Rock Creek Station, Nebraska and the McCanles Massacre
Nestled in the rolling plains of southeastern Nebraska, near the modern-day city of Fairbury, lies Rock Creek Station, a site steeped in the history of westward expansion and frontier justice. Established in 1857, this unassuming location played a crucial role as a vital stop along the Oregon and California Trails, offering respite and supplies to the countless pioneers forging their way across the continent. More than just a way station, however, Rock Creek Station became the stage for a violent confrontation that cemented its place in the annals of the Old West: the McCanles Massacre. This event, shrouded in conflicting accounts and enduring mysteries, forever linked the name of Rock Creek Station with the legendary, and perhaps embellished, exploits of Wild Bill Hickok. Today, preserved as a Nebraska State Historical Park, Rock Creek Station stands as a testament to the hardships, hopes, and violent realities of life on the American frontier.
A Lifeline on the Trails
The mid-19th century witnessed a surge of westward migration, driven by dreams of fertile land, gold, and new beginnings. The Oregon and California Trails, arduous and unforgiving, became the arteries of this movement, carrying wagon trains laden with families and their belongings. Rock Creek Station, strategically situated along the west bank of Rock Creek, emerged as a critical oasis for these weary travelers. Initially established by S.C. Glenn, the station was a modest affair, consisting of a simple cabin, a barn, and a rudimentary store. Glenn provided essential supplies, hay, and grain, offering much-needed relief to both man and beast. The station represented a crucial point where pioneers could replenish their dwindling resources, repair their wagons, and gather strength for the long journey ahead.
From Gold Dreams to Road Ranching
The story of Rock Creek Station takes a significant turn with the arrival of David C. McCanles in the spring of 1859. McCanles, initially drawn to the allure of the Colorado goldfields with his brother James, soon grew disillusioned after encountering scores of miners returning empty-handed. Recognizing a different opportunity, McCanles shrewdly purchased Rock Creek Station from Glenn in March, pivoting from gold prospecting to the more reliable business of "road ranching."
McCanles proved to be an enterprising individual. He expanded the station’s offerings, catering to the increasing flow of emigrants. He continued to operate the store, stocking a wider array of goods. Perhaps his most significant contribution was the construction of a toll bridge across Rock Creek. Prior to the bridge, crossing the creek was a laborious and time-consuming ordeal, requiring pioneers to painstakingly hoist and lower their wagons into the water before hauling them up the opposite bank. McCanles’s bridge offered a convenient alternative, charging wagons a toll ranging from 10 to 50 cents, depending on their load and the owner’s apparent ability to pay. He also built a cabin and dug a well on the east side of the creek, establishing what became known as the East Ranch.
The Overland Stage and a Fateful Lease
The year 1860 marked another turning point for Rock Creek Station. McCanles leased the East Ranch to the Russell, Waddell, and Majors Company, a prominent firm that owned the Overland Stage Company and had recently founded the Pony Express. This arrangement transformed the East Ranch into a vital stage and Pony Express relay station, facilitating communication and transportation across the vast distances of the West. Horace G. Wellman was appointed as the company’s agent and station keeper, overseeing the day-to-day operations, while James W. "Doc" Brink was hired as a stock tender, responsible for the care of the horses. The company later agreed to purchase the station from McCanles, making a down payment with the remaining balance to be paid in installments. With the East Ranch dedicated to stagecoach and Pony Express operations, the West Ranch continued to serve as an emigrant rest stop, a freight station, and the McCanles family home.
An Ill-Fated Encounter: Hickok Enters the Scene
The stage was now set for the event that would forever define Rock Creek Station: the McCanles Massacre. In April or early May of 1861, a young man named James Butler "Bill" Hickok, then 24 years old, was hired as a stock tender at the station. Hickok’s arrival ignited a volatile clash with David McCanles, a man already known for his domineering and bullying behavior. Accounts suggest that McCanles relentlessly mocked Hickok’s physical appearance, deriding his slender build and feminine features, and even bestowing upon him the unflattering nickname "Duck Bill," a reference to his prominent nose and lips. The animosity between the two men escalated further when Hickok reportedly began to court Kate Shell, a woman who, despite McCanles’s marital status, had apparently caught his eye.
The Day of Reckoning: July 12, 1861
The simmering tension finally boiled over on July 12, 1861. The Overland Stage Company had fallen behind on its installment payments to McCanles, prompting him to visit the station with his 12-year-old son, Monroe, and two friends, James Woods and James Gordon, to inquire about the overdue funds. An argument quickly erupted, escalating into a heated exchange of profanities and ultimately, gunfire. In the ensuing chaos, Hickok shot and killed David McCanles. James Woods was also killed, and James Gordon, seriously wounded, later succumbed to his injuries. Young Monroe McCanles managed to escape the carnage and fled back to his home, located approximately three miles south of Rock Creek Station.
Conflicting Narratives and Enduring Mystery
The precise details of what transpired on that fateful day remain a subject of intense debate and conflicting accounts. Monroe McCanles, a direct witness to the event, offered a version that sharply contradicted the later embellished tales propagated by Hickok. According to Monroe, his father’s visit to the station was solely to address the overdue payments. Upon learning that the station manager, Horace Wellman, had returned empty-handed from a trip to the company office in Brownville, an angered McCanles arrived with his son and two employees, seeking either the money owed or repossession of the ranch.
Monroe claimed that McCanles initially requested to speak with Wellman, but instead, Wellman’s wife, Jane, appeared at the door, closely followed by Hickok. McCanles, taken aback by Hickok’s intervention, allegedly inquired, "Jim, haven’t we been friends all the time?" After Hickok affirmed their friendship, McCanles asked for a drink of water and entered the cabin, while Woods and Gordon remained outside.
Sensing danger, McCanles returned the dipper and moved towards the other door when Hickok positioned himself behind a curtain partition. Unarmed, McCanles challenged Hickok, saying, "Now, Jim, if you have anything against me, come out and fight me fair." Hickok’s response was a rifle blast that fatally wounded McCanles. According to this account, it was McCanles’s own rifle, left with Wellman for the station’s defense, that was used against him. Woods and Gordon, hearing the shot, rushed towards the cabin, but Hickok’s Colt revolver stopped Woods. Wellman then bludgeoned him to death with a hoe. Gordon, wounded by gunfire, attempted to escape towards the creek, but was pursued and killed by Doc Brink, who shot him with a shotgun. Monroe managed to evade a blow from Wellman’s hoe and fled to safety.
Aftermath and the Rise of a Legend
Following the killings, James A. McCanles, David’s brother, filed an arrest warrant for Hickok, Wellman, and Brink on July 15, 1861. The trio was charged with the murders of McCanles, Woods, and Gordon. A trial was held in Beatrice, where Monroe McCanles testified that his father and the other two men were unarmed. However, his testimony was dismissed due to his age. The defendants pleaded self-defense and defense of company property, and all three were ultimately acquitted.
The McCanles Massacre might have faded into obscurity were it not for the subsequent embellishments and self-aggrandizing accounts propagated by Hickok as his fame grew. Hickok, in a later version of the story published in Harper’s Monthly Magazine in 1867, portrayed McCanles as a ruthless outlaw and the leader of a vicious gang that terrorized the region. He claimed to have been scouting for the U.S. Cavalry when he arrived at Rock Creek Station and learned from Mrs. Wellman that McCanles was on the verge of attacking the station, dragging a preacher by his neck. In this highly dramatized account, Hickok single-handedly fought off the entire McCanles gang, killing all of them despite suffering numerous wounds. This sensationalized narrative, while wildly inaccurate, cemented Hickok’s image as a fearless gunslinger and a legendary figure of the Wild West.
A Legacy of Controversy and Remembrance
The McCanles Massacre remains a controversial and enigmatic event in the history of the American West. The truth of what happened at Rock Creek Station on July 12, 1861, is obscured by conflicting accounts, personal biases, and the romanticized narratives of the era. Whether Hickok acted in self-defense or engaged in a premeditated act of violence remains a subject of speculation and debate.
Regardless of the precise details, the McCanles Massacre irrevocably shaped the legacy of Rock Creek Station. By 1866, the arrival of the railroad in Kearney, Nebraska, led to a decline in trail traffic, forcing the road ranchers to seek other means of livelihood. However, the memory of Rock Creek Station and the events that transpired there endured.
In 1980, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission began to develop the area as a state historical park, preserving the site for future generations. Today, Rock Creek Station State Historical Park encompasses approximately 350 acres and features reconstructed buildings of the original station and Pony Express stop. Visitors can explore the visitor’s center, hike the trails, picnic in the scenic surroundings, and camp under the stars. The park’s terrain includes prairie hilltops, timber-studded creek bottoms, and rugged ravines, offering a glimpse into the natural landscape that greeted the pioneers of the 19th century. Perhaps most poignantly, the park also preserves the deep ruts of the Oregon and California Trails, etched into the earth by the countless wagons that traversed this path westward, a tangible reminder of the hopes, dreams, and sacrifices that shaped the American frontier.