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| Northfield's First National Bank |
The James-Younger gang attempted to rob the bank in broad daylight, a trademark of the gang. The gang was as far north as they had ever been, traveling to Minnesota in part to avoid the posses in their home state of Missouri.
As it turned out, the attempted Northfield Minnesota bank robbery was a failure and represented the end of the James-Younger gang. Two of the eight gang members were killed by town folk outside the bank.
A gang who left a trail of violence and death starting during the Civil War as Confederate bushwackers for guerrilla leaders William Quantrill and Bloody Bill Anderson, met fierce civilian resistance in Northfield Minnesota and other towns like never before.
As far as the Northfield Raid was concerned, it was a disaster for the James-Younger gang and eventually led to Jesse's death and Frank's surrender. After the failed Northfield Raid, the ensuing manhunt for the robbers covered nearly 400 miles. The James-Younger gang tried to escape Minnesota in a generally southwest direction from Northfield and the manhunt involving lawmen as well as farmers and merchants was the largest in Minnesota history.
The Great Northfield Raid Reenactments
Today, travelers through Minnesota have the opportunity to visit historic sites and attend annual events which not only reenact the failed bank robbery but also tell a lot of the story about the gangs attempt to stay ahead of the posse of manhunters. The James-Younger gang were never before pursued by lawmen and civilians for such a long distance and in a such a strange territory to the outlaws. The attempted escape from Northfield Minnesota is a fascinating story.
Below are a few examples of events and reenactments you may wish to add to your Minnesota vacation planner.
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| Jesse and Frank James, 1872 |
The details of the robbery itself are well known and will be re-enacted this weekend in Northfield as part of the annual "Defeat of Jesse James Days." Less well-known are the events that came after the robbery attempt, as the gang fled across southern Minnesota, pursued by a host of posses.
Madelia Minnesota
There is an annual event held in Madelia Minnesota that celebrates the courage of the seven posse members from Madelia who captured the three Younger brothers and shot and killed gang member Charlie Pitts. This is a day long celebration that included old west shows on Madelia's Main Street and a reenactment at the capture site. The gunfight and capture takes place at 2:30P at the Historical Capture Monument about seven miles west of town.
You may also be interested in a video of the Younger Brothers Capture Reenactment
The Historic James-Younger Gang manhunt Through Minnesota
As mentioned above, the manhunt for the James-Younger gang covered about 400 miles and lasted for weeks. During this time the gang even split up so to be able to travel faster. A large reward was offered by the state government and banks. Every farmer and everybody around that had anything to use as a weapon thought they were going to go out and get a reward.
The woods of Minnesota were full of people. Minnesota had many northern Europe immigrants and many joined the manhunt. Some of them were yelling in Norwegain, some in German, some in English. Unfortunately, a good number of the manhunters lacked professional searching skills.
The local searchers tramping through the brush and hollering at each other gave the James-Younger gang plenty of advance notice. In fact, the searchers made so much noise that the gang could usually hear them coming. It wasn't too hard to hide from the posses and stay a step ahead.
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| A young Cole Younger |
The Younger group traveled much slower than the two James brothers, Jesse and Frank, and eventually were sighted. The person who spread the word of the Younger group presence near Madelia was a seventeen year old farmer named Oscar Sorbel. Sorbel rode into Madelia and reached Sheriff James Glispin.
A posse from Madelia found the gang members just south of LaSalle Minnesota which didn't exist at the time of the capture. Charlie Pitts was shot and killed by the posse and the three Younger brothers were taken into custody. Below is a short description of the capture.
Sept. 21, 1876---A large posse surrounds the three Youngers and Charlie Pitts. They are surrounded in a boggy swamp called Hanska Slough. A full scale battle takes place. Charlie is shot several times and killed. Cole is shot six more times for a total of eleven wounds, Jim is shot two more times for a total of five wounds, and Bob is shot one more time for a total of three wounds.
See the Western Trips articles on the links below...
The James Gang's Blue Cut Train Robbery
Quantrill's Raiders
Sam Bass and Texas' First Train Robbery
Some good reading on the subject of the Northfield Raid and the ensuing manhunt include... Shot All To Hell by Mark Lee Gardner...Robber and Hero : The Story of the Northfield Bank Raid by George Huntington.
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| Memorial window, Northfield, MN |
The three Younger brothers were first taken to Madelia and put on public display. They were then transported to Faribault MN and tried, found guilty of murder, and sentenced to life in thestate prison at Stillwater.
Bob Younger died in prison in 1889; Jim was pardoned in 1901 and committed suicide in 1902; Cole, also pardoned in 1901 and died in 1916. It was said that Cole Younger was a model prisoner and started the prison's first newspaper, The Prison Mirror.
In regards to the Sorbel family, after threats were actually made, the Sorbels changed their names and moved to Dakota Territory. It was only a few years before his death that Oscar's true identity was revealed. The annual “Oscar Sorbel Hometown Hero Award” was given out in the City of Madelia during the community’s Younger Brothers Capture weekend in September of 2013.
Joseph Lee Heywood
During the attempted bank robbery in Northfield, the bank's treasurer, Joseph Lee Heywood, was shot and killed for refusing to open the ban's vault. Most accounts attribute the murder to Frank James. One must remember that this was the era before Federal bank insurance. Had the James-Younger gang succeeded in robbing the bank, the depositors, local citizens of Northfield, would have lost all of their savings with a slim chance of ever seeing the money again. The citizens of Northfield considered Joseph Lee Heywood a true hero.
Heywood was a leading citizen of Northfield MN also serving as treasurer for the new Carleton College which still exists today in a much larger Northfield. Neither Frank nor Jesse were ever captured for this crime and the Younger brothers were convicted since they were part of the overall crime.
The stained glass window pictured above is at the First United Church of Christ in Northfield. Additionally, Carleton College established a Heywood Library Fund and installed a memorial plaque on campus.
(Article copyright 2014 Western Trips. Photos and images in the public domain)
