1883 Trial: Zerelda James Samuels Testifies; Frank James Takes the Stand
Frank James took the witness stand on his own behalf. The following report was published on Aug. 31, 1883, by the St. Joseph Daily Gazette (Vol. 39, No. 208): “There was the largest attendance today since the trial began. The principal witnesses were Mrs....
1883 Trial: Colorful, Popular Defense Witness Gen. J.O. ‘Jo’ Shelby
Besides the defendant, Frank James, the chief point of attraction for nearly all those involved in the 1883 James trial held at Gallatin, MO, was Confederate General J.O. “Jo” Shelby. His testimony given on behalf of Frank James was impaired by his...
1883 Trial: Frank James Acquitted! Some Applaud, Others Outraged
John Edwards played an influential role in molding the public perception of outlaws Frank and Jesse James. He began to write editorials in The Times contradicting the presence of the James boys in Gallatin on the day of the murder. He printed signed affidavits of...
Defendant Frank James Not Considered a Flight Risk
While awaiting his trial, Frank James was held at the jail in Gallatin and, apparently, attracted much public attention. The Aug. 9, 1883, edition of the Jamesport Gazette included comments made by a well-known commercial traveler from St. Joseph who made a visit to...
James Gang Member Dick Liddil’s Incriminating Testimony
James Gang member Dick Liddil, if his testimony is true, made a very damaging case against defendant Frank James on a Saturday morning during the 1883 trial in Gallatin. Objection to his testimony was immediately raised by the defense on the grounds that Liddil had...
Frank James Trial Moves to Opera House Venue
The poor condition of the wooden courthouse at Gallatin, MO, prompted officials to move the 1883 trial of outlaw Frank James into rented space in an opera house on the west side of the business square. The following, published in the Centennial edition of the Gallatin...
State Dismisses Charge of Conductor Westfall’s 1881 Murder
Legal strategies in the effort to convict Frank James included the dismissal of various crimes widely attributed to the James boys, including the murder of train conductor William Westfall killed during the 1881 robbery at Winston, MO. The following account was...
Mapping ‘Jesse James Country’ in Northwest Missouri
This map describes “Jesse James Country 1847-1882” ending with the assassination of Jesse James at St. Joseph, MO.
‘The Ballad of Jesse James’ Reasonably Accurate and Popular
Ballads are lyrical books. For centuries and centuries they have been a source not only of entertainment but of information, shaping people’s attitudes toward events they would otherwise know little or nothing about. Like movie script writers, however,...
1881: Cline & Cline Flour Mill of Gallatin, MO
In the early 1900’s, the Cline & Cline Aetna Roller Mill was located in Gallatin, MO. It was well known due to the good management of W.G. and Peter Cline. The mill was built in 1881 and had a capacity of 80 barrels of flour and 200 barrels of meal per...
America’s First Rotary Jail at Crawfordsville, IN, Built in 1881
The Montgomery County Jail at Crawfordsville, IN, was the first rotary jail constructed in the United States (1881). The jail features a two story, 30-ton rotary mechanism that housed 16 wedge shaped jail cells. The jail mechanism was built above a basement which...
Governor Offers $5,000 Reward for Jesse, Frank James
The following is the proclamation of the Governor of Missouri, announcing rewards for the arrest of train robbers following the crimes which occurred near Winston, MO, in 1881 (the reward was really offered by the railroad companies through the governor, together with...
1881 Rock Island Train Robbery, Murder at Winston, MO
This account is reprinted from the July 21, 1881, edition of the Gallatin North Missourian (with later photos added for digital display here). The report’s subheadings were: “Conductor Westfall and Frank McMillen Killed” and “The Express Car...
History Book Account of 1881 Rock Island Train Robbery
This following account of the 1881 train robbery which occurred in July, 1881, on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad near Winston, MO, as recorded in the 1882 History of Daviess County (pp. 504-507). Images added for digital display here were not a part...
‘Belle of Jamesport’ and Other Jamesport Scenes
Jamesport, MO, is known for many things, but cigars? More scenes of yesteryear from Jamesport in Daviess County, MO: (click on any image below to enlarge any of these) Orcutt Block of Jamesport businesses 2nd Street of Jamesport, MO Livestock pens near Rock...
1880: Pilot Grove Baptist Church Established
Many new settlers to Daviess County chose the Pilot Grove Creek area to settle. Pilot Grove Baptist Church organized in 1840 and was the second church organized in Daviess County. At first services were either held outdoors or in members’ homes. The church...
Schools: Early Public Schools in Daviess County, MO 1879-80
The number of students attending schools in Daviess County increased by 1879-1880, prompting the need for larger facilities. There were over 6,540 students of school age, and the number attending these schools was 5,300. There were 103 school houses in the county, and...
Mormons: Grave of John Whitmer in Kingston Cemetery
John Witmer (1802-1878) was one of the founders and a hotel owner of the Mormon pioneer community of Far West in Northwest Missouri. He was also a counselor of Missouri Church Presidency of Far West, LDS Church Historian, one of eight witnesses of the Book of Mormon...
Pioneers: John Doyle Lee’s Life, Eventual Murder After Leaving Missouri
In my study of John Lee, a Daviess County, MO, pioneer, I am reminded again and again of Huck Finn, and what he could have been like in later life. John, like Huck, was a Mississippi river “rat,” orphaned and unschooled. John Lee’s adventures in...
Visit the 1889 Squirrel Cage Jail, located 2 blocks west of the Daviess County Courthouse in Gallatin, MO. This historic relic is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and serves as a visitors’ center — by appointment,
Trudi Burton, ph: 660.663.7342
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