Reno Brother's Lost Loot
I'm very interested in the area of Rockford Indiana, Jackson county. This is the area where the Reno gang were notorious for robbing and killing travelers, as well as hiding loot from train robberies and banks. Doing a modern map overlay shows the old town of Rockford at least 1.5 miles west near the river from where Rockford is today. Any comments?
I am a native of Jackson County, heard about all the stories from my grandparents and other old timers before their passing. The Renos had two different stashes that was never accounted for. Out of the two, the only one I believe that could be found would be the last train robbery. Between the time the robbery took place, the distance they traveled to when they were caught/seen is about a ten mile stretch. Sounds like a lot of area to cover, but by process of elimination I believe I have narrowed it down to less than a quarter of a mile.
I can not and will not give all the details how I came to this conclusion, but White River runs along the side of the rail road is one of my biggest reasons for deciding the possible where about of the hidden safe box.
Knowing a few details of the robbery gives clues. They got on the train at the Seymour Depot that was at that time on the east side of town. They rummaged the baggage car while the train made it's way through town, made their way to the express car and jumped off near Shields Watering tower that isn't far from the Ewing Indiana. Many says the train was traveling south, but fact is it was southwest. From this point they traveled the tracks west to where they was captured/seen near the rail road trestle east of Medora Indiana. At time it was said they had already hidden the loot.
Now we have narrowed down to about a 5 mile stretch of tracks. Again, it sounds like a lot of ground, but there is other factors in the story that tells a tale to give clues. One, the time they needed to travel, the weight of the safe box (guessing 300-400lbs), did they have horses waiting ( I would say yes because they had relatives in that area), the terrain at that time and weather. Two, as a general rule if you was going to hide something fast, you would want it to be in a location you could come back at a later date and find. You wouldn't want it to be discovered or uncovered nor washed away, nor buried further in flood water and muck.
I just so happen to know this stretch of tracks for it was my stomping grounds where I grew up. I know the tracks and woods from hunting squirrels, rabbits and deer. I know the fields from arrow head hunting. The river from swimming, fishing and camping along it. I know where most all the old historic homesteads were. And even out houses.
I been thinking back some 30 years ago when I was out squirrel or rabbit hunting one winter. I found a possibility find that I never followed up on. Not far off the tracks I found an object side made of iron that was starting to uncover from an uprooted fallen cottenwood tree. I could only see about an 8 inch by 14 inch area of it. It was like bands of 3 inch iron weaved like a flat basket. I tried to uncover it with nearby sticks, but the ground was too froze to make any progress. I covered it up and gave up to return later (but never did). But planning a trip back soon to follow up. It maybe nothing but an adventure, but then again, who knows.
Decades has past and now I am wondering once again if possible what I found was a safe box or some relic trash.
In other posts on here, I read the Reno's was hung in New Albany. That is false. Vigilantes broke them out of the New Albany jail, took them back to the west side of Seymour and hung them on an Elm Tree that is now known as Hangman's Crossing at the far west of Seymour just off what is now State Highway 50.
