Sam Bass was barely cold in the ground when folks started hunting for his hidden gold, and still are to this day. If you believe everything you Google, the location of Sam’s gold is ‘definitely’ hidden somewhere different across three states, depending upon which treasure hunter you believe. But there’s some pretty darn convincing evidence that Sam’s loot, if there was any left, is somewhere around Denton! Cove Hollow outside Sanger, caves at Pilot Knob, near Grapevine Lake, and Denton’s Crosstimbers thickets have long been rumored locations. The Freedman Town southwest of the Denton Square pretty quickly circulated rumors that Sam Bass’ ghost was haunting the dirt roads at night atop his Denton Mare in search of his hidden gold, and other locals reported that Sam’s partner, Frank Jackson, had escaped the Round Rock shootout to return to Denton briefly. A few Dentonites claimed Sam had left his treasure somewhere on the Denton Square with a trusted confederate, who took its secret location to their grave before Frank returned. At the 1949 movie premiere of Calamity Jane and Sam Bass at the Campus Theater, several old timers claimed that an elderly Frank Jackson had secretly returned 12 years prior “hunting for a pot of gold buried near Denton, but he never did find it.” So the question remains: Is Sam Bass’ gold hidden somewhere in Denton?

Heck, we honestly don’t know, but hunting for secret treasure sure can be fun! In that spirit, Shaun Treat has collaborated with We Denton Do It to create a treasure hunt keeping with the historical legend. The prizes are very real, with a grand prize of $100 to the first treasure hunter who can chase down and complete the QR clues, but runner-up rewards (including a pass to this year's 35 Denton and much more) to the next 10 who are able to finish the challenge! Reckon you got what it takes to solve the mystery to #GetSamsGold? If ya do, we’ll seeya at the secret hideout! Get started by scanning the QR code in the image above.