Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude. A portrait of Jesse James wearing a suit. Raised in the "Little Dixie" area of Western Missouri, James and his family maintained strong Southern sympathies. L'arbre The tale featured the outlaw Jesse James, a powerful secret network of collaborators, and vast quantities of gold they allegedly buried in depositories from here to Utah and New Mexico to fund a Confederate uprising after the Civil War. The account, however, stretches credulity. [2], Note by Lilly Martin, Aug 18, 2018: Robert Sallee James had 4 children: 3 boys and 1 girl. A photograph of Dick Liddill, one of the last surviving members of the James-Younger gang. Getler made an exploratory visit in December. We may earn a commission from links on this page. From . The troops hoisted him by the neck with a noose tossed over a branch until he passed out, and also allegedly tied up the 16-year-old Jesse James and gave him a lashing despite the fact that he hadnt been involved in any of the raids up to that point. Biography. You can search individual genealogies from the Advanced Search page by choosing a particular tree from the Trees pop up menu. It seemed fitting that this hunt was in a secluded forest about 30 miles northwest of Zanesville, the birthplace of Zane Grey, the prolific popularizer of the Old West in scores of novels. Zee James - Jesse's "Poor" Wife Zerelda Mimms James "Zee" Mimms was born on July 21, 1845, in Logan, Kentucky, to Pastor John W. Mimms and Mary James Mimms. Getler had spotted it on his first visit in December. 3. This book was released on 1988-06 with total page 32 pages. But for a very limited time, RootsMagic is offering RootsMagic 9 at the special price of $20 . I wasnt ready to trust the map, but Getlers and Somerss interpretation revealed how they approached the code breaking. So, Are the Two Younger Families Related? Wikimedia CommonsAn illustration that depicts that grisly death of Jesse James at the hands of his criminal collaborator, Robert Ford. Your great-grandfather Paul Younger was listed as 1 year old in 1880. The sentries shot into the air to clear the street, which soon turned into a gunfight. It would be incredibly exciting to be a part of discovering and illuminating hidden history. He adds that hes the skeptical one. Im not big on looking at grainy video footage and being 100 percent certain on anything. 2. The trees carvings told a story in three acts, he said, depicting how the group brought the gold up the creek, buried it and certified that the outlaw was their leader. The trouble started with the 1854 Kansas-Nebraska Act. [13] [14] [13] Jesse's surviving children with Zerelda were Jesse Edward James and Mary Susan James. The Youngers pleaded guilty to murder and robbery, for which they received life sentences. Jesse Woodson James (1847-1882) 2nd Generation 2. I had first encountered Getlers work on the Confederate underground in 2009, when I interviewed him about the oddly related mysteries of Masonic symbology around Washington that best-selling novelist Dan Brown centered in his D.C. thriller that year. But I was descending into the mystery anyway, enchanted in spite of myself. Sun was glinting off the creek, a gossipy circle of wild turkeys faced us on the other side, and Somers was in a pensive mood. Historical Person Search Search Search Results Results Jesse James Prater (1941 - 2014) . Its too wet.. Thats where I say ambiguity is our worst enemy. Was I feeling treasure fever? Linked to: Timothy Michael Dowling, 12th cousin 6x removed, {{ mediasCtrl.getTitle(media, true) }} If you would like to view one of these trees in its entirety, you can contact the owner of the tree to request permission to see the tree. Jesse Woodson James - born Sept. 5, 1847 - died April 3, 1882 Susan L. James - born Nov. 25, 1849. The Missouri group (previously thought descended from the Halifax group, but the DNA does not match); 5. The risk of confirmation bias fitting the signs to a desired meaning seemed enormous. After Belle died, her daughter Flossy moved to Wichita and opened the finest brothel in town. Somers vowed to find it. The challenge in such a conspiratorial climate is to distinguish truth from speculation: Whats the difference between secret knowledge that guides you to a pot of gold and, say, the signs that lead you to suspect that a presidential election was stolen, or that a deadly virus is fake news? A portrait of a young Jesse James. Bradley tethered himself to a tree to run the machine on the unforgiving incline. Mary Butler b. In 1989 the Jackson County Genealogical Society produced The History of Jackson County, Missouri, which is an excellent source to search for more information. By days end, the track hoe finally reached the site. Local history texts also can contain a wealth of information, especially about such famous families as the outlaw Younger family. The Knights of the Golden Circle really did exist. That private army was none other than the Pinkerton Detective Agency, which by that time had tons of experience with cracking skulls at labor strikes and tracking down counterfeiters for the federal government. Today, the James-KGC-gold connection forms an active subculture within treasure-hunting culture, spawning books like Jesse James and the Lost Templar Treasure and TV movies like Jesse James Hidden Treasure.. Jesse had 15 siblings: Mattie Love Medford (born James), Joel Brackenridge "Brack" James and 13 other siblings. It was primarily a Southern group but had plenty of Northern sympathizers, including hundreds in a county about an hour north of Zanesville, according to a news report at the time. If so, a Confederate Depository was indicated at the site where Somers started digging his shaft. Since the death of Jesse James, the outlaw has been portrayed as a frontier hero or a Robin Hood figure who balked against corporations and stood in defense of the poor farmer, but nothing in his history suggests that he did either of these things. Public DomainA portrait of a young Jesse James. Younger family was from Jackson County, Mo., Missouri Confederate pension applications and Soldiers Home applications, Jackson County (Missouri) Historical Society. But before I could become a true believer, I needed to see if their narrative could withstand attempts to poke holes in it. He died in 1850 when his son, the infamous Jesse James, was three years old. But the real Jesse James was anything but a hero. Zerelda Elizabeth Cole (1825-1911) 3rd Generation 4. Contrary to his usual habit, he brought his revolvers to the table with him, suggesting he sensed trouble. He explored the forest, looking for a place to dig. James entered the picture in the early 1960s and mid-1970s when a self-styled private detective named Orvus Lee Howk, who claimed to be Jamess grandson, wrote a book and contributed to another arguing that the outlaw was a KGC leader who buried gold. It was the same shape as the diagrams carved on two of the beech trees. Jesse and Frank James rode down the fleeing survivors and shot every man who tried to surrender including the Army major in command. After his death she married a third time to Dr. Reuben Samuel in 1855 when Frank was 13 years old. Jesse James was a preacher's son. Youll get hints when we find information about your relatives . [13] They also had twins who died in infancy, Gould and Montgomery. It had been raining. Betty's descendant line from Jesse James is as follows: 1. Jesse Woodson James, born in Clay County, Missouri, on September 5, 1847, was the son of Kentucky native Zerelda Cole James and her husband, Robert James, a Baptist minister and. Wikimedia CommonsThe reward poster for Jesse James. Add my notes please: Graduated Georgetown College, KY, June 1843 . This person was created on 11 March 2011 through the import of VOELKER.ged. The operators assistant identified it as a portion of an animal trap. One day, she told Jesse that she wouldnt be able to wash his clothes or take care of him when he comes through again. Perhaps it is fitting that the mythic idea of Jesse James as a gunslinging frontier vigilante should represent the imaginary idea of the American Frontier as depicted in Hollywood. . The Boone family; a genealogical history of the descendants of George and Mary Boone who came to America in 1717; containing many unpublished bits of early Kentucky history, also a biographical sketch of Daniel Boone, the pioneer, by one of his descendants by Spraker, Ella Atterbury, b. The Dowling Family Tree with over half a million relatives, When he did this, Robert Ford walked right up behind him and fired a single shot into the back of the 35-year-old Jesse James head. The risk of confirmation bias fitting the signs to a desired meaning seemed enormous. He was the oldest of three children. That bomb killed Jesse James younger half-brother who was sleeping at the time and injured his mother. In the 1950s, a man dug for gold there for years. Deceased persons are not concerned by this provision. According to Britannica.com, John Younger died in a shootout in 1874. We collect and match historical records that Ancestry users have contributed to their family trees to create each . Each Member's genealogy is stored in a separate tree. People around Purity laughed at him, thought he was wasting his time. 1. Pinkerton later denied burning the house down on purpose, though research a century later turned up a letter in which Pinkerton bragged about what he planned to do. The Richardses had confirmed two fat targets near Somerss site, and a ground-penetrating radar survey later indicated other possible targets nearby. Circa 1864. Last appeared in 2003. . We collect and match historical records that Ancestry users have contributed to their family trees to create each . Jesse Clayton Jamesfrom tree KRH Family Tree(Private) Record information. But the digger apparently never found anything. Digital Public LibraryAn illustration by Donald Jay, dated 1882, depicting a train robbery by Jesse James and his gang. You can search all the genealogies using either the quick search box to the left, or from the Advanced Search page. Today, the place where outlaw Jesse James died is marked by a stone plinth while the house itself has been moved to St. Josephs and painstakingly preserved for thousands of visitors a year. Hes always been a very, very persistent writer and journalist., One of Getlers closest friends, Andy Secher, a trilobite fossil specialist affiliated with the American Museum of Natural History in New York, says Getler always had the idea that he had a great purpose. That day, Missouris governor issued a pardon for both men and saw to it that they got their reward. Wikimedia CommonsA photograph of Dick Liddill, one of the last surviving members of the James-Younger gang. Until Monday, March 6th, 2023 at 11:59PM Mountain time, any customer may purchase RootsMagic at this special $20 price. Robbing trains turned out to be a risky decision as the other great outlaws of the West the Railroad Barons had a private army of their own to take down the James-Younger gang. I clung to a rope on a nearly vertical hillside in rural Ohio, gingerly inching my way down toward a hand-dug shaft that was said to conceal an enormous cache of solid gold bars. Somers rode the excavators shovel down into the hole and started opening what he thought looked like a passage deeper into the hill. I hadnt found what I was looking for, either something solid to hold on to in this swirl of legend, fact and fantasy; a final verdict. James Birth Records Finally, we recommend that you turn to the Younger DNA Project, which began in December 2007. In the same year that the raid took place on the James farm, Frank James joined up with a guerilla organization that rode into Lawrence, Kansas, and slaughtered around 200 civilians. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. We collect and match historical records that Ancestry users have contributed to their family trees to create each persons profile. Belle Starr - Jesse James Photo Album Belle Starr Queen of the Wild West Myra Belle Shirley, better know as Belle Starr earned her title as Queen of the Wild West. A popular theory in treasure-hunting circles is that the KGC may have had a hand in the matter, and that the group also buried much more gold from other sources in multiple locations. Its become my legacy, its my lifes work, he says. Thats when he met a veteran treasure hunter named Bob Brewer from Arkansas. Jesse James natural father, Robert, was a slave-owning Baptist preacher from Kentucky who was always looking for the next big score that would make him rich. To learn more about wild westerners like outlaw Jesse James, read about these 10 iconic wild west figures. Freda Cruse Hardison stands by the Jesse James display she created at the Calico Rock Museum MOUNTAIN VIEW A new book on Frank and Jesse James is based on 10 years of genealogy and other. And I say that to him all the time.. Dobbins .. 5 Nannie Mimms +George Shelton .. 5 John Mimms 4 Drury Lilburn Mimms 1833 - 4 David Woodson Mimms 1833 - 4 Mary Elizabeth Mimms 1837 - 4 Lucy Francis Mimms 1839 - 1879 +Boling Browder .. 5 Mary Browder .. 5 John Browder 4 George Tillman Mimms 1841 - 4 Nancy Catherine Mimms 1843 - +Charles McBride .. 5 Thomas William McBride +Gertrude .. 5 Xenia (Zennie) McBride .. 5 Male Mcbride 4 Zerelda Amanda Mimms 1845 - 1900 4 Thomas Martin Mimms 1846 - +Mary Giberson .. 5 Irene Mimms +William Purnell .. 5 Thomas JamesMimms 4 Sarah Ann (Sallie) Mimms 1849 +Willis Sullivan .. 5 John Sullivan .. 5 Conn Sullivan +Mary Grimes . 6 Nannie Sullivan +Herbert Finely . 6 George Robertson Sullivan .. *2nd Wife of Conn Sullivan +Tessie Dyer .. 5 Fay Sullvan +Andrew Gootee *2nd Husband of Sarah Ann (Sallie) Mimms +James Nicholson Groom 4 Henry Clay Mimms 1857 - . 3 William James 1811 - 1895 + Mary Ann Varble 4 Julia James 4 Thomas James 4 William James 4 Mary James 4 Laura James 4 George James 4 Alice James 4 Luther James 4 Gustavus James . *2nd Wife of William James +Mary Ann Gibson Marsh . 3 John James 1815 - 1887 +Amanda Polly Williams 187 - 1871 4 Robert Woodson James 1838 - 1922 4 Susan Prudence James 1845 - 1919 4 John F. James 1849 - 4 Thomas M. James 1852 - 1854 . *2nd Wife of John James +Emily Bradley . 3 Robert Sallee James 1816 - 1850 +Zerelda Cole 1825 - 1911 4 Alexander Franklin James 1843 - 1915 +Anna Ralston 1853 - 1944 .. 5 Robert Franklin James 1878 - +May Sullivan .. *2nd Wife of Robert Franklin James +Mae Sanboth ..4 Robert B. James 1845 - 1845 ..4 Jesse Woodson James 1847 - 1882+Zerelda (Zee)Mimms 1845 - 1900 .. 5 Gould James .. 5 Montgomery James .. 5 Susan Lavenia James 1870 -+Allen Parmer .. 5 Jesse Edward James 1875 - 1951+Stella McGowan . 6 Lucille Martha James 1900 - +Frank Lewis .7 James Curtis Lewis 1935 +Angelica Gloria Alvarado . 6 Josephine Frances James 1902 +Ronald Ross .. 7 James Ross 1926 - +Rosemary Henderson . 8 Bonnie Jo Ross 1957 - .. +Davis James Barnes . 8 Randall Glenn Ross 1961 - . 8 David James Ross 1963 - . 8 Elizabeth Danielle Ross 1968 - . 6 Jessie Estell James 1906 +Mervyn Baumel .. 7 Donald James Baumel 1933 - .. 7 Diane June Baumel 1933 - +James Fairchild . 8 Michael James Fairchild 1960 - . 6 Ethel Rose James 1908 +Calvin T. Owens .5 Mary Susan James 1879-1935+Henry Lafayette Barr 1867-1935 . 6 Lawrence H. Barr 1902 - .. +Thelma Duncan 1906 - .. 7 Elizabeth Ann Barr 1937 - . 6 Forster Ray Barr 1904 - .. +Gerie Essary 1914 - . 6 Chester A. Barr 1907 -+Beatrice Holloway .. 7 Frederick Arthur Bar 1937 - . 6 Henrietta Barr 1913 - 1913 4 Susan Lavenia James 1879 - 1889 . 3 Elizabeth James 1816 - 1904 +Tillman West - 1884 4 Luther Virgil West 4 Mary Mourning West 4 Henry Clay West 4 Nancy Woodson West 4 Oscar Dunreath West 1840 - 4 Richard James West 1843 - 1886 4 William Newton West 1847 - . 3 Thomas Martin James 1823 - 1903 +Susan Woodward - 1916 4 John Crawford James 1843 - 1944 4 Luther Tillman James 1850 - 1916 . 3 Nancy Gardner James 1823 - 1875 +George B. Hite 4 Mary Hite 4 John Hite 4 Olive Hite 4 Irene Hite 4 Robert Woodson Hite 4 Clarence Jeff Hite - 1883 4 George Hite 4 Cornelia Hite 4 Lucy Hite 4 Jeff Davis Hite 4 Henry Clay Hite . 3 Drury Woodson James 1826 - 1910 +Mary Louisa Dunn 4 Maria L. James 4 William James 4 Helen James 4 Lena James 4 Caroline James 4 Charles James 4 Edward James .. 2 Nancy Ann James 1777 +David Hodges .. 2 William James 1782 - 1807 .. 2 Thomas James 1783 +Mary B. Davis .. 2 Martin James 1789 - 1867 +Elizabeth Key I hope this helps ya outI looked it up because I too have a maybe line but don't really think it is true because everyone who has a James in thereline thinks they have relation to them. contains thousands of pictures and GeneaStars. lis! You can use the other siblings who were not on the run from the law (and therefore may have actually entered a probate with the county) to search for a will or administrative papers. 1850s Missouri was right next to the opening act of Americas Civil War and the James family was in the thick of it. L.V.s father, Paul Younger, was born on Oct. 25, 1880, and died on Jan. 11, 1938. Research genealogy for Jesse James Butler of New Orleans, Orleans, Louisiana, as well as other members of the Butler family, on Ancestry. Late last year, he sent Getler a Facebook message about his preliminary findings. Jesse James thus grew up in one of the most pro-slavery counties in the state, and as slave owners themselves, the James familys sympathy laid entirely with pro-slavery raiders. This answer was provided in consultation with Andrew Krea, a researcher from the New England Historic Genealogical Society. Somers began excavating by hand, crawling into tunnels and voids. Research genealogy for Jesse James Prater of Prestonsburg, Floyd, Kentucky, USA, as well as other members of the Prater family, on Ancestry. A metal detector capable of penetrating 25 feet was pinging and showing large metallic targets. But when he heard how close Somers was to Zanesville, He was like, Ill call you back, and weve been in very close touch ever since, Somers says. Jesse's son was named after him, and he had four daughters (Lucielle, Josephine, Jessie, and Ethell. When his six slaves and 100 acres failed to make him a millionaire there, he packed light and moved to California to get in on the Gold Rush. Before the war they focused on agitating for secession and building a slaveholding empire in a geographic circle encompassing the southern United States, the Caribbean and parts of Latin America. Jesse James had been shot in the chest during the War and was nursed back to health by his first cousin who he later married. Within several days, after Getler, the Richardses and I had left Ohio, members of Bowsers family relented. Brewer, whod retired from a Navy career including combat service in Vietnam, believed that some elders in his extended family in the early 20th century had been sentinels guarding caches of supposed KGC gold. 1 of the founders of William Jewell College, Liberty, Clay Co MO. One day about four years ago, they found an old portrait at a yard sale that reminded them of Jesse and Frank James. Jesse takes the stage with his eight sons in 1 Samuel 16-17. Over the next century, legends of the KGC and myths of the outlaw became entwined and endlessly embellished. Robert James married Zerilda E Cole on 28 Dec 1841 in Scott, Kentucky, United States [1] Sometime after their marriage, the marriage record was amended with the words father and mother of Jesse James and Frank James. We collect and match historical records that Ancestry users have contributed to their family trees to . Discover the meaning and history behind your last name and get a sense of identity and discover who you are and where you come from. Providence Baptist Church, Clay Co MO. Since the early 2000s, Getler has been an entrepreneur and worked in communications for tech companies, including an underground detection technology firm. It dawned on me that, in spite of ourselves, we had arrived at that most predictable juncture in a treasure narrative: the moment of reconciling with the absence of treasure. Bob died of tuberculosis in prison; Cole and Jim received pardons in 1901. On one, hearts and arrows were tilted to point in the direction of the shaft. It would be a more interesting world if they were, and it would give others the courage to challenge conventional wisdom. An appraiser cast doubt on it being a photo of the brothers, so Somers started researching to try to authenticate the portrait himself, in order to sell it. James became a folk hero in his home state of Missouri after waging a guerrilla campaign against Unionists during the American Civil War from 1861 to 1865. Robert was born about 1819 in Kentucky. Jesse james family tree descendants. If they confirm a tunnel, Im going to start hugging everyone.. {{ media.date_translated }}, {{ asCtrl.bannerRights.content|translate }}, The Geneanet family trees are powered by Geneweb 7.0. Hahaha! When Somers was about 10, a neighbor his grandfather did some work for told the boy there was a rumor that James had buried gold down by a creek where the boy was headed to play. A potential problem with Netherss testimony, though, is that stories about James paying off mortgages are legion. Mary G. "Polly" Poor (c1790-1827) 6. . Circa 1864. Its messy. Two of the outlaws took up sentry positions outside while the rest of the robbers went in to crack the safe. Research genealogy for Jesse James WESTLAKE of Locust Springs, Greene County, Tennessee, as well as other members of the WESTLAKE family, on Ancestry. Theres no way to get at this history unless youre being a guy whos literally digging in the ground. Getler insists his speculations are not a conspiracy theory; rather, they are a theory about a known conspiracy the KGC and pushing the theory in new directions. I have sent you information I found from Ancestry.comMississippi records and other sources relating to my family tree. But the map was labeled Getler and Somers would say intentionally mislabeled as describing a treasure site somewhere in Tennessee. One of these, the Northfield Bank in Minnesota, would mark the turning point in the fortunes of Frank and Jesse James. You can contact the owner of the tree to get more information. A huge manhunt was organized to catch the killers, but Frank and Jesse James ability to evade capture quickly bore their legend. Historical Person Search Search Search Results Results Jesse James Greene (1900 - Unknown) . [Or] if they could prove it came from a bank or a railroad, that money could be claimed by the descendants of those corporations., I found myself wrestling with the tension between keeping an open mind and not being deluded. So far, the findings seemed promising. (Getler is the son of the late Michael Getler, who was a deputy managing editor and ombudsman at The Washington Post.) Learn more today. The claim that he buried some of the loot he stole, as well as gold from other sources, was a part of the myth that the treasure hunters hoped to verify. With the leading experts in the field, NEHGS staff can provide assistance and guidance for questions in most research areas. All the evidence about him personally has to be delivered with a caveat, so that also means that hes more susceptible to revisions, and sometimes weird revisions. Jesse Woodson James was born in Missouri on September 5, 1847. And yet, this is undoubtedly murky territory, which makes absolute proof of anything elusive. Mother The weirdest part of the lack of correct information for his tree is that in many biographies of Jesse and Frank James it talks about the way his mother would tell them bedtime stories about being the descendants of Scottish nobility, as well as having Shawnee heritage, which contributed to their feelings of distrust of outsiders overall. Citing Getlers KGC research, an FBI agent filed an affidavit seeking permission to dig up and seize the gold as stolen federal property. Family descendants of Belle Starr still live in the area today. Any treasure found could be claimed by them. Getler led me down to look at the carvings on the beech trees. I was troubled that the symbology seemed so malleable, open to the creation of more than one story. #1. Brewer taught himself to read telltale signs left in trees and rocks such as hearts, turtles and turkey tracks and to follow lines of buried clues for miles through the hills and woods. In addition, Somers and Getler proposed that when the map was turned to reflect the north-south direction of the creek in Ohio, the N in the locational note From Nashville could become the Z in From Zanesville.. She got to keep the farm and they got their money.. The next day, the bank was robbed. Local historical societies often have greater knowledge of the history of their area than anyone else, and they can be extremely helpful in pointing you toward research areas and records that they might have available to the public. Treasure hunting maintains its grip on American culture, with at least two dozen reality shows over the past decade devoted to finding everything from the Holy Grail to the riches of the Knights Templar, according to the database IMDb.com. Somebody is going to study, if they havent already, [the connection] between this kind of conspiracy theory approach to history in recent decades and peoples willingness to believe that the election was stolen, for example this belief in the sensational and conspiracies and hidden hands., Getler says he admires the work of Stiles and Keehn but thinks historians search for truth doesnt cover all the ground. Jesse James had two full siblings: his older brother, Alexander Franklin "Frank", and a younger sister, Susan Lavenia James. Getler told me he tries to approach the subject as the journalist he used to be. So there shouldn't be a whole lot of gap in between. In the National Archives, Getler found KGC records with examples of the groups coded symbols. Portrait of Frank James, Jesse James older brother. We know of at least one possible black connection to the James-Younger gang: John Trammell. These raiders wound up staging wildly fraudulent elections to make Kansas a slave territory. Thats what started this whole thing., Bowser and one of her brothers co-owned about two dozen acres that included the forest on the steep hill overlooking the creek the same creek Somers had visited as a boy of about 10. Robert Mimms had a son named John Wilson Mimms, who had a daughter who was the wife of Jesse James, the outlaw. Frank and Jesse James recovered from the Northfield disaster but didnt keep much of a low profile as they continued to rob trains, stores, and the like. I was pulling for Somers, Getler and Richards to be right about all this, despite what the historians said. Genealogies of the Families of the Presidents, by Henry Buchanan. Connect with Other Family Members These dupes are the price of the iconic sweater, but still as sleek as a slicked-back bun and hoops. My disbelief was suspended as shakily as my body on the hillside. But the question becomes at some point, show me something. Well, Jesse had a son and a daughter, and all of his grandchildren were born in the 1900s. By searching the census records on Ancestry.com, we found your great-great-grandfather Burl Younger (spelled Barl), living as a farmer in Yazoo County, Miss., when the 1870 U.S. Federal Census was enumerated. The papers editor sensed an opportunity in Jesse James. Circa 1864. We collect and match historical records that Ancestry users have contributed to their family trees to create each . But the hunters grew suspicious when the agents wouldnt let them watch the excavation, and after residents later told reporters they had heard digging at night and seen convoys of FBI vehicles leaving the site. Younger was listed as 5 years old in 1910. By nightfall, the path was nearly done. Whether we found gold or not, we were plunging deep into American mythologies of one sort or another: outlaw legends, fables of rebellion, beguiling notions of hidden historical hands operating behind the scenes. T.J. Stiles, author of the groundbreaking biography Jesse James: Last Rebel of the Civil War, told me that the treasure hunters get at least one important thing right about the outlaw: He was a much more significant political figure than standard accounts portray. This was just when Jesse James was making his own transition from wartime Confederate guerrilla to postwar, politically inspired, anti-Union bandit and killer. We are not thieves, Jesse James reportedly wrote, we are bold robbers. He probably thought the gold had been buried, because mineralogists have determined the area is not suited for naturally occurring gold, the family member said.