America's First Train Robbers

Josh Gates ventures to Seymour, Indiana, chasing the forgotten fortune of the Reno Gang, America's first train robbers who terrorized Midwestern railroads in the 1860s. On October 6, 1866, brothers John and Simeon Reno pulled off an audacious crime never before attempted in the United States: robbing a moving train using a false signal lantern and cardboard masks. Over two years, the gang stole hundreds of thousands of dollars—worth tens of millions today—much of which was never recovered. Gates follows two promising leads: a treasure hunter who claims to have located the long-lost Reno family homestead, and intelligence about a hidden cave rumored to serve as the gang's secret hideout. Gates meets with local historian Lance Geiger, known as "the history guy," at a train-themed brewery in Seymour to understand why this pioneering criminal operation has been overshadowed by later outlaws like Jesse James and Butch Cassidy.

The Reno Gang's brief but explosive reign established the template for America's most iconic train robberies, directly inspiring the legendary desperadoes who followed. Despite their historical significance as innovators of this distinctly American crime, the Renos remain relatively unknown compared to the outlaws they influenced. The episode explores why their story faded from popular memory even as Seymour's identity remains tied to the railroad crossroads the gang once targeted. What makes this investigation compelling is the possibility that the gang's missing treasure—representing a substantial fortune—might still be hidden in southern Indiana, waiting in caves or buried near the family homestead that has eluded discovery for over 150 years.