Central States, Lawman and Outlaws Historic Association: Iowa's "Outlaw Trail" The White Pole Road

Iowa's "Outlaw Trail"

Situated in the beautiful rolling hills of Western Iowa between Des Moines Iowa and Atlantic Iowa is a stretch of historic roadway. A place called the White Pole Road. The White Pole Road is a 26-mile stretch of road in Iowa, formerly known as Iowa Highway 925. It is named for the white-painted telephone poles that line the route, reminiscent of the historic "Great White Way" that once ran through the area. The road is a popular byway for scenic drives and offers a glimpse into Iowa's history and small-town charm. The original "Great White Way" was a route connecting Des Moines and Council Bluffs, marked by white-painted poles to guide travelers. It is a 26-mile stretch of scenic highway, and historic byway that runs parallel to Interstate 80. It runs from mile markers 76 and 100 and connects the communities of Adair, Casey, Menlo, Stuart and Dexter Iowa. It is marked by over 500 painted white poles, that paint the way down Iowa's own "Outlaw Trail." The names of the outlaws Jesse James, Frank James, Cole Younger, Jim younger Bob Younger, Arthur McCoy, Clyde Barrow, Buck Barrow, Bonnie Parker and W.D. "Deacon" Jones, resonates along this historic passage.

Courtesy of Google Maps

DEXTER IOWA

1933 The Bonnie and Clyde Shootout

After fleeing a gun battle in Platte City, Missouri, the gang hoped to hide and recover in the abandoned Dexfield park.

In July of 1933 a resident of Dallas County Iowa, by the Name of Henry Ney decided to take a stroll in search of black berries on a warm summer day, by the old Dexfield amusement park, which closed doors in 1932 because of the great depression. It was now a remote location. While Henry was looking for berries, he stumbled upon a group of rough looking people, who looked all bloodied up, and had blood covered rags on the ground. Henry knew something was deeply wrong, he did not make eye contact with the people and exited Dexfield Park in haste. He contacted Dexter town Constable John Love and notified him of what he had seen. He told Love that he had found some unusual things, including a partially burned road map with blood all over it, and a shirt with bullet holes in the back covered with blood stains. John Love then accompanied Henry Ney back to the area to check on the situation there. Upon seeing the presence of two autos, Constable Love was immediately suspicious and returned to Dexter to contact people for additional help, and he called Sheriff Clint Knee. Suspecting that the trespassers might be the notorious Barrow gang, a large posse made up of locals and law enforcement was assembled.

On Sunday evening the posse met at Webb's lunch stand in Dexter Iowa to discuss a plan. At 06:00 AM the following Monday on July 24th, In the morning, Constable Love returned to Dexfield Park with several other men armed with weapons. Constable Love, said he saw a man he identified as Clyde Barrow, roasting a hotdog over a fire. one of the Lawman yelled "You're surrounded raise your hands." Clyde immediately put down the hot dog and picked up one of the Browing automatic rifles that had been stolen from a National Guard Armory, and opened fire, spraying gun fire all around the woods.

The people of Dexter would go down in history by becoming involved in the biggest gunfight to ever occur in Iowa. Bigger than the gunfight at the OK Corral. And the townspeople were facing off with a very dangerous gang, armed with 20th century military grade full auto weapons. The following article, video(s), and photos are part of my research on my book "Scoundrels of Iowa"

DEXTER IOWA

Dexter Iowa Looking North. Photo by the Author

A view of Dexfield Park in its Heyday. Photo taken at the Dexter

Historic Museum by the Author

A historic Marker on Dexfield Road adjacent to the location

of the old Dexfield Park, taken by the Author

Dexfield Park historic marker. Photo taken by the author

Dexter Historic Museum photo taken by the Author

Stuart Iowa

Approximate eight miles to the west of Dexter Iowa, is the town of Stuart. On April 16th 1934, Nine Months after the shootout in at Dexfield Park near Dexter Iowa. Bonnie and Clyde returned to Iowa and robbed the First National Bank in Stuart Iowa. The Barrow gang robbed banks in Rembrandt, Knierim, Lamoni and Stuart Iowa. The second Iowa crime-wave associated with the notorious dust bowl era criminals. A large posse, mad of Police and citizens almost captured the gang at an abandoned amusement park in Dexter, Iowa (23 miles west of Des Moines) during mid-July 1933.

Photo by Jon Morgan

Adair Iowa

The First Train Robber in the West

Jesse James, Frank James and Gang

July 21st, 1873

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 approximately a half mile west of Adair Iowa. 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