Our Arklahoma Heritage: Stories persist of millions of $$$ of buried treasure left by Jesse James and his outlaw gang

Jesse James

Jesse James, the infamous Missouri outlaw and former Confederate guerrilla, remains one of America's most romanticized figures...a bank and train robber whose exploits blurred the line between criminal and folk hero.

Killed in 1882, James left behind a legacy of rumored buried treasures across the Midwest and Southwest, fueled by tales of hidden loot from his gang's robberies. In Oklahoma, two sites stand out in these legends: the rugged Keechi Hills near Cement and the sandstone cliffs of Robbers Cave State Park.

While historians note a lack of hard evidence tying James directly to the state, the stories persist, drawing treasure hunters, tourists, and even TV crews

The most detailed Oklahoma tale centers on the small town of Cement in Caddo County, where locals claim Jesse James and his gang ambushed a Mexican government mule train around 1875–1876. Laden with millions in gold bullion or bars (estimates vary from $1.5–$2 million in period value, worth far more today), the train was allegedly hit during a fierce blizzard in the Wichita Mountains region.

To evade pursuit and lighten their load, the outlaws buried the bulk of the treasure in the Keechi Hills.

The key landmark is Buzzard's Roost, a dramatic rock formation east of town believed to hold carved cluesof symbols like turtles, arrows, horseshoes, and crossed gunsleft by the gang as a map.I

n the 1930s, treasure hunter Joe Hunter reportedly uncovered artifacts here, including a brass kettle containing gold coins, a "secrecy contract" signed by gang members, pack saddle buckles, and part of a pistol. These finds, now displayed at the Cement Historical Museum's Jesse James Visitor Center, keep the legend alive.

Frank James, Jesse's brother, lived nearby in Fletcher around 1906–1911 and is said to have recovered some smaller caches, like $6,000 in one spot.

The story gained national attention through books like Steve Wilson's Oklahoma Treasures and Treasure Tales and TV shows such as Expedition Unknown, where host Josh Gates explored the area with modern tech.

Further east and closer to home, near Wilburton in Latimer County, Robbers Cave State Park is famed as a post-Civil War refuge for outlaws including Jesse James, Belle Starr, the Younger brothers, and the Dalton Gang.

The park's towering sandstone cliffs, hidden caverns, and dense woods provided ideal cover in what was then lawless Indian Territory.

Legends suggest James stashed gold coins or other loot here during escapes, with reports of old dig marks, carvings (crosses, arrows, horseshoes), and suspicious holes in the caves fueling speculation.

The park officially acknowledges its outlaw history, and episodes of Expedition Unknown featured rappelling into hidden chambers in search of James' riches—though nothing major was found.

The "Confederate gold" aspect in some versions ties to broader myths of James hiding funds for a postwar Southern uprising, but the Oklahoma tales more often describe Mexican or generic stolen gold.

The Oklahoma Historical Society emphasizes that while Frank James had verifiable ties to the state, evidence for Jesse's activities here is anecdotal, stemming from oral histories and popularized accounts.

No major treasure has ever been recovered, but minor artifacts and coins have turned up over the years.

Modern treasure seekers still visit both sites, using metal detectors and following alleged clues. However, Oklahoma law requires permits for metal detecting or digging on state parks, public lands, or historical sites to protect archaeological resources.

Violations can result in fines under state and federal laws like the Archaeological Resources Protection Act

.Whether pure myth or buried truth, these legends enrich Oklahoma's Wild West heritage, boosting tourism at places like the Jesse James Visitor Center in Cement and the trails of Robbers Cave.

As one local put it, "There's gold somewhere out here", even if it's the gold of a good story.