While none of us grow up without knowing too many names of
famous criminals, one name should always spark the interest of the American
mind. If it doesn’t then I hope to enlighten any reader on the name of one
famous outlaw that has a connection to the Baldpate Inn Key Room, and that is
Jesse James. While never actually staying here, or even owning the key that is
connected to him here, the key to the Old Southern Bank of Kentucky in Russellville,
KY would not soon forget, since it was robbed by the famous outlaw and his gang
in 1868.
Jesse James is a man from a stereotypical upbringing during
the mid-19th century. Born on September 5, 1847 to Robert S. James,
a farmer and Baptist preacher, and Zerelda Cole James, he knew his father for
only a short time before Robert James went west to minister to the gold miners
in California. He had two full siblings, Alexander Franklin “Frank” and younger
sister, Susan Lavenia, and four half siblings after his mother married twice
after the death of Robert James.
As the years went by living in the state of Missouri was
increasingly difficult since it was a border state as the United States
increased in hostility and polarized into the North and South. Since the
population was nearly 75% Southern born, animosity grew increasingly and lead
to militia groups on both sides attacking, making Missouri a dangerous place to
grow up in. This style of fighting, which has been classified as guerrilla
warfare, gripped most of Missouri throughout the 1850s and even through most of
the Civil War. Jesse’s older brother Frank joined a group known as the Drew
Lobbs Army and then later was identified as a member of a different guerrilla
warfare group that led Union militia soldiers to search and raid the
James-Samuel farm, even torturing Reuben Samuel and, according to rumor, Jesse
as well.
In 1864, Jesse joined his first outlaw squad under the
leadership of Fletch Taylor, but soon after Jesse and Frank James joined a
group under the command of Bloody Bill Anderson. During that summer it is
reported by the local marshal that Jesse and Frank James were part of the
Centralia Massacre where 22 unarmed Union soldiers were killed. After some time
the brothers separated and had their own adventures, Jesse was even mortally
wounded twice during the absence of his brother.
Over the next several years Jesse James became more
prominent. In 1866 he and Frank met up with Cole Younger and began to plan
several bank robberies as they also recruited to their gang. This is where the
key from our collection comes into the scene. While being reported as the first
bank ever robbed by Frank and Jesse James, there are several reports that state
that they had robbed a couple of banks before reaching the Old Southern Bank of
Russellville, KY including the Clay County Savings Bank in Liberty, Missouri
and the Alexander Mitchell and Co. Bank in Lexington, Missouri. Yet this is one
of the first banks that were ever robbed by the brothers and their gang, which
gives significance to this place and to the key that is from it. Now our
information that was given to us by the donator of the key to this bank in
Russellville, KY says that there was $17,000 stolen, yet according to my
research I have found that they got away with as much as $14,000. Either way
this was a good haul for them and continued to help propel them towards infamy.
Jesse and Frank James soon became famous with their crimes
and evasion of the law. Rewards were posted for them at $5000 dollars a piece
by different companies in the state of Missouri but not any by the government
since there was a bar on the governor from seeking a suitable reward for their
capture. By this time many of the original members of the James-Younger Gang
were dead and so recruiting was required to keep up the nomadic and reckless
lifestyle that Jesse James had become accustom to by the late 1870s. These
recruits however were not battle hardened as were the original members and it
made it difficult for Jesse to trust them by 1882, he trusted only two but
should have trusted none. On April 3, 1882 while getting ready to go out for
another robbery, Charley and Robert Ford prepared the horses. In a moment of
weakness and trust, Jesse James turned his back to adjust a picture on the wall
and was shot in the back of the head by Robert Ford.
Thus ended the life of Jesse James, but it did not end the
legend. Jesse James was already famous during his lifetime, his death
sky-rocketed him to the spotlight of notorious outlaws and rightfully so in my
opinion. The story of his life has been recounted in many aspects ranging from
reenactments and TV shows to literature, comics and even plenty of movies. During
one traveling adventure out west, Oscar Wilde wrote this after visiting Jesse
James’ hometown in Missouri, “Americans are certainly great hero-worshippers,
and always take heroes from the criminal class.” This seems to definitely be
true in the case of Jesse James. While being a person with little morality, he
is still a fascinating individual to research.
I would like to conclude the post today with a reminder that
this Wednesday at 7pm, we will once again be having Summer Enchanted Evening
with guest speaker, Pat Washburn, whose topic is called “The Other Mills
Brother.” Also looking ahead a little further, I will be speaking on July 9th
focusing on 10 of the most famous keys and their history, so I would love for
people to come out for that event.
Until next time,
Jake
Key Room Curator
