Tracking the James Gang...The high spirited horses and their gentlemen riders might catch your attention as you take a moment from your chores and watch the dust floating up along the road in the rolling hills of Goodhue County back in 1876.Some of the stories handed down through the years have been compiled by local historian, Bob Rohl of Kenyon. And Loren Evenrud of Cannon Falls organized a bus tour to track the Jesse James gang as they traveled to their ill-fated raid of the Northfield Bank on September 7 of that year. Recently twenty area residents climbed aboard the bus to take part in the historic event. It was sponsored by the Shepherd's Center of Cannon Falls.The finale was a tour of the bank museum and watching the "shoot out" replicating the original robbery attempt.
Interest began...
Bob first got interested in the outlaw route when he moved to his farm back in 1975. He recalls an older member of the community, Vince Benson, tellling him: “You know, Jesse James camped on your property.”Bob thought suspiciously... “Ya right!” But the suggestion put a seed of thought into his mind to find out if it could be so... and he discovered it could!Build a case...What Bob wanted to do was “build a case.” And the result is this tour. So hop on the bus, watch the rolling fields go by, let your imagination take you back to that time period and listen to Bob describe the possible movements of the James Gang as they traveled across the countryside.It’s possible that the gang previously considered robbing a bank in Red Wing. But there were not many escape routes because of the Mississippi River.And a Mankato bank robbery was possibly foiled but another option is that they were there just scoping out escape routes.Their interest in the Northfield Bank might have been triggered by information that some of the bank officials had been involved in southern politics after the Civil War and rumor had it that they had left just ahead of a “tar and feather” posse.Cannon Falls connection...Also, a member of the gang, Bill Stiles, had been living in Cannon Falls with his sister, said to be a teacher here. Stiles would have been able to get good information as to the layout of the area.Stiles was one of the gang members shot and killed in the Northfield robbery.Tracking the James Gang Tour...The tour route began at the G. Anderson farm off Hwy 19 on County 6 Boulevard where the gang is reported to have stopped to ask directions. Only a steel windmill remains today.Then on to White Rock where sources indicate that the gang watered their horses and may have had them shod at a local blacksmith.Next stop was at what is considered to be the oldest standing residential sturcture in Goodhue County dating back to 1853... the Chandler House on County 8 Boulevard. The gang may have stabled their horses in the barn.The tiny town of Hader on Highway 52 was a major crossroad for travel in the mid 1800’s with a major stage coach route passing through.The James gang was thought to have purchased grain at the Gjemse farm on 90th Avenue. This was the great great grandfather of Rod Johnson of Cannon Falls. It was also rumored that the gang bought horses here. But Bob explained that this is doubtful because most farmers had work horses, not the high powered mounts the gang was riding.Probably before Aspelund - at County 8 Boulevard and County 30 Boulevard - it is believed that the gang split up so as not to attract too much attention.
More sites...
They may have gone through other sites including the old village of Norway, no longer there. And here, the story goes, “a young lad with the name of Brandvold” was stopped by the horsemen and asked where the Brekke Bridge was. They also asked him the way to Northfield. He told them and they tossed him a quarter - a good sum in those days.In Northfield they met up with other members arriving from Mankato.That fateful day...On September 7, 1876 a total of eight gang members entered Northfield and in a period of seven minutes attempted to rob the Northfield Bank , with disastrous results.Bill Stiles and Clell Miller were killed. The Younger brothers: Cole , Jim, and Bob were all wounded and later captured at Madelia where Charlie Pitts was killed. Jesse and Frank James escaped to Missouri.Other memories were given on the bus tour by Meg Judge, Don Reynolds and Don Anderson.
Photos by Loren Evenrud, Cannon Falls Cable Channel, and Rosie Schluter.
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