South Park, Colorado and the Reynolds Gang Loot
The vast and picturesque expanse of South Park, Colorado, a high-altitude basin nestled amidst the towering peaks of the Rocky Mountains, holds secrets buried deeper than its gold-rich veins. Beyond its stunning landscapes and abundant wildlife, the region whispers tales of daring raids, hidden loot, and the relentless pursuit of justice in the tumultuous days of the Wild West. One such tale, steeped in the historical context of the Civil War, involves a band of Confederate raiders led by Jim Reynolds and the alleged treasure they secreted away somewhere within the boundaries of South Park, Colorado.
In the summer of 1864, as the American Civil War raged on, a small group of Confederate sympathizers ventured far from the battlefields of the East into the Colorado Territory. Their audacious plan: to disrupt Union supply lines and finance the Confederate cause by robbing the booming gold mines of the region. This small band, led by the charismatic and ruthless Jim Reynolds, embarked on a series of daring raids that would forever etch their name into the lore of South Park, Colorado.
The Reynolds Gang, comprised of eight Confederate raiders, initiated their campaign of disruption and acquisition on July 24, 1864, with a brazen attack on the ranch of Adolph Guirand. The unsuspecting rancher and his wife became the first victims of the gang’s plundering. The raiders absconded with Guirand’s horses and cash, adding insult to injury with acts of violence against his wife. This initial act established the gang’s modus operandi: swift, decisive, and without regard for the lives or property of those they encountered.
From the Guirand ranch, the Reynolds Gang moved swiftly towards Dan McLaughlin’s stage station, a vital stop located approximately eight miles outside of Fairplay, near the present-day town of Como. Stage stations like McLaughlin’s served as crucial hubs for transportation, communication, and commerce, making them prime targets for outlaws seeking quick gains. The gang pilfered cash, a gold watch, and horses, amassing a haul estimated at around $3,000. Emboldened by their success, they continued their northward trajectory, crossing Kenosha Pass in the direction of Denver.
Their next target was the Michigan House stage stop, where they continued their pattern of theft, acquiring additional horses to replenish their mounts and facilitate their escape. As the Reynolds Gang continued their spree, a concerned citizen named Mr. Berry emerged as a beacon of warning, attempting to alert the populace and raise a posse to confront the outlaws. Despite his valiant efforts, Berry initially struggled to garner sufficient support. Undeterred, he took it upon himself to track the gang, following them as far as the Omaha House stage station, situated near the modern-day town of Conifer. From the Omaha House, the Reynolds Gang continued their westward journey toward Shaffer’s Crossing.
Finally, after several days of unchecked banditry, a posse was successfully organized, uniting local citizens and law enforcement officials determined to bring the Reynolds Gang to justice. On July 30, 1864, the posse located the outlaws, who were camped in a densely wooded area. The encounter erupted into a fierce gunfight, resulting in the death of one of the gang members, Owen Singleterry. In a gruesome act of frontier justice, a posse member, Dr. Cooper, decapitated Singleterry and brought the head back to Fairplay, where it was reportedly preserved in alcohol for many years, becoming a macabre symbol of the conflict.
Following the gunfight and the loss of one of their own, the Reynolds Gang, realizing that their situation was becoming increasingly perilous, made the decision to bury their accumulated loot and scatter, hoping to evade capture by dispersing in different directions. The estimated value of the buried treasure ranged from $5,000 to a staggering $100,000, a considerable sum in the mid-19th century. The residents of South Park, Colorado and the surrounding areas, already on edge due to the Civil War and the general lawlessness of the frontier, attributed nearly every robbery in the region to the Reynolds Gang.
The authorities responded to the escalating situation by forming an even larger posse, comprising approximately seventy-five men, dedicated to hunting down the fleeing bandits. Four days later, four members of the gang were apprehended. Shortly after, another outlaw, Tom Holliman, was captured as he attempted to make his way to Canon City, Colorado. However, the ringleader, Jim Reynolds, along with his brother John and another unidentified member of the gang, managed to escape and flee southward toward New Mexico.
The captured bandits were being transported to Fort Lyon, the first stop on their journey to Denver, where they were slated to face a military trial. However, during the journey, a violent confrontation ensued, resulting in the deaths of three of the outlaws. Two others managed to escape, further complicating the pursuit of justice. The fate of the Reynolds Gang remained uncertain, with only fragmented accounts and rumors circulating throughout the West.
Years later, John Reynolds, while lying on his deathbed in Taos, New Mexico, confessed the location of the buried loot to fellow outlaw Albert Brown. Reynolds had sustained mortal gunshot wounds during a horse theft. Before succumbing to his injuries, Reynolds provided Brown with a map, albeit a vague one, indicating the approximate location of the ambush site and the hidden treasure.
Following Reynolds’ death, Brown and his partners embarked on a quest to locate the treasure in the South Park, Colorado area. Upon arriving at the designated location, they were disheartened to discover that a forest fire had ravaged the landscape, obliterating many of the landmarks that Reynolds had described. Despite the devastation, they managed to find an old white hat, believed to have belonged to the decapitated Owen Singleterry, as well as a headless skeleton and horse bones in a nearby swamp. However, they were unable to locate the "rocked-in prospect hole" where the treasure was allegedly buried.
Undeterred, Brown and his partners made three additional attempts to find the treasure, but their efforts proved fruitless. Eventually, they abandoned their search and returned home empty-handed. Albert Brown later met a violent end, dying in a drunken brawl in Laramie City, Wyoming Territory.
Before his demise, Brown reportedly shared the map or information pertaining to the treasure with Detective David J. Cook, a renowned Colorado lawman. In his autobiography, published in 1897, Detective Cook recounts Reynold’s conversation with Alfred Brown, offering a tantalizing glimpse into the potential location of the hidden loot.
According to Cook’s account, Reynolds told Brown, "Jim and me buried the treasure the morning before the posse attack on Geneva Gulch. You go up above there a little ways and find where one of our horses mired down in a swamp. On up at the head of the gulch, we turned to the right and followed the mountain around a little farther, and just above the head of Deer Creek, we found an old prospect hole at about timberline. There, we placed $40,000 in greenbacks, wrapped in silk oilcloth, and three cans of gold dust. We filled the mouth of the hole up with stones and, ten steps below, struck a butcher knife into a tree about four feet from the ground and broke the handle off and left it pointing toward the mouth of the hole."
Despite numerous attempts by treasure hunters over the years, the Reynolds Gang’s loot remains unfound, adding another layer of intrigue to the already rich history of South Park, Colorado. The tale serves as a reminder of the turbulent times of the Wild West, the daring exploits of outlaws, and the enduring allure of hidden riches. The legend continues to captivate the imaginations of those who dream of uncovering the lost treasure and experiencing a piece of the region’s vibrant past.