Central States Lawman and Outlaws Historic Assoc. In the late 1800s - and early 1900s The River of humanity flowing west, was both wide and deep. Caught in the current of manifest destiny, were settlers, soldiers, business interests, and Outlaws. It was a perfect whirlwind of the Wild west. G.C. Stevens
The John Wayne Birthplace Museum is surrounded by plaques honoring all of John Wayne's Movies.
All Photos are by the author
Photo by the author (Jesse James on the inside of the Winston
Jesse James
Road Trip
The train robbery in Winston, Missouri, occurred on July 15, 1881. The crime stands out as one of the most violent and infamous crimes attributed to Jesse and Frank James. It was one of the gang's final robberies before Jesse's assassination less than a year later. The murders committed that day intensified public outrage and law enforcement efforts against the outlaws. This event occurred during a period when the gang, composed of former Confederate guerrillas, was increasingly fractured after the disastrous 1876 Northfield bank robbery that decimated the Younger brothers' involvement.
By 1881, Jesse James (1847–1882) and his older brother Frank (1843–1915) had been operating as outlaws for over a decade, robbing banks, stagecoaches, and trains across the Midwest. The gang at this time included relatives and associates like Wood Hite (Jesse's cousin), Clarence Hite (Wood's brother), and Dick Liddil (a newer recruit). These new recruits in no way had the same experience or loyalty as the youngers had. The Winston robbery targeted the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, a line the gang had hit before with similar consequences, probably a product of disorganization.
A key motive appears to have been personal vengeance. In 1875, Pinkerton National Detective Agency agents raided the James family farm in Clay County, Missouri, using a bomb that killed Jesse's half-brother Archie Samuel (age 8) and severely injured their mother, Zerelda. Jesse mistakenly believed train conductor William Westfall (1843–1881) had been involved in transporting those agents, as Westfall had worked on similar routes. This grudge fueled the brutality of the attack.
We were saddened to learn about the passing of Richard Gooch. Richard retired from a career in law enforcement and then found his second calling in life working at the Jesse James Birthplace. Richard just made a presentation on October 4, 2025 at the Friends of the James Farm annual event. Richard was hoping to have the book he wrote about the James Gang available at the presentation, however the publishing company was running behind. He was also working on a second book about Frank James. Richard we hope you find Jesse and Frank and ask them all the questions you wanted to know. We will miss you.
-Posted by the James Farm
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History Delights Battle Reenactment. Video
What a great event weekend at the Winterset Covered Bridge Festival at the
Civil War Battle
This was the final event in 2025 for the Army of the Southwest. And it was by far the best ASW event that I have attended. The weather couldn't have been better, with partly cloudy sky's and cooler temps. There was a Christening for a new artillery piece. Thus adding a second gun to the ASW equipment compliment. Also added to the event was the 1st Louisiana Tigers Confederate Zouave Group. The confederate Reenactors enjoyed a brisk and detailed drill as the Tigers and 1st Missouri Infantry drilled together and then reenacted a very entertaining and colorful battle together. The museum provided two great lunches, and ASW provided powder and caps. The battle scenarios went well while infantry was able to keep up a good pace of fire because of the added participants. while the artillery was also able to provide increased fire due to the additional guns.
Wyatt Earp was a lawman in three of the most dangerous frontier towns in the wild west. Wichita Kansas, Dodge City Kansas and Tombstone Arizona. In a twist of fate of Wyatt Earps life, he had never once been wounded in any gunfight that he had been involved in. This legendary claim holds true, in the many discussions about gunfights in the old wild west. With fast draws and strategic positioning, but there's no documented evidence that suggests of Wyatt being hit by gunfire any bullets. From the infamous Gunfight at the OK Corral and the legendary Vendetta Ride, Earp's legacy often blends fact and folklore, making him a figure of enduring fascination in Wild West history. Wyatt Earp would provide some insight on how he viewed gunfights during a 1910 interview:
“The most important lesson I learned from proficient gunfighters was the winner of a gunplay usually was the man who took his time. The second was that, if I hoped to live long enough on the frontier, I would shun flashy trick-shooting—grandstand play—as I would poison.”
“When I say that I learned to take my time in a gunfight, I do not wish to be misunderstood, for the time to be taken was only that split fraction of a second that means the difference between deadly accuracy with a six-gun and a miss. It is hard to make this clear to a man who has never been in a gunfight.”Collecting historic photos is a treasure hunt, that has yielded many surprising finds. These are two photos that came out of Virginia, taken...
