1851-1878 (27yrs) Plot Section A 1 52

Samuel Bass, born in Indiana, was a notorious figure, in the history of Round Rock, assisting in the city’s recognition through his notoriety. Here are some details as cited.

Occupation

“Sam traveled down the Mississippi, to Rosedale, Mississippi, where he worked for a year in Charles’ Mill. It was here that Sam learned how to handle a pistol and honed his card playing skills. He tried his hand at wrangling cattle, but was unfulfilled by the hard work and low pay. Bass eventually bought a horse and raced it, living on the proceeds for some years. After the horse became too old to race, Bass and a partner, Joel Collins, formed a cattle drive for several ranchers in the San Antonio, Texas area.”2

Historic

The story of Sam Bass has been written and told many times, so it won’t be repeated here. An excellent detailed narrative is presented at the Round Rock city web site: https://www.roundrocktexas.gov/city-departments/planning-and-development-services/historic-preservation-2/the-historic-round-rock-collection/sam-bass/#note. Briefly, on July 20, 1878, before attempting to rob a bank in downtown Round Rock, Sam Bass and two others of his gang were confronted by a deputy. A gun fight ensued killing the deputy and one gang member. Sam Bass was mortally shot and died the next day.

Local Recognition

Round Rock established “The Sam Bass Historical Commission” in September 1977 to December 1978 to remember the past, appraise it and commemorate one of the most colorful episodes in the history of the community. They distributed a very informative and comprehensive pamphlet in 1978 entitled “Sam Bass 100 Years Later 1878-1978”. The story of Sam Bass is re-enacted outdoors at the annual Frontier Days Celebration at Settlers Park in Round Rock. A main road and several businesses in Round Rock are named after him.3 “In death, Sam’s legend grew, helped along by a song. ‘The Ballad of Sam Bass’, written by John Denton of Gainesville, Texas, was sung by many cowhands in an attempt to sooth the herd on stormy nights.”2

National Recognition

“In a 1936 radio drama Death Valley Days, Bass’s last days are portrayed; A Lone Ranger episode about Sam Bass was broadcast on April 24, 1944; “Calamity Jane and Sam Bass” is a 1949 American Western film; In a 1951 Western movie “The Texas Rangers”, Sam Bass is portrayed; In 1953, Sam Bass was the antagonist in a newspaper daily strip story; In 1957, in “Tales of Wells Fargo” the main character is ordered to infiltrate Sam Bass’ gang. Bass is played by Chuck Connors. Michael Landon plays a young man; In 1957, “End of an Outlaw”, in the CBS series Trackdown, dramatizing the foiling of the bank robbery in Round Rock, and the death of Bass during the ensuing gun battle.”1

Personal

Sam Bass was born on July 21, 1851, and died on his 27th birthday on July 21, 1878. “To this day no known photo has ever been confirmed to be of Bass, and when his sister visited Round Rock a year after his death to place a better headstone, she indicated that the photo on the wanted poster shown to her by the Williamson County Sheriff was not of her brother.”1 The original grave marker (flat on the ground in front of current marker) was roughly hand scribed and although still at the gravesite is only partially readable. After a year his family erected a small monument over his grave. A sister wrote an epitaph “A Brave Man Reposes in Death Here. Why Was He Not True?” 4

Special Notice

Souvenir hunters from all over the US and other countries chipped away at the old gravestones. It has been recently replaced with a modern monument. After the Nebraska robbery of $60,000 of new $20 gold coins, from the Union Pacific train, Bass is believed to have buried part of his share in various secret locations across North Texas, in areas such as Denton, Round Rock, Cove Hollow, and possibly Mineral Wells. Although a few of the coins were discovered in Williamson County, most of the distinctive, newly minted in 1877, gold coins, worth millions, remain hidden.5

Family Heritage

His mother died when he was 10 and his father died when he was 13. Orphaned, “he and his brother and sisters moved to a nearby farm to live with their [abusive] uncle and his nine children.”2 “Bass left home due to this abuse at the age of 19.”1

Other

No other relatives are interred in the Round Rock Cemetery. Seaborn Barnes, a member of the Bass gang who was also killed in the Round Rock shootout, is buried next to Bass.