Big Jack Davis – Nevada Outlaw
The vast and rugged landscape of Nevada, a territory brimming with opportunity and peril in the mid-19th century, served as the stage for countless tales of fortune, ambition, and lawlessness. Among the many figures who carved their names into the annals of the Wild West, Andrew Jackson "Big Jack" Davis stands out as a complex character, a man whose trajectory led him from honest beginnings to a life of crime and infamy. This is the story of Big Jack Davis, a Nevada outlaw.
Born Andrew Jackson Davis, the man who would become known as "Big Jack" possessed an intellect and education that set him apart from many of his contemporaries in the rough-and-tumble world of mining. His initial foray into the West mirrored the aspirations of thousands who flocked to California during the Gold Rush. He toiled in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, driven by the dream of striking it rich. However, the elusive fortune proved resistant to his efforts. Disappointed but not defeated, Davis, ever the pragmatist, sought new avenues for prosperity.
In late 1859, Davis crossed the state line into the Nevada Territory, drawn by the allure of the Comstock Lode, a silver mining district of immense potential. Unlike many who continued to swing pickaxes and sift through dirt, Davis recognized an opportunity in providing essential services to the burgeoning mining community. He astutely observed the needs of the miners and, with characteristic resourcefulness, established the first stable in Gold Hill. This marked a departure from the physical labor of mining and a step towards entrepreneurship.
However, the mundane tasks of tending to livestock and managing the stable soon lost their appeal. Davis, a man of considerable ambition and a restless spirit, sought a more lucrative and perhaps less strenuous path. He leased a small bullion mill in Six Mile Canyon, a strategic location east of Virginia City. While ostensibly operating a legitimate business, the mill served as a front for a far more sinister enterprise. This is where the tale of Big Jack Davis, Nevada outlaw, truly begins to take shape.
Beneath the veneer of a respectable businessman, Davis was secretly assembling a gang of outlaws. This carefully selected group of individuals would become instrumental in his transformation into a notorious figure in the region. The mill, seemingly a center for processing precious metals, became the hub for a network of illicit activities. Davis, the shrewd and calculating leader, orchestrated a series of daring robberies targeting stagecoaches, bullion wagons, and even trains traversing the vast expanse of Western Nevada.
The stolen gold and silver, the fruits of their audacious heists, were brought back to the mill. There, under the cover of legitimate operations, the stolen bullion was melted down and recast into "legitimate" gold bars. This ingenious method allowed Davis to launder the ill-gotten gains, effectively erasing the traces of their criminal origins. The facade of legitimacy provided him with a shield, allowing him to operate with relative impunity for a time.
One of the most daring and well-documented exploits of Big Jack Davis and his gang was the robbery of the Central Pacific Railroad on November 4, 1870. The audacious plan involved boarding the train at Verdi, a small town nestled near the California-Nevada border. Among the members of the gang were John Squires, James Gilchrist, Tilton Cockerill, and R.A. Jones. As the train chugged along its route, paralleling the Truckee River, the robbers executed their plan with precision.
In a deserted stretch of track, the gang members discreetly disconnected the express car from the passenger coaches, leaving the rest of the train behind. They then stormed into the express car, encountering minimal resistance from the Wells Fargo messenger. With the express car under their control, they ordered the engineer to halt the train near an abandoned stone quarry. The robbers then made off with a substantial haul, estimated at nearly $40,000 in gold and silver coins – a considerable sum in those days.
Despite the initial success of the robbery and the gang’s careful planning, their downfall was ultimately triggered by the reckless behavior of one of their own. R.A. Jones, unable to resist the temptation of his newfound wealth, began to spend his share of the loot lavishly. His sudden and inexplicable display of affluence aroused suspicion, leading to his arrest and interrogation. Under pressure, Jones confessed to his involvement in the train robbery and implicated the other members of the gang, including the mastermind, Big Jack Davis.
Following Jones’ confession, authorities launched a swift and decisive crackdown on the gang. Much of the stolen cache was recovered and returned to the Central Pacific Railroad Company. However, rumors persisted that a portion of the loot remained hidden, buried along the north bank of the Truckee River, somewhere between Reno and Laughton’s Hot Springs, near the site of the long-abandoned River Inn. This speculation fueled countless treasure hunts in the years that followed, with hopeful prospectors scouring the area in search of the fabled hidden gold.
The capture of Big Jack Davis and his accomplices marked the end of their reign of terror. All five men were convicted and sentenced to serve time in the Nevada State Prison. Davis received a ten-year sentence for his role in the train robbery and other crimes. However, his story took an unexpected turn while incarcerated.
In 1871, a large-scale prison break occurred, involving 29 inmates. Among those who escaped were three of Davis’ fellow Verdi train robbers. Despite having the opportunity to flee with the others, Davis chose to remain behind. He even went so far as to cooperate with prison officials, providing valuable information that aided in the apprehension of the escapees.
Davis’s unexpected cooperation earned him the respect and admiration of the prison warden, P.C. Hyman. Warden Hyman, impressed by Davis’s willingness to assist in maintaining order and his apparent remorse, wrote to the Board of Pardons, advocating for his early release. In his letter, Hyman highlighted Davis’s assistance and argued that he had demonstrated a genuine desire to reform. The Board of Pardons, swayed by Hyman’s recommendation, granted Davis a pardon, and he was released from prison on February 16, 1875.
Despite his apparent rehabilitation and the opportunity to start anew, Davis found himself drawn back to his old ways. It wasn’t long before he returned to a life of crime, once again robbing stagecoaches across the Nevada landscape. He became known for his meticulous planning, targeting only those stages that carried a single shotgun messenger, minimizing the risk of a violent confrontation.
However, his caution and careful planning ultimately proved insufficient. On September 3, 1877, while attempting to rob a stagecoach at Warm Springs, Nevada, Davis was fatally shot during the attempted robbery. His life of crime and adventure came to a violent end, leaving behind a legacy that would be etched into the folklore of the Wild West.
The legend of Big Jack Davis, Nevada outlaw, extends beyond his criminal exploits and violent demise. The rumors of hidden treasure, particularly the gold allegedly buried along the Truckee River, have persisted for generations. Treasure hunters continue to search for the lost loot, driven by the allure of untold riches. Some even claim that the ghost of Jack Davis, a white screaming phantom, guards the treasure, scaring away those who dare to venture too close.
The story of Big Jack Davis serves as a compelling reminder of the complexities and contradictions of the American West. He was a man of intelligence and ambition, who initially sought an honest path to success. However, the lure of easy money and the allure of a life outside the law ultimately led him down a path of crime and violence. His tale is a cautionary one, highlighting the dangers of greed and the consequences of choosing a life of lawlessness. His name remains synonymous with the lawless era of Nevada’s history, a testament to the enduring power of legends and the captivating allure of the Wild West.