JAMES FARM JOURNAL Published by the Friends of the James Farm VOLUME 27, ISSUE 1 SPRING 2016 Frank and Jesse: Retreating from Northfield was an adventure ven today, visitors gawk at the just stuffed with cash and would be a cre- 18-foot chasm in the quartzite ampuff to rob, for a savvy pair like Jesse bedrock of the little community and Frank James it must have looked like Epark just north of Garretson in a stretch. southeastern South Dakota. Most of What made the First National Bank so ir- them walk away saying, “Aw, he’d a’ nev- resistible? Some authors who have stud- er made it.” ied the robbery in minute detail claim it Well, the odds wouldn’t have been in was politics. They say the James Boys, his favor, that’s for sure. Especially be- especially Jesse, just couldn’t let the war cause Jesse James was die, and when he had a chance to stick his riding a stolen farm finger (or his revolver) into the eye of an horse when he sup- ex-Federal he took it. posedly jumped that An investor in The First National Bank gap in the autumn was, you see, a man named Adelburt of 1876. He and his Ames, who was the son-in-law of Civil older brother Frank, War Union General Benjamin But- you see, were trying ler, and that Butler, in turn, also had a to outrun a highly- Devil’s Gulch, the 18-foot-long, 70 foot high jump large investment in the bank. It’s pos- incensed Minnesota that Jesse allegedly took during the escape from sible they had no idea of that con- posse after their bungled attempt to rob the botched Northfield, Minn. raid. nection, but if they did, it might have the First National Bank in Northfield, were, even 50 years later, and the recol- Minn., a weeks earlier. It was the single Continued on page 6 lections of a few of them were published biggest failure in their long and otherwise in a series of articles that appeared in the successful careers as post Civil War out- Sioux Falls (S.D.) Argus Leader newspaper IN THIS ISSUE laws. in 1924. President’s Message ............2 The Devil’s Gulch jump, as it’s called in Before giving you a sampling, let’s review eastern South Dakota, was quite a feat, April 2016 Revolver Shoot ......2 what might have put Jesse, Frank, the if it really happened, and as locals tend Younger Brothers and several other des- You've Got a Friend in Me ......3 to do, many in the Garretson area swear peradoes in the area at about that time. Old West Revolver Shoots .......4 that it did. But 18-feet is a long jump any way you look at it, and the penalty Northfield was, for sure, a departure John Newman Edwards ........5 for coming up short would have been a from their usual method of doing busi- FOJF Journey Grant ...........9 70 foot fall – certain death for both horse ness. They’d robbed plenty of banks in and rider. So, let’s play the odds and say Missouri, a few in Iowa, ditto for Ken- Where Can You Donate? ......11 that no such leap was ever attempted. tucky and who knows where else … But Reunion 2016 ...............12 Minnesota? That was deep into hostile That doesn’t mean, however, that Jesse The Farm's New Exhibit. 12 and Frank weren’t in the neighborhood territory for a bunch of Civil War Con- that night. Lots of good, God-fearing federate guerrillas. And despite one of Have You Renewed? ..........15 homesteaders in the area thought they the gang’s assurances that the bank was Renew Your Membership ......16 JAMES FARM JOURNAL • VOLUME 27, ISSUE 1 SPRING 2016 FRIENDS OF A special Thank You to our “Friends” THE JAMES FARM f you are reading this, let me Thank Liz Johnson has been with the Friends You for your time. It seems the more of the James Farm since 2013 and pub- Executive Officers digital our society becomes, the less lished numerous articles on the history time we have. There are all sorts of the James boys for the Excelsior Springs President (Term Expires 2016) I of ways to occupy our time but it seems Standard newspaper in Missouri, and pres- Monte Griffey there is no time to use them. So if you ently works as the historical writer for the Vice-President (Term Expires 2017) are reading this, you had to spend some Richmond News, Richmond, Mo. Several Kevin Makel of your time to do so and I sincerely hope of her James articles have won Missouri Secretary (Term Expires 2017) you enjoy the newsletter. Press Association Awards. She also has written for and designed the Friends of Linda Tarantino With no FOJF activities right now, this the James Farm Jour- seemed a good time to have our writers Treasurer (Term Expires 2017) nal since 2013. Bryan Ivlow produce some lengthy articles – and all three came through for us. I do hope you Whether you are enjoy the articles as a lot of research, ef- reading the news- Board Members fort and thought goes into the writing of letter because you Class of 2016 them. are interested in the James boys or per- Pam Banner In case you didn’t know our regular writ- haps you are just in- Scott Cole ers, here’s a little bio on them. terested in the history To Be Determined Martin “Marty” McGrane has been of their period. It Class of 2017 with the Friends of the James Farm for takes time and effort well over 30 years, thus brings many years and we appreciate it. It also takes time Martin McGrane of experience and historical research to and effort to produce the newsletter and Paul Weller the table. He is also the author of one of we “Thank You” for checking it out. To Be Determined the best and most informative books on We as board members of Friends of the the James family, “The James Farm: Its James Farm also want to Thank You for Class of 2018 People, Their Lives and Their Times.” your membership. If you haven’t already Liz Johnson Michelle Pollard is presently one of renewed your membership (due Jan. 1) or Kimberly Howard the most informed authorities on Frank would like to join, check out the details To Be Determined and Jesse James. She is known for her im- on the back page of this newsletter or our website, www.jessejames.org. With- Ex-Officio peccable research and fact-finding trips to every place the James brothers have out your annual dues and the Old West Beth Beckett been. Plus, she hails from England! She Revolver Shoots we could not go on sup- Christie Kennard, Vivie Tison is the author of “Legends Born Where porting the James Farm in this fashion. & Liz Johnson Men Die,” a novel of Jesse James and Please look for details of upcoming “Witnesses to the Passing of a Legend, shoots and our bi-annual reunion in this Honorary Members The Death and Burial of Jesse James.” newsletter. Betty Barr Michelle is also an active member of the Thanks for reading and again, thanks for Janet Perry English Westerners’ Society, an educa- your time. Michelle Pollard tional, non-profit organization, whose Monte Griffey David Smith object is to pursue and promote the study of American frontier history. [email protected] Newsletter Editors Linda Tarantino, Liaison Contributors: Michelle Pollard, Liz Johnson & Martin McGrane OLD WEST REVOLVER SHOOT Contact editors at: SATURDAY, APRIL 9, 2016 www.jessejames.org | Registration 8 a.m., Shoot 9 a.m. Newsletter Design/Layout James Farm, 21216 Jesse James Farm Road, Kearney Liz Johnson ~ Jolly Hill 816.736.8500 • www.jessejames.org for info/rules 2 Friends of the James Farm • www.jessejames.org JAMES FARM JOURNAL • VOLUME 27, ISSUE 1 SPRING 2016 YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND IN ME Jesse James and left Barba at home with Mary Douglass, son, Draper and his men rode in darkness from youngest daughter from his first mar- Danville to the headwaters of Whetstone Creek, Lee McMurtry riage, her husband and their 1-year-old where they found six men in camp, reported a let- child, Martha, Lucy D., his 17-year-old ter to the St. Louis Missouri Democrat newspa- evi (Lee) Boone McMurtry was daughter from his second marriage, and per. born in 1841. His father moved Amazon and Martha, son and daughter No official report of the action is available. Ac- to Missouri in 1827, settled in from his third marriage. Callaway county, married Seral- counts in the Fulton Missouri Telegraph differ in L Barba died at Amazon’s home near some detail from that of the letter to the Demo- da Hays on 10 October 1832, and died in 3 1843.1 His wife, a descendent of Daniel Shamrock on 3 July, 1879, aged 86. crat. Boone, was left with five young mouths When the Civil War broke out, Lee The Telegraph reported that the men in the to feed and therefore it is perhaps no sur- wasted no time in joining the fight for the camp were Isaac Burt, Richard Berry, Theodore prise that she remarried quickly. Barba Confederacy and did so in such a way French, Samuel McMurtry, Coon McMurtry Collins became her second husband on that he was soon regarded as fearless. “For and Butler Armstrong, “who were hiding from 19 November 1844. 2 presence of mind and coolness facing imminent the federal troops.” Barba Collins had danger of death McMurtry’s quick action and The fight was brief.