Jesse and Frank James Respite: The George Hite House Adairville Kentucky By G.C. Stevens

 

The path to honor lies before us, our hated foeman gather fast; At home bright eyes are sparkling for us, And we'll defend them to the last.

-The Cavaliers Glee Capt. Blackford, Jeb Stuarts Staff

       Frank James (top) Jesse James (Bottom)

                                       

According to an article written by Terry Coats, in the early months of 1875 Jesse and his pregnant wife, Zee, moved to Nashville Tennesse. It was only forty miles from the home of Frank and Jesse's uncle George Hite, who lived in Adairsville, Ky. Frank and Jesse had visited the city multiple times, racing their horses at the fairgrounds track. Frank James began to see the error of his ways and began the process of trying to reconcile his past. But Jesse, was deeply in debt, and only knew one way out and that was a life of crime.

On September 07th 1876, The James Gang rode into Northfield Minnesota to rob the bank there, The disastrous Northfield, Minnesota, bank robbery. Or as it became known as: “The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid” was Jesse James botched raid and was his own battle of Gettysburg where the confederate high tide was turned. The unreconstructed James outlaws would be decimated in this operation, and the James-Younger Gang would cease to exist. Jesse would eventually be murdered by Bob Ford in St. Joseph Missouri on April 3rd of 1882.

-G.C. Stevens

                                    

                              Photos courtesy of Kyle Thompson who 

                                visited the ruins of the George Hite house