prior to the incident, mccanles leased a cabin and well on the east side of rock creek to the russell, waddell, and majors freight company to be used as a relay station for the overland stage company and the pony express mail service. the company hired horace g. wellman as station agent. wellman later arranged to purchase the land in installments. in april or early may 1861, 23-year-old james butler hickok was hired by the station as a stock tender. he quickly became a target of harassment by mccanles, who teased hickok about his girlish build and nicknamed him "duck bill" for his long nose and protruding lips.