background.
McCanles was said to have buried a kettle full of gold with a pick and
shovel in early July, 1861, less than a half-hour walk from his Elkhorn
Stage Station, which was formerly called the Rock Creek Station. He
planned to hunt gold in Colorado, but wanted a cache to come back to
if his Colorado exploits were unsuccessful. He told Sarah Skull, his
mistress, that the treasure was "close by."
Cobb McCanles was eager to leave for Colorado with Sarah Skull
and had rented his stage station to Russell, Majors & Waddel, a freight
outfit. McCanles and three of his relatives, including McCanles' 12-year
old son, went to the Elkhorn Stage Station to collect the rent before
McCanles left for Colorado. Among the Russell, Majors & Waddell
employees at the stage station was a young stable hand, James Butler
Hickock, who later became known as the Western legend "Wild Bill"
Hickock. Hickock was also said to have been Sarah Skull's lover.
A confrontation occurred between McCanles and the Russell, Majors
& Waddel employees. One version of the tale says eight men were killed
in the gunfight including Cobb McCanles. Another version of the story
says three men were killed. Hickock was supposed to have started the
gunfight by killing McCanles in an ambush.
After McCanles died, Sarah Skull told others about McCanles' cache
and offered to split it with any finder. No one could find the cache so
Sarah left the area. The site is now a state park.
lazy, ruthless man from North Carolina with a checkered background.
McCanles was said to have buried a kettle full of gold with a pick and
shovel in early July, 1861, less than a half-hour walk from his Elkhorn
Stage Station, which was formerly called the Rock Creek Station. He
planned to hunt gold in Colorado, but wanted a cache to come back to
if his Colorado exploits were unsuccessful. He told Sarah Skull, his
mistress, that the treasure was "close by."
Cobb McCanles was eager to leave for Colorado with Sarah Skull
and had rented his stage station to Russell, Majors & Waddel, a freight
outfit. McCanles and three of his relatives, including McCanles' 12-year
old son, went to the Elkhorn Stage Station to collect the rent before
McCanles left for Colorado. Among the Russell, Majors & Waddell
employees at the stage station was a young stable hand, James Butler
Hickock, who later became known as the Western legend "Wild Bill"
Hickock. Hickock was also said to have been Sarah Skull's lover.
A confrontation occurred between McCanles and the Russell, Majors
& Waddel employees. One version of the tale says eight men were killed
in the gunfight including Cobb McCanles. Another version of the story
says three men were killed. Hickock was supposed to have started the
gunfight by killing McCanles in an ambush.
After McCanles died, Sarah Skull told others about McCanles' cache
and offered to split it with any finder. No one could find the cache so
Sarah left the area. The site is now a state park.
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