Road Agent Rock
Beaverhead County
Stage coach hold ups are often associated with hidden outlaw loot and Road Agents Rock and the region around it has the history to be a prime location where loot could be hidden. This location was along the stage route between Bannack and Virginia City. The route between Bannack and Virginia City had more murders, robberies and hold ups than any stage route in the country according to some sources, it was roughly 70 miles between the two early towns thus providing plenty of oppertunies for crime. The Plummer Gang is claimed to have had control of the routes traveled and in fact one lost treasure story says there is about $400,000 hidden north of Bannack along the old Rocky Hill Stage Road.
But some other sources have this to say about stage coach robberies in the region. It claimed there were only two stage coach robberies during the time period that Henry Plummer was sheriff. The first was on October 26, 1863 when the Peabody and Caldwell Express was held up between the Rattlesnake Ranch and Bannack, no-where close to Road agents Rock. It was done by two masked men and nobody was hurt. It did cause a stir since it was the first stage robbery in the territory! The second stage to be held up was the Oliver Coach coming to Bannack from Virginia City. Three masked men selected the east side of the Beaverhead River west of the Point of Rock stage station, records claim no one was hurt during this robbery. A failed robbery occurred when a pair of robbers tried to rob the Moody Train (December, 1863) which was carrying around $80,000 in gold at the time. The only lost was some of the personal effects of the robbers who were wounded. The Moody Train was traveling from Bannack over the divide to Red Rock to get to the Snake River diggings.
Nathaniel P. Langford, the author of Vigilante Days and Ways claims that during the time period of summer and fall of 1863 he hauled around 30 trips of lumber from Bannack to the Virginia City region. Langford was never robbed, but did say that the route provided many chances for surprise on the passing travelers due to its nature. Langford also traveled armed which suggests that trouble was likely along the route. Although recorded history shows there were few stage coaches held up, accepted accounts do claim that many were murdered during this time period. It is reasonable that softer targets such as single travelers composed the bulk of the victims.
Still I did come across a source that claims that Road Agent Rock was convent years later to Bannack for the simple reason that tourisism need to be promoted! In a way this sounds much like the claims that Robbers Roost was built after the end of the Plummer Gang. Could the legends about much of the hidden loot have some truth behind them or have they been created over the years and believed by folks who lived thru the early years of the discovery of gold, or could this be a sign that maybe some folks in high positions want to bury the past and move forward?
Either way I would believe that given the chance many who read this account about Road Agents Rock will find it an interesting adventure to go see and once there they can ask themselves if it is possible that this was a prime location to rob unsuspecting travelers.
Beaverhead County
Stage coach hold ups are often associated with hidden outlaw loot and Road Agents Rock and the region around it has the history to be a prime location where loot could be hidden. This location was along the stage route between Bannack and Virginia City. The route between Bannack and Virginia City had more murders, robberies and hold ups than any stage route in the country according to some sources, it was roughly 70 miles between the two early towns thus providing plenty of oppertunies for crime. The Plummer Gang is claimed to have had control of the routes traveled and in fact one lost treasure story says there is about $400,000 hidden north of Bannack along the old Rocky Hill Stage Road.
But some other sources have this to say about stage coach robberies in the region. It claimed there were only two stage coach robberies during the time period that Henry Plummer was sheriff. The first was on October 26, 1863 when the Peabody and Caldwell Express was held up between the Rattlesnake Ranch and Bannack, no-where close to Road agents Rock. It was done by two masked men and nobody was hurt. It did cause a stir since it was the first stage robbery in the territory! The second stage to be held up was the Oliver Coach coming to Bannack from Virginia City. Three masked men selected the east side of the Beaverhead River west of the Point of Rock stage station, records claim no one was hurt during this robbery. A failed robbery occurred when a pair of robbers tried to rob the Moody Train (December, 1863) which was carrying around $80,000 in gold at the time. The only lost was some of the personal effects of the robbers who were wounded. The Moody Train was traveling from Bannack over the divide to Red Rock to get to the Snake River diggings.
Nathaniel P. Langford, the author of Vigilante Days and Ways claims that during the time period of summer and fall of 1863 he hauled around 30 trips of lumber from Bannack to the Virginia City region. Langford was never robbed, but did say that the route provided many chances for surprise on the passing travelers due to its nature. Langford also traveled armed which suggests that trouble was likely along the route. Although recorded history shows there were few stage coaches held up, accepted accounts do claim that many were murdered during this time period. It is reasonable that softer targets such as single travelers composed the bulk of the victims.
Still I did come across a source that claims that Road Agent Rock was convent years later to Bannack for the simple reason that tourisism need to be promoted! In a way this sounds much like the claims that Robbers Roost was built after the end of the Plummer Gang. Could the legends about much of the hidden loot have some truth behind them or have they been created over the years and believed by folks who lived thru the early years of the discovery of gold, or could this be a sign that maybe some folks in high positions want to bury the past and move forward?
Either way I would believe that given the chance many who read this account about Road Agents Rock will find it an interesting adventure to go see and once there they can ask themselves if it is possible that this was a prime location to rob unsuspecting travelers.
