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Day Tripper: Kearney, Mo
Jul. 2nd, 2013 08:19 pmKearney, Missouri (near Kansas City) is the birthplace of Jesse James.
James (not Sandra's ex) still is one of history's most fascinating characters, which is why Brad Pitt plays him over 100 years later. His hometown doesn't noticeably make him out to be the Robin Hood of folklore, but falls on the modern attitude that James was an ex-Confederate who continued to fight the Civil War.
In certain ways, it's hard not to have atl east some sympathy for James. Part of a family that moved from Kentucky with many other families to form a region called Little Dixie- an area just across the way from the Jayhawkers in Kansas. James was beaten up and lashed as a 14-year old by Federal troops who were looking for his brother (who had joined the Confederate army).. His family temporarily displaced by Federalist Missourians in the aftermath of the war.
There are a couple of places around here that 'celebrate' being robbed by James (the bank In Liberty Missouri, I am told has the bullet holes memorialized), and a couple of places that were his hideout.
The house was also where a neighbor had advised the Pinkertons that the James boys were staying in which led to an incident in which Pinkertons threw an explosive into the house causing the death of James's young brother and taking the arm off of James's mother- an event that sounds terrible in terms of overstepping certain boundaries in any context.
The house is a small mid-19th century cabin (later added to) and understandably for our time seems small. At the end of the day like many historical attractions, the experience comes down to what is made of it.
That said, they make the most of it. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable, and maybe this shouldn't be surprising, but has a lot of artifacts that will impress those interested in James- the boots James was wearing when he was shot, Jesse's saddle, and most interestingly to me (and sort of chillingly) that actual picture that Jesse was cleaning and straightening when he was shot dead.
Jesse was buried there with a grave that was stolen bit by bit and has been replaced with the inscription "murdered by a traitor and a coward whose name is not worthy to appear here" (a replica stands there now). Jesse has since been moved to an otherwise not-particularly noteworthy grave in the downtown cemetery (a cemetery that is probably interesting nevertheless with Revolutionary War veterans).
After Jesse's death, Frank James surrendered himself to the Governor of Missouri, was tried and acquitted, and retired here as a farmer (and in later life, toured the country with Cole Younger). Jesse James Jr, as a young man, was accused of a train robbery, and acquitted (although likely he did it), becoming a lawyer in Kansas City as an adult, and eventually losing his money in moving to Hollywood and trying to make a film career off of playing his father.
Overall, a very interesting little stop in the middle of the country that captures the spirit of one of American history's most interesting characters.
James (not Sandra's ex) still is one of history's most fascinating characters, which is why Brad Pitt plays him over 100 years later. His hometown doesn't noticeably make him out to be the Robin Hood of folklore, but falls on the modern attitude that James was an ex-Confederate who continued to fight the Civil War.
In certain ways, it's hard not to have atl east some sympathy for James. Part of a family that moved from Kentucky with many other families to form a region called Little Dixie- an area just across the way from the Jayhawkers in Kansas. James was beaten up and lashed as a 14-year old by Federal troops who were looking for his brother (who had joined the Confederate army).. His family temporarily displaced by Federalist Missourians in the aftermath of the war.
There are a couple of places around here that 'celebrate' being robbed by James (the bank In Liberty Missouri, I am told has the bullet holes memorialized), and a couple of places that were his hideout.
The house was also where a neighbor had advised the Pinkertons that the James boys were staying in which led to an incident in which Pinkertons threw an explosive into the house causing the death of James's young brother and taking the arm off of James's mother- an event that sounds terrible in terms of overstepping certain boundaries in any context.
The house is a small mid-19th century cabin (later added to) and understandably for our time seems small. At the end of the day like many historical attractions, the experience comes down to what is made of it.
That said, they make the most of it. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable, and maybe this shouldn't be surprising, but has a lot of artifacts that will impress those interested in James- the boots James was wearing when he was shot, Jesse's saddle, and most interestingly to me (and sort of chillingly) that actual picture that Jesse was cleaning and straightening when he was shot dead.
Jesse was buried there with a grave that was stolen bit by bit and has been replaced with the inscription "murdered by a traitor and a coward whose name is not worthy to appear here" (a replica stands there now). Jesse has since been moved to an otherwise not-particularly noteworthy grave in the downtown cemetery (a cemetery that is probably interesting nevertheless with Revolutionary War veterans).
After Jesse's death, Frank James surrendered himself to the Governor of Missouri, was tried and acquitted, and retired here as a farmer (and in later life, toured the country with Cole Younger). Jesse James Jr, as a young man, was accused of a train robbery, and acquitted (although likely he did it), becoming a lawyer in Kansas City as an adult, and eventually losing his money in moving to Hollywood and trying to make a film career off of playing his father.
Overall, a very interesting little stop in the middle of the country that captures the spirit of one of American history's most interesting characters.
