The Wyatt Earp, Stuart Lake Letters; Transcribed by Gene Stevens

 

Photo from the Authors Collection

Wyatt Earp Aficionado and Devotee's

One U.S. Main St.

Anytown USA

Dear Wyatt Earp Aficionado, 

There are in this world, men of substance, action and being, who by Gods grace are placed in their time and location to influence the world around them. Its easy to wax philosophical over such men, and to ponder over men like Wyatt Earp. Especially by the men who sometimes ponder history. They pour over texts, letters, diaries, records and old tintype photographs trying to nail down the persons or times in which the lived, contemplations grow within their minds. But behind the mask, is a desire. The desire takes on many forms of intentions, they range from the most sincere actions of the heart, to the most evil intentions of destruction. But the hind site of time, history, age and health, can temper the hardest of souls. I know this is true of Wyatt Earp, who was a man of substance, action and being. A man who wore a badge of authority, but the badge never made him who he was. He made the badge what it was supposed to be. The evidence of this can be found not in the semi fictional, but in the many documents that he left behind, which eventually came into possession of Writer and Earp historian Glenn Boyer. Direct evidence in the way of records and letters were donated to the Arizona Historic Society (AHS) from Glenn Boyers collection. The AHS has in their possession hundreds of pages of documents between Wyatt Earp, Josephine Earp, Stuart lake and Houghton Mifflin publishers. Stuart Lake and Wyatt Earp had formed a very tight, cooperative and cordial relationship as Lake had begun his journey to write Wyatt Earps biography, "Frontier Marshall". I have begun the process of purchasing copies of these letters with the intent of showing the public what is in these files, as I believe that the truth should be revealed for all of those who want to know what really happened, rather than examining it through the lens of Hollywood. My original intent was to photograph and publish each letter, however AHS has exercised copyrights over all copies and requires a $25.00 fee for each page that is placed on public display, not to mention that AHS also charges $1.50 per page printed. It is therefore cost prohibitive to display each page. I can however transcribe each page. On one hand this will be very time consuming, but on the other hand, I will indeed gain much knowledge from closely examining and transcribing each page. I will do my best to recreate the look and feel of every letter, so that the reader has a full feel for its contents, which was written by first generation typewriters and context. I look forward to this endeavor, and I hope the reader will benefit from this article.

                                                Very Sincerely

                                                Gene Stevens

Letter dated; July 22, 1928,from Wyatt Earp to Stuart Lake;

                                          4002 West Seventeenth St.                                            Los Angeles, California                                               July 14 1928                                                                22    

Mr. Stuart N. Lake                                                    3916 Portols Place,                                                  San Diego, California.

 

Dear Mr. Lake;

    My work on the desert, for the season, is completed, and there is nothing now that might inter-fere with anything that I might have in mind. There-for I am wondering if it will be convenient for you to come to Los Angeles next week, preferably the latter part. 

When you were here several weeks ago. I thought to come to San Diego, as I explained to you. However, such an arrangement does not seem feasible now; my health is not as rugged as I would like it, and several matter of business pending would require my presence here. I hope your coming to Los Angeles would not prove a real inconvenience to you; I regret indeed to have to make this suggestion. 

     I must not forget to explain that we are mov-ing next week, to 4004 West Seventeenth Street-in the same court, the bungalow that faces down the middle; so please look for us there; I shall expect you. Mrs. Earp joins me in kind regards.

                                          Very Sincerely

                                           Wyatt S. Earp

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                        July 25, 1928

 Mr. Wyatt S. Earp                                             4004 West Seventeenth St.                                     Los Angeles.

Dear Mr. Earp:      

             I was sorry indeed, to learn that your health is not exactly as you would like it; also, that you are not coming to San Diego as you planned. We think this is the most delightful summer place in the country.

         As matters are now, I am sure that I can come to Los Angeles to see you on Thursday, August 2. I hope to get to your house by 10:30 in the morning, but if I do not appear at about that hour, will be there about 1:30. We can then talk over the details for going through the work ahead.

It would simplify things, I think, if you might have your material more or less ready to hand when I come. I can then see what is immediately ahead in the way of necessary preparation for the actual writing I'll have to do, and so can plan more intelligently.

            Will you convey my respects to Mrs. Earp. and expect me, as I said on Thursday, August 2?

                                   Sincerely your,

                                       Stuart N. Lake

                  

                                                                           

                                         

                                             

                                                  

  

Jesse W. James; Guerilla Operations, The Use of Deception Part I: By Gene Stevens , Co-author Patrick Meguiar

 

                                                     The Use of Deception

                                                 

Who was Jesse James? Can we trust photos and artefacts? 

To understand Jesse James and his unit's (gang) operations, one must first understand the duties and tactics of mounted cavalry of the time period. Tactics such as hit and run attacks, destruction of infrastructure, counter- insurgency, reconnaissance and intelligence services were used from the time of the revolutionary war until the post-civil war, and up to and including the Indian Wars. The trans-Mississippi theater of war was a very brutal affair. The border wars had begun ten years in advance of the wide spread American civil war. Armies of the day consisted of large fighting units of infantry, artillery and mounted cavalry. The horse mounted soldier (cavalry) had filled a vital role of the settlement of the west since the early days of American expansionism. Dragoons, meaning; soldiers mounted with rifles and side arms helped in the expansion into the American wilderness. But the term mounted soldier took on a new meaning in western Missouri as union militia had seized control of western Missouri early in the war, and conducted politically driven violent purges of pro-rebellion families who resided in western Missouri. The absence of sanctioned military units left a power void in the western part of the state, which was quickly filled with citizen/ guerilla soldiers fighting a bloody counter-insurgency war on their own soil. The civil war in western Missouri was truly a war between brothers and neighbors. 

But for Jesse James, the war would continue to rage for at least another eight years as Jesse and his brother Frank would turn the war against the new world order that had been forced upon the post war south. The main tools of this continuing war would be based on mounted guerilla tactics, attacks on corporate commerce, propaganda and covert tactics. 

                                                           Multiple Identities

As time passed, it became apparent that there was plenty of confusion about who Jesse James was and what his end game was, as his activities seemed to have no end. It has been rumored that Jesse may have used as many as seventy two different alias names;

In 1881 Governor Thomas T. Crittenden issued a proclamation for the arrest of Frank and Jesse James. By 1882 Jesse James had moved his family back to St. Joseph, Missouri. Still using his alias, James passed himself off as a cattle buyer and brought two new men, Robert and Charley Ford, into his gang to help him scout banks for future robberies.

-Missouri State Historic Society

On Christmas Eve (1881), Jesse and Zee moved their family into a small house atop a high hill overlooking St. Joseph. Living under the assumed name of Tom Howard, Jesse rented the house from a city councilman for $14 a month. He attended church, but did not work for a living.

- www.stjosephmo.gov

It is obvious that James had learned the art of covert ops and espionage well while conducting guerilla operations in western Missouri, and this M.O. (Modus Operandi) had carried into the post-war years. A product of his M.O. was not only using alias names, it also included spreading information and disinformation and maintaining caches valuables and money.

                                                      After Jesse's Assassination

 After his death, collectable items in the way of photos, documents and firearms were sold and passed off as belonging to Jesse James. Though not unique, the selling false historic artefacts has been ongoing for many years and many faked antiquities have found their way into the hands of unsuspecting collectors. What is unique about this particular story is that the so called artefact was apparently sold by Jesse James mother Zerelda Samuel. 

Pistol marked with JJ, may have come from Zerelda James

Courtesy Patrick Taylor Meguiar

The above pistol was allegedly sold by Zerelda Samuel, it was fraudulently

 doctored it to look like it was really Jesse's pistol down to the "J. J." on the grip.  According to Patrick Meguiar the original buyer was a doctor who went to Zeralda to buy a gun belonging to Jesse James and she sold him the pistol with J. J. and signed the letter making the claim it was his pistol. Then it was owned by a gentleman in Bowling Green Kentucky, and was later sold to another private party.  He had the fine case made to hold the pistol, letter from Zeralda and the picture of the man that was killed when the James Younger Gang robbed the bank in Northfield, Minnesota. 

Photo Courtesy of Patrick Meguiar

Letter signed by Zerelda Samuel, Photo of August Sanborn who was killed in 

Northfield Minnesota by the James gang.

Sorting Through the Photos

There is a lot of confusion about historic photos. Adding to this is modern technology which has given history buffs, genealogists and true researchers a mountain of easily accessible data to mine through. But in addition to this, its a fueled phenomena that Author and Wyatt Earp historian Glenn Boyer called "photowishitis".  Though his tongue in cheek statement holds some truth, there are photos out there which may be the real thing, but due diligence must be done on each one to determine the validity of any serious claim.  The same is true with anything that pertains to Jesse James. There are a number of photos of James out there, but the best evidence suggests that the following three photos are indeed Jesse James. 1-3, the final two photos fall into some question. 4-5. 

(1)

The best, known photo of Jesse James

Description from the Library of Congress;

Title: [Jesse James, half-length portrait, facing front, holding handgun at his waist]

Date Created/Published: St. Louis : Taylor Copying Co., [1864] c1882 May 15.

Medium: 1 photographic print.

Reproduction Number: LC-USZ62-3855 (b&w film copy neg.)

Rights Advisory: No known restrictions on publication.

Call Number: BIOG FILE - James, Jesse Woodson, 1847-1882 [item] [P&P]

Repository: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print

Notes:

N7862 U.S. Copyright Office.

Title devised by Library staff.

Copyright stamp appears on upper left corner.

Photograph is a reproduction of an ambrotype. The original ambrotype was a reversed image, making it appear that Jesse James was left-handed, which he was not. (Source: researcher W. Munn, 2020 and historical.ha.com)

Published in: "Famous People" chapter of the ebook Great Photographs from the Library of Congress, 2013.

The Post Mortem photo 

There are many rumors and legends surrounding the death of Jesse James. Some think that James was

not killed by Bob Ford and went onto to live to an entirely different life. Some stories have Jesse living until he was over a hundred years old. However, the best case scenario is still the original story, that being that Jesse James was assassinated by Bob Ford, with Charlie Ford present in the room. Its worth noting that Bob Ford was murdered in revenge for killing Jesse James and Charlie Ford committed suicide  ;

Harrison Throw, James Wilkerson, William C Clay, CD. Axman and Miss Mattie Collins (Dick Liddil's wife) all of Kansas City, arrived this morning, arrived this evening, and at midnight came up to the world's hotel to view the body, all identified it positively as that of Jesse James. Mrs. Little (Liddil?) wept when she saw the dead man and in the severest manner denounced "the cowardly snot" who assassinated him. She went over the story of Mrs. Moulton (Bolton) working up the job on Jesse James to win Dick from her, and proclaimed that Bob Ford had killed her man, he never would have escaped. She was in hopes that Mrs. Samuels and Mrs. James would not suspect her at this time. Mrs. Samuels and Mrs. James accompanied by Mr. James and Mr. Mimms, of Kansas City, will start i n the morning for Kearny with the body of Jesse for burial at the old homestead. The body of Jesse James was shipped from this city onthe 7 o'clock train of the Hannibal and St. Joe railway this evening, in the custody of Marshall Craig of this city and the family of the dead desperado, consisting of L.W. James, a cousin of Jesse R. Mimms, the widows brother, Mrs. James, Mrs. Samuels and two children. It was taken to Kearny, Clay County Missouri, and buried on the James homestead.

-St. Joseph Daily Gazette, April 3-5th 1882 from Bob Ford Was His Name, Jesse James Was His Game" By Sybil Montana 

(2)

The postmortem photo is the best

Evidence and the most verifiable photo of Jesse James.  Photo from 

Description from the library of congress;

Title: [Jesse James dead; clothed; 3/4 length]

Date Created/Published: c1882.

Medium: 1 photographic print.

Reproduction Number: LC-USZ62-42551 (b&w film copy neg.)

Rights Advisory: No known restrictions on publication.

Call Number: BIOG FILE - James, Jesse [item] [P&P]

Repository: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

Notes:

Photo by R. Uhlman, St. Joseph, Mo.

Slightly different angle from LC-USZ62-4049.

This record contains unverified, old data from caption card. 

*Thousands of copies of the post mortem photos were created and sent

all over the country.

From the 

Omaha Daily Bee

Thu, Apr 06, 1882 

(3)

A young Jesse James, Photo courtesy of Patrick Meguiar, has a

 verified chain of custody, scientific research And due diligence conducted. 

*See the attached article

 Central States, Lawman and Outlaws Historic Association: Another Jesse James Photo By; Gene Stevens (americathestory.blogspot.com)

(4)

Mistaken Identity 

Jeremiah James 

According to Patrick Meguiar, John Thomas LaRance says this is Jeremiah James. He has dark eyes unlike Jesse's very light blue eyes. John is on the board of the James Farm.

(5)

This may indeed be controversial, but this well known photo of Jesse James, my not be James. 

It has a description on it claiming to be certified by Jesse James widow.

Description from the Library of Congress;

Title

Jesse James

Summary

Portrait, bust, 3/4, facing left.

Created / Published

c1882 May 22.

Headings

-  James, Jesse,--1847-1882

Notes

-  This record contains unverified, old data from caption card.

Medium

1 photographic print.

Call Number/Physical Location

BIOG FILE - James, Jesse [item] [P&P]

Repository

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

Digital Id

cph 3a07300 //hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3a07300

More information Is Photo of Jesse James with Killer Real? | HISTORY

.

The Lawman of Dodge City KS, Courtesy of the Kansas Heritage Group

                              The Lawmen of Dodge City and Ford County, Kansas

The Dodge City Peace Commission, Photo from the Authors Collection

Dodge City had the reputation as the toughest town and a hell on the frontier, but actually it was not that bad. From roughly 1875 until 1885, Dodge City was in the midst of a business boom thanks to the wagon road economy and the cattle industry. For a town that was the defacto capital of a wide area of southwest Kansas and the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles, it needed law and order. There were many people walking the streets of Dodge City with money in their pockets. Dodge City could not afford to be as violent and reckless as its reputation It therefore hired some of the most respected and courageous lawmen to ever holster a gun.

 On June 17, 1872, the first business (George M. Hoover's and John McDonald's) to locate on the site five-miles west of the Ft. Dodge military reservation opened as a bar in a tent. This was in response to the prohibition of liquor at Fort Dodge. Other businesses soon followed and the Town Company completed its formal organization as 'Buffalo City' on August 15, 1872. The name was changed to Dodge City in October as the US Post Office already had a Buffalo, KS.

Ford County was not yet organized and did not have a sheriff until June of 1873. Likewise, Dodge City was not incorporated until November 2, 1875. For the first year, there was no government or law enforcement. It was this period that much happened to help give Dodge it reputation as a very wild and dangerous place.

  The first recorded killing in Dodge City was in September 1872, when an African-American man named Black Jack was shot for no reason by a gambler known as Denver. Shortly after that, Jack Reynolds was killed by a railroad track layer. In that first year, approximately fifteen men were killed in Dodge City, all being buried up on historical Boot Hill. Eventually, Boot Hill were have some 30 graves, including one female, Alice Chambers.

  By early 1873, the local merchants were concerned about the violence and hired Billy Brook as a private lawman, but when he proved ineffective, a vigilance committee was formed. They managed to rid the town of some of the worst offenders, but soon they became the main source of violence. For example, on March 13, Tom Sherman, who ran a saloon, chased a man out of his dance hall and shot him. He then walked over to the man, who was writhing in pain, and said, "I'd better shoot him again, hadn't I boys?" He aimed his revolver at the man's head and pulled the trigger point blank.

The violence climaxed on June 3, 1873, when two committee members killed William Taylor, the servant of Col. Richard Dodge, commanding officer of Fort Dodge. Col. Dodge was so outraged that wired the Governor of Kansas, and got special permission to arrest the guilty. Troops entered the town the next day and arrested Bill Hicks who was later convicted. On June 5th, troops entered again and arrested five of the worst vigilantes, including Tom Sherman.

That very day a sheriff, Charlie Bassett, was appointed. This appointed also resulted in two political factions being formed: those who wanted a wide-open town with gambling, saloons and prostitution, commonly know the The Gang, and those who wanted a town of law and order. Bassett was elected November 11, 1873 and reelected on November 5, 1875. William B. 'Bat' Masterson was elected sheriff on November 9, 1877, since the state constitution would not allow Bassett to run for a third term.

The dispute between lawmen Mysterious Dave Mather and Tom Nixon is an example of just how fine the line was between good and bad in early Dodge City. Both had been assistant marshals. Mather ambushed Nixon and shot him dead, claiming self-defense. Although witnesses said Nixon never drew, Mather was acquitted.

 Other early famous lawmen and the year(s) they were elected or served as Ford County Sheriff: George T. Hinkle, 1879 and 1881; P.F. Pat Sughrue, 1883 and 1885; Frederick Singer, (appointed) 1887 - 1888; Hamilton B. 'Ham' Bell, 1887 and 1889; Chalk M. Beeson, 1891 and 1893; then Ham Bell again in 1895 and 1897; Grant Hale, 1899 and 1900; J.M. Miller, 1902 and 1904; then Ham Bell yet again, 1906 and 1908. (Dates from Ford County Register of Deeds.)

 Lawrence Deger, the first marshal of Dodge City, was appointed in December 1875, by P.L. Beatty, the first mayor of Dodge City. Other famous marshals and assistants included Ed Masterson, 1877-1878; Wyatt S. Earp, 1876-1879; James Masterson; and Bill Tilghman, 1884-1886.

Jesse James, A tale of Two Monuments

                                                      The Adair Iowa Train Robbery

I now come down to the Iowa train robbery, which occurred the 21st of July, 1873, and which filled all Western Missouri with Spies, detectives, and armed men in search of us. 

The newspapers made me out the leader of the band. With me, according to the papers, were Frank James, Arthur McCoy, and the two Youngers. You remember the outlines of the robbery. A rail was removed from the track, a train thrown off, an engineer killed, and a general rifling of an express car, thought to contain money belonging to the United States. An Iowa Sheriff named Bringhoff came down to Kansas City with a pocket full of requisitions. He made some magnificent promises, not a few threats, hunted everywhere except in the right place, and, as far as I'm informed, is still in Kansas City waiting for something to turn up. (4)

-Jessee James

- A Terrible Quintette  by John Newman Edwards From Jessee James The Best Writings on the Notorioious Outlaw and His Gang by Harold Dellinger

WRECKING AND PLUNDERING A TRAIN.

In June following both the James Boys were seen in Kansas City by intimate acquaintances, and the night of June 27th was spent by both the bandits with their mother at the Samuels' residence. On the 15th of July, Bob, Jim and Cole Younger, Jesse and Frank James, Bud Singleton and two other bandits, whose names have never been learned by the authorities, left Clay county Missouri, and rode northward to a spot which had been selected by Frank James and Jim Younger, on the line of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, about five miles east of Council Bluffs. 

On the evening of July 21st a formidable band of eight of the most desperate men that ever committed a crime, took position in a dense thicket beside a deep cut in the railroad. They hitched their horses out of view of passengers on the train and then, after a few minutes' work, displaced one of the rails. This[Pg 61] accomplished, they waited the coming of the express train which was due at that point at 8:30 P. M. From a knoll near the rendezvous Jesse James descried the blazing headlight of the coming train, and then made everything ready for their villainous work. A sharp curve in the track prevented the engineer from discovering anything wrong, until it was impossible to prevent the disaster which the banditti had prepared for. The screaming engine came thundering like an infuriated mammoth, which a reversal of the lever only began to check when it struck the loosened rail and plunged sideways into the bank, while the cars telescoped and piled up in terrible confusion. The engineer was instantly killed, and a dozen passengers were seriously injured, but the desperadoes did not stop to consider this terrible disaster. The moment the havoc was complete the bandits fell upon the excited passengers, whom they robbed without exception, both men and women, taking every species of jewelry and the last cent that could be discovered from the wounded as well as those who remained unhurt. The express car was entered and the messenger, groaning with pain from a broken arm, was compelled to open the safe, which was rifled of six thousand dollars and then the messenger was forced to give the robbers his watch and ten dollars which he had with him. Fortunately the desperadoes were twelve hours too soon for the train upon which the expected treasure was carried, as the[Pg 62] express that went east on the morning of the 21st, carried gold bricks, specie and currency amounting to over one hundred thousand dollars.

                                                        The Monument(s)

 Located between Des Moines Iowa and Omaha Nebraska, runs a lessor known historic roadway called "White Pole Road" White Pole road is a very unique piece of road because it once the way west in the early days of the automobile. It current runs Parallele to the famed I-80, but for those who would prefer to avoid Interstate 80 will find themselves traveling along a quieter, more historic stretch of road.  Unbeknownst to modern travelers, this part of Old US Highway 6 was not only the sight of a type of criminal heist heretofore unheard of in the American West in Adair Iowa.                                            

 It was also near the same road the Barrow gang, of the famed outlaws Bonnie and Clyde were located and shot up by law enforcement and deputies near Dexter Iowa at Dexfield Park in 1933. But most significant is the train robbery of 1873. The telling the story of this history-altering event is etched upon a modest marker just over a mile west of Adair, Iowa, located off County Road G30. Here, an upright train car wheel marks the spot where, on the summer of July 21, 1873, Jesse James and his gang pulled off the world’s first robbery from aboard a moving train.                                                                           

 But there is another part of this story. There was in fact two monuments. The first monument was, according to Connie Scarlett the President of the Adair Historic Society, a bronze plaque that sat at the same location as the current monument. However the original plaque mounted in the train wheel, was stolen years ago and taken to Ohio; then the thief's house burned down and the plaque was discovered, returned to Adair and is now in ownership of a private party.                                                                      

-Gene Stevens

Central States Lawman and Outlaws Historic Assoc.

A western time line by photos

                                           A Timeline of western Figures

                                                 By Gene Stevens 

                    This site is a work in progress. All photos are either from the authors

                                   collection, or permission was given for use.

                                                        Copyright 2024 (c)

From the Authors collection

Luke Short first met Wyatt Earp, William H. Harris, 

and Bat Masterson in Tombstone.

Based on their previous friendship, Harris 

had no problem convincing his partners

to engage Earp as a faro dealer at their 

Oriental Saloon in Tombstone. On Friday, 

February 25, 1881, Short was serving as the 

lookout, seated next to the dealer at

a faro game in the Oriental, when he was 

involved in what became a well-known gunfight.

His opponent was Charlie Storms.

From the Cantey Myer Collection

Charlie Storm Killed by Luke Short in 1881 in Tombstone AZ

From the Authors Collection

OK Corral gunfight October1881

From the authors collection

OK Corral gunfight 1881

Morgan Earp Killed by an unknown assassin.

March 18th 1882

Courtesy Emory Cantey

Famed Marksman, Annie Oakley worked with Buffalo Bills Wild West Show

in 1886, Photo from the authors collection

From the Authors Collection

William Frederick Cody (February 26, 1846 – January 10, 1917), 

known as Buffalo Bill, was an American soldier, bison hunter, and showman.

One of the most famous and well-known figures of the American Old West, Cody started his legend when he was only 23. Shortly thereafter he started performing in shows that displayed cowboy themes and episodes from the frontier and Indian Wars. He founded Buffalo Bill's Wild West in 1883, taking his large company on tours in the United States and, beginning in 1887, in Europe.

Cole, Bob and Jim Younger

captured after the bank heist in

Northfield Minnesota on

07 September 1886

Photo taken at Stillwater Prison with

sister Henrietta 1889 at Stillwater Prison

From the Authors collection

Butch Cassiday and the Sundance Kid 1900

This image is alleged to be from the Nevada Historical Society, It shows the famous group portrait taken in Fort Worth, Texas shortly after Butch Cassidy and his gang robbed the Einnemucca, Nev., bank in 1900. They sent the photo to the bank with a thank you note. Shown are Bill Carver, top left, the Sundance Kid, bottom left, and Butch Cassidy, bottom right. The other two members of the gang are not identified.  

From the Authors Collection

Geronimo died in 1909

Geronimo (Mescalero-Chiricahua: Goyaałé, Athapascan pronunciation: [kòjàːɬɛ́], lit. 'the one who yawns'; June 16, 1829 – February 17, 1909) was a military leader and medicine man from the Bedonkohe band of the Ndendahe Apache people. From 1850 to 1886, Geronimo joined with members of three other Central Apache bands – the Tchihende, the Tsokanende (called Chiricahua by Americans) and the Nednhi – to carry out numerous raids, as well as fight against Mexican and U.S. military campaigns in the northern Mexico states of Chihuahua and Sonora and in the southwestern American territories of New Mexico and Arizona. 

Oregon Trail History; Courtesy of the Kansas Heritage Group

                                                         Oregon Trail History

                                   

This road to the West was known by many names. It was called the Oregon Trail, the California Trail, the Platte Trail, and the Mormon Trail by people who traveled it. It was primarily an emigrant trail. However, the Oregon Trail was also used by the Army, and stagecoaches and the Pony Express Route followed part of the trail.

1827 "Sublette's Trace," pioneered in the winter, was retraced by fur trade party in the spring. This pathway, with some variations, became the "Independence" Oregon-California Trail.

1827 Kansas Agency was established on the Kansas River, some four miles below the Grasshopper's (Delaware's) mouth. From up to 1838, this was the crossing point for "Sublette's Trace" travelers.

1829 Sublette's pack-train, enroute West by way of Independence, Missouri for the first time traveled out the Santa Fe Trail some distance before turning northwest toward the Kansas river. This became the established Oregon-California trail route.

1830 William L. Sublette took the first wagons along the route (Oregon Trail) to the Rocky Mountains. 1842 Joseph and Louis Papin arrived and were probably the first white settlers at what is now Topeka. Papin's Ferry operated at the "Topeka" crossing of the Kansas (Kaw) River on the Oregon-California Trail until 1857 when a bridge was constructed. By the middle of the 1840s, traffic on the Oregon Trail was tremendous, and the California gold rush increased its use even more in 1849 and 1850.

1844 St. Joseph, Missouri branch of Oregon-California trail pioneered. Because of difficult terrain, and attempts to make the road less circuitous, the route was not a fixed one initially. Street's 1850 table of distances represents the established route.

[1844?] Before 1848 (and speculatively pioneered in 1844--the flood year) all Oregon-California trail cutoff routes over the hills left the main trail five miles east of the Little ( Red ) Vermillion Crossing, and it at the Big (Black) Vermillion.

1848 Fort Kearny established, at the head of Grand Island on the Platte. Its chief purpose: to protect the Oregon-California emigration.

1848 Union Town (Pottawatomie trading post) established. Many '49ers ferried or forded the Kansas at this new upper crossing, on the "Independence" Oregon-California Trail.

After 1849 the impact of gold discoveries in California caused the Oregon Trail to be labeled the California Trail by California-bound travelers.

The Oregon Trail continued to be heavily traveled during the Civil War, but as the Union Pacific Railroad was built, the use of the Oregon Trail declined.

Parts of the Oregon Trail were still used locally in 1870, but the Oregon Trail was no longer the great throughway it had been.

Frederick C. Zimmermann Dodge City Gunsmith, Article Courtesy Kansas Heritage Society

 

Frederick C. Zimmermann
Dodge City Gunsmith

Article Courtesy of 

George Laughead, author

Frederick Carl Zimmermann was born in Saxony, Prussia, December 29, 1833 and died in Dodge City on January 20, 1888. He arrived in the USA in 1863, after learning and practicing his trade of gunsmithing in Germany, Paris and London. He married Matilda Messinger of New Britain, Connecticut in 1865. He arrived in Dodge City in July 1872. Matilda arrived in September 1872, with their first two babies. When they arrived, there was only a sod house and two canvas buildings, and the Santa Fe tracks had not yet reached Dodge City, the rails ending in Spearville. They use a wagon for the last 16 miles to Dodge City.

     An experienced gunsmith was a valuable addition to the new town and over the years, starting on Front Street in a building next to George Hoover's store, he built a hardware, general merchandise and lumber business out of his gunsmith store. The F.C. Zimmermann Hardware store was one of the most profitable Dodge City businesses well into the 20th century.

     Frederick Zimmermann's obituary in the Ford County Republican, January 25,1888, seems to state his history the clearest.

     Frederick attended the common schools of Saxony until fourteen years of age, when he was apprenticed to learn the business of gunsmith. He followed this avocation as apprentice and journey man until he attained the age of twenty, when...he entered the military service, in which he remained three years; a part of the time on detail as inspector of arms at Cologne on the Rhine. His term having expired, he was employed at his trade for several years in his native country, when he went to Paris, France, where he remained until 1861. He then crossed into England and plied his calling in London for two years. In 1863 he immigrated to America, and landed in New York, where he first found employment at his trade; and afterward at Trenton, New Jersey, Springfield , Massachusetts, and New Britain, Connecticut. At new Britain, June 14, 1865, he was united in marriage to Miss Matilda Messinger...formerly of ... Germany.

     In 1868 he started for the west, and engaged in selling guns on commission and repairing fire-arms at Laramie City, Wyoming Territory. In the fall of 1869 he located at Sheridan, Kansas, with a store of guns, ammunition and sporting goods, where he remained five months. At the end of that time, he transferred his business to Kit Carson, Colorado Territory, and remained there about two years. In July, 1872, he purchased lumber at Russell, on the Kansas Pacific railroad, and, crossing the country, located at Dodge City, where there were but two canvas-houses in the place, and erected a building, in which he began the business of gunsmithing and the sale of hardware and trimmings. In 1874 he added to his other business that of general merchandising, and in 1875 that of lumber, in which he was still engaged at the time of his death.

     Frederick Zimmermann was a leader among the German population and served as founding president of the German Immigration Society. He was also elected county commissioner several times, and was one of the first three commissioners when Ford County was established in 1873. He was on the first school board. He served two terms as county treasurer in the late 1870's.

     According to Kansas and Kansans (1919), it was while rerunning for treasurer that "he was set upon by a band of 'bad men' believed to have been inspired by Bat Masterson for the sole purpose of harming Mr. Zimmermann. They laid for him at a lonely spot, and as the county treasurer and his wife approached in a buggy fired a shot in their direction. Mr. Zimmermann at once handed the lines to his wife, jumped from the vehicle with his old bright barreled shotgun and started after his assailants. The glistening of the gun barrel in the bright moonlight revealed the determined character the outlaws had to deal with and they quickly disappeared. He was frequently ordered to leave town by members of this outfit [Zimmermann was against gambling and the saloon gang of Dodge City], and on one occasion they sent him a valentine indicating in cartoon how he would be disposed of if he did not go. Mr. Zimmermann labeled the valentine 'Bat Masterson' and stuck it up in his window and forgot the threat. He was absolutely without fear, and no threats coming from any man would deter him from his straight and narrow path of duty."

     Zimmermann was also a 'gentleman farmer,' and established the first homestead claim proved-up in the county. The Zimmermann home was on a large acreage on the west edge of Dodge City, where the Santa Fe railroad tracks cross 14th Street. On his farm, he experimented with fruit trees, vines and windmill irrigation. He was the first to produce alfalfa successfully in Ford County. In 1885, his vines produced over a ton of grapes. He had numerous fountains on his farm, giving the name "Fountain Grove" to his beautifully landscaped estate.

     The Zimmermanns had five children, three of whom died in infancy. Son Arthur was killed in a horse accident in 1887, when he was 16. The surviving daughter, Clarrisa, was married to John H. Churchill and, after John's death, to banker George B. Rose. When Clarrisa died in 1954, she had lived the longest in Dodge City of any resident.

William E. Connelley, in his Standard History of Kansas and Kansans wrote: Frederick C. Zimmermann was one of the stalwart, courageous and upright men of the real pioneer era in Southwestern Kansas. Of the personalities that figured largely in the early life of Dodge City, his was one around which center many grateful and interesting memories.

     F.C. Zimmermann died January 20, 1888, just months after the death of his son. His wife, Matilda, moved to Los Angeles, California, where she lived until returning to Dodge City in 1928 to live with her daughter, Clarrisa. She died in September 1929.

(© 2003-2015, George Laughead, author.)

What John Brown Did In Kansas, Article courtesy of the Kansas Heritage Society

 

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Photo from 

The Execution of John Brown, December 2, 1859, detail | House Divided (dickinson.edu)

"What John Brown Did In Kansas"

Andrew Johnson of Tennessee
United States House of Representatives, December 12 1859

The circumstances are stated in the evidence of Mr. Harris, which will be found in a report made by a committee of Congress, and republished in the Herald of Freedom of Kansas - a paper that has at its head for President, the name of a Republican, Mr. Chase, of Ohio, and Mr. Banks, of Massachusetts, for Vice President:

"The circumstances attending William Shermans's assassination are testified to by James Harris, of Franklin county, Kansas. Mr. Sherman was staying over night at the house of Harris, when, on the 25th of May, at about two o'clock, Captain John Brown and party came there, and after taking some property, and questioning Harris and others, Sherman was asked to walk out. Mr. Harris, in his affidavit, says: 'Old man Brown asked Mr. Sherman to go out with him, and Sherman then went out with Brown. I heard nothing more for about fifteen minutes. Two of the "northern army," as they styled themselves, stayed with us until they heard a cap burst, and then these two men left. Next morning, about ten o'clock, I found William Sherman dead, in the creek near my house. I was looking for him; as he had not come back, I thought he had been murdered. I took Mr. William Sherman (body) out of the creek and examined it. Mrs. Whiteman was with me. Sherman's skull was split open in two places, and some of his brains were washed out by the water; a large hole was cut in his breast, and his left hand was cut off, except a little piece of skin on one side.'"

This was the 24th of May. I will read from the same paper another extract:

"When the news of the threatened siege of Lawrence reached John Brown, jr., who was a member of the Topeka Legislature, he organized a company of about sixty men and marched toward Lawrence. Arriving at Palmyra, he learned of the sacking of the town, and the position of the people. He reconnoitered for a time in the vicinity, but finally marched back towards Ossawatomie. The night before reaching that place, when only a few miles away, they camped for the night. Old John Brown, who, we believe, was with the party, singled out with himself, seven men. These he marched to a point eight miles above the mouth of Pottawatomie creek, and called from their beds, at their several residences, at the hour of midnight, on the 24th of May, Allen Wilkinson, William Sherman, William P. Doyle, William Doyle, and Drury Doyle. All were found the next morning, by the road side, or in the highway, some with a gash in their heads and sides, and their throats cut; others with their skulls split open in two places, with holes in their breasts, and hands cut off."

He seems to have had a great passion for cutting off hands:

"No man in Knasas has pretended to deny that old John Brown led that murderous foray which massacred those men. Up to that period not a hair of old John Brown's head, or that of his sons, had been injured by the pro-slavery party.

"It was not until the 30th of August, three months after the Pottawatomie massacre, that the attack was made on Ossawatomie by the pro-slavery forces, and Frederick Brown, a son of old John, was killed."

To show all the facts in regard to the massacre of the 24th of May, I will read to the Senate the affidavits of some of the eye-witnesses of the transaction. Allen Wilkinson was a member of the Kansas Legislature - a quiet, inoffensive man. His widow, Louisa Jane Wilkinson, testified that on the night of the 24th of May, 1856, between the hours of midnight and daybreak, she thinks, a party of men came to the house where they were residing and forcibly carried her husband away; that they took him in the name of the "northern army," and that next morning he was found about one hundred and fifty yards from the house, dead. Mrs. Wilkinson was very ill at the time of measles. She says further:

"I begged them to let Mr. Wilkinson stay with me, saying that I was sick and helpless, and could not stay by myself. My husband also asked them to let him stay with me, until he could get some one to wait on me; told them that he would not run off, but he would be there the next day, or whenever called for; the old man who seemed to be in command looked at me, and then around at the children, and replied, 'you have neighbors.' I said, 'so I have, but they are not here, and I cannot go for them.' The old man replied, 'it matters not,' and told him to get ready. My husband wanted to put on his boots, and get ready, so as to be protected from the damp and night air, but they would not let him. They then took my husband away."

"After they were gone I thought I heard my husband's voice in complaint." * * * "Next morning Mr. Wilkinoson's body was found about one hundred and fifty yards from the house, in some dead brush. A lady who saw my husband's body said that there was a gash in his head and side. Others said he was cut in the throat twice."

Mr. Doyle and his sons were murdered on the same night with Sherman and Wilkinson; and Mrs. Doyle's deposition gives this account of it:

"The undersigned, Mahala Doyle, states on oath: I am the widow of the late James P. Doyle. We moved into the Territory - that is, my husband, myself, and children - moved into the Territory of Kansas some time in November, A. D. 1855, and settled upon Musketo creek, about one mile from its mouth, and where it empties into Pottawatomie creek, in Franklin county. On Saturday, the 24th of May, A. D. 1855, about eleven o'clock at night, after we had all retired, my husband, James P. Doyle, myself, and six children, five boys and one girl - the eldest is about twenty-two years of age; his name is William. The next is about twenty years of age; his name is Drury. The next is about seventeen years of age; his name is John. The next is about thirteen years of age; her name is Polly Ann. The next is about eight years of age; is name is James. The next is about five years of age; his name is Henry. We were all in bed, when we heard some persons come into the yard, and rap at the door, and call for Mr. Doyle, my husband. This was about eleven o'clock on Saturday night, of the 24th of May last. My husband got up and went to the door. Those outside inquired for Mr. Wilkinson, and where he lived. My husband said he would tell them. Mr. Doyle, my husband, and several came into the house, and said they were from the army. My husband was a pro-slavery man. They told my husband that he and the boys must surrender; they were then prisoners. The men were armed with pistols and large knives. They first took my husband out of the house; then took two of my sons - William and Drury - out, and then took my husband and these two boys (William and Drury) away. My son John was spared, because I asked them, in tears, to spare him.

"In a short time afterwards I heard the report of pistols; I heard two reports. After which I heard moaning as if a person was dying. Then I heard a wild whoop. They had asked before they went away for our horses. We told them that our horses were out on the prairie. My husband and two boys, my sons, did not come back any more. I went out next morning in search of them, and found my husband and William, my son, lying dead in the road, near together, about two hundred yards from the house. They were buried the next day. On the day of the burying, I saw the dead body of Drury. Fear for myself and the remaining children, induced me to leave the home where we had been living. We had improved our claim a little. I left and went to the State of Missouri."

"MAHALA her X mark DOYLE",

"Witness:"T. J. GOFORTH."

STATE OF MISSOURI, Jackson county, ss.

ON the 17th day of June, A. D. 1856, personally appeared before me, the subscriber, a justice of the peace in and for the county and State aforesaid,

The Congressional Globe The Official Proceedings of Congress, Published by John C. Rives, Washington, D. C.
Thirty-Sixth Congress, 1st Session, New Series...No. 7, Tuesday, December 13, 1859, pages 105-106

Another Jesse James Photo By; Gene Stevens

                                                 

Photo Courtesy of  Patrick Meguiar 

                                                      Making Connections

    

                                            - Lineage, Science and Genealogy-

                                                                  By

                                                           Gene Stevens

All I can says is that the internet is an amazing place. It connects people in a very big way. It has both a good and bad side. Or in other cases it's one big confusing gray area. But in another amazing moment, I ran into a gentleman by the name of Patrick Taylor Meguiar. He was on the Jesse James Facebook page, which by the way is my favorite Facebook pages, because people there are open minded, non-judgmental, and they try to assist and compliment with other people's endeavors. There's a lot to be said about that. Patrick had posted a spilt comparison photo of Jesse James alongside a photo that he is in possession of. Which of course, he claimed was Jesse James.  Unlike other photos I've seen, investigated and discussed. This photo initially caught my eye. And the simple fact that I am always very interested of new discoveries and mysteries in the making. I struck a conversation with Patrick. I was immediately impressed by his demeanor on social media. He was cordial, kind, very direct, courageous and open with his assertions about his photo of Jesse James. He was a breath of fresh air. We also discussed the Cantey-Myers collections and he said;  

I have tried to reach Emery Canty myself. I agree the collection he owns is very impressive! I also have no doubt that the 1882 post mortem is my cousin, Jesse Woodson James! It matches the ambrotype that Jesse Woodson James gave to my great-great-grandmother, Sarah Mariah Martin Meguiar, in 1868 while he was leasing her property that included a horse track for training thoroughbred horses. Jesse James used that property to both learn horse training and to have the fastest horse for very obvious reasons. Frank James was quoted in a 1897 Tennessean article that Jesse James had his horse racing headquarters in Franklin, Kentucky. That is where he leased my great-great-grandmother's property. He was there from around 1866 and shortly after 1868. Later he rented a farm in the Boxcar Community where he raised horses in Humphries County, Tennessee. I know also that Jesse Woodson James' Missouri Partisan Ranger photograph is him. Shouldn't those two images be used to authenticate any genuine image of Jesse Woodson James? Any non blind person can see that all the pictures believed to be Jesse Woodson James are not the same man much less a true image Jesse Woodson James!

Jesse James used alias names to conceal his true identity and yet most believe that his true images circulated during his life and thereafter. Jesse James was no fool and after all he was trained by Captain William Anderson how to conceal and deceive which Jesse Woodson James mastered as an outlaw. He chose to live in Tennessee, because in Missouri he could not pull off his masterful deception where he would have been easily recognized. How Jesse James fooled people when he was alive still fools people today. How else would all those men be believed to be Jesse Woodson James? I have nothing to hide. Feel free to investigate me and my evidence. I only want the whole truth to come out!

-Patrick Taylor Meguiar

                                                     

Patrick Taylor Meguiar. was born in Franklin, Kentucky on August 6, 1957. He is the son of Thomas Maynard Meguiar, Jr. and Eva Nell Groves Meguiar. He was raised on the family farm called Fountain Head Farms which is in Portland, Tennessee. His grandfather, Thomas Maynard Meguiar shared stories with Patrick about Jesse Woodson James. About When he was a child as told to him by his grandfather, Thomas William Meguiar who knew Jesse James very well because he and his wife leased the horse race track to Jesse James. I have owned the ambrotype of Jesse James since 1977 when my great aunt gave it to me. Patrick graduated from Tennessee Technological University in 1979.

Provenance defined

Patrick has clearly defined that Jesse James is the person in his photo. Combining; lineage, science and genealogical investigative techniques to prove provenance of a photo. Another scenario that comes to mind is when a genealogist from Iowa, Esther Colyn located information on Wyatt Earp's second wife Mattie Blaylock. It was Esther, who was an expert in the genealogical research, who discovered that Wyatt Earp had a second wife. This is of course only part of the story, but identical techniques were used in both the provenance of the Jesse James photo and the presentation of Mattie Blaylock. 

I want you to know exactly how I am related to Jesse and Frank James. Their great-grandmother was Mary Hines James who was the daughter of John Hines of Hanover County, Virginia.   Sarah Hines Martin was also a daughter John Hines and a sister of Mary Hines James. Sarah Hines Martin was my 4th great-grandmother. I descend from two of her children: Robert Martin and Elizabeth Martin Turner. Mary Hines James son, John Martin James was Jesse and Frank James grandfather. Family folklore is that Jonn Martin James was named for his uncle, John Martin who was the husband of Sarah Hines Martin. 

I am a double 3rd cousin 3 times removed of Jesse and Frank James. My DNA through Ancestry confirmed that Mary Hines James was my 5th great aunt. The well known 18th century Douglas Register lists both Mary Hines James and Sarah Hines Martin. I will note that their maiden names are both misspelled as Hinds rather than the correct name of Hines.

My great-great-grandfather, Thomas William Meguiar was a very young boy when he saw Robert Salle James. Thomas William Meguiar was born in 1832 and died in 1908 and several months before Robert Sallee James moved to Missouri in 1842. As a very young boy he was so impressed by Robert Sallee James that he years later became a Baptist Preacher too. The Meguiar were earlier Primitive Baptist. When he saw Jesse Woodson James the first time he was amazed how much he resembled his father.

                                                  Robbert Salle James/ Jesse James 

                                                     photo courtesy of Patrick Meguiar 

                                                    

                                             Video of Maynard Meguiar explaining

                                                      the Meguiar family history

                                   Maynard Meguiar mentions the Jesse James connection.

                                      Meguiar Family history mentions Jesse James

According to Patrick Meguiar, Medical Doctor's and Oral Surgeons who have examined the Missouri Partisan Ranger image concur that Jesse James had a misalignment of his lower jawbone that cause the misalignment of his facial structure. The say my ambrotype exhibits the same lower jaw misalignment. The doctors say it would have required a highly skilled plastic surgeon to have corrected Jesse James facial structure.

                                                        Photo courtesy of Patrick Meguiar 

This is the Tennessee Historical Marker for the site where cousin, Jesse Woodson leased land in Tennessee. I don't know how long he had horses on my family's property, but this didn't happen until 1877. He was on and off with my family from around 1866 until he returned to Missouri a few months before he was shot and killed in 1882. I know he didn't have horses on my family's property after he leased this property in Tennessee in 1877. Again my great-great-grandparents sold the race track in 1873 to Uncle Will Martin.  He served in the 6th Kentucky AKA the Orphan Brigade. It's possible he kept horses for Jesse James until 1877. I can't prove that though.

- Patrick Meguiar