Saint Joseph Tutors Come To You

The house where outlaw Jesse James was shot and died is located in Saint Joseph, Missouri. The house was originally located at 1318 Lafayette and was relocated next to The Patee House Museum at 12th Street and Penn. At the time of his death he was living in this small home with his wife under the alias Mr. Howard. The house is now referred to as the “Jesse James Home Museum” and is open to the public. One of the most popular parts of the museum tour is the bullet hole in the wall resulting from the fateful shot.

Many have heard the name Jesse James but unlike Saint Joseph tutors, they may not be familiar with his story. His reputation grew from his involvement in the James-Younger Gang. He and his brother gained notoriety as bank robbers and were romanticized as being Robin Hood types, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. Although there is no actual evidence that any of the monies or goods stolen were distributed to the impoverished at all.

During the Civil War James and his brother were classified as “Bushwhackers”. This term was given to a form of guerilla warfare, common in areas where there were large areas of contested land and few governmental resources available to police them. Essentially they took the law into their own hands. Most of the time bushwhackers conducted raids against the military, however, in rural areas sometimes these attacks were focused on individuals or families. The James brothers were accused of taking part in atrocities committed against Union Soldiers. The Union Army fought and eventually defeated the Confederate Army.

One of their most famous robberies was of a bank in Northfield, Minnesota. It was during this robbery that several members of their gang were captured and many were shot. Over the years following they were able to recruit new members and gain strength, however they were becoming more closely followed by law enforcement. Their notoriety had made them the prime focus for law enforcement, who wanted to bring this much speculated case quickly to a close.

James’ life came to an end in 1882, when he was shot by Robert Ford, a traitor to James, he was actually a member of James’ gang. He was swayed by the hefty reward offered for the capture of James “dead or alive”. Saint Joseph tutors note that he was already famous during his lifetime, but that celebrity increased substantially after his death. He is now a legendary figure in Wild West history, and Saint Joseph are proud to have his museum located in their town.