Jesse James timeline

Jesse James Is Born

The infamous Jesse James was born on September 5, 1847. At seventeen, James left his native Missouri to fight as a Confederate guerilla in the... Read more

The Robbery Of The Clay County Savings Association

These men were the likely culprits in the first daylight armed bank robbery in the United States in peacetime, the robbery of the Clay County... Read more

Jesse James And His Gang Rob A Bank

The survivors of Clement's gang continued to conduct bank robberies over the next two years, though their numbers dwindled through arrests,... Read more

Jesse James Robs The Bank That Makes Him Famous

Jesse James did not become famous, however, until December 1869, when he and (most likely) Frank robbed the Daviess County Savings Association in... Read more

Jesse James And His Gang Turn To Train Robbery

On July 21, 1873, they turned to train robbery, derailing the Rock Island train in Adair, Iowa and stealing approximately $3,000 ($51,000 in 2007).... Read more

John Younger Is Shot

The Adams Express Company turned to the Pinkerton National Detective Agency in 1874 to stop the James-Younger Gang. The Chicago-based agency worked... Read more

Jesse James Gets Married

Jesse and his cousin Zee married on April 24, 1874, and had two children who survived to adulthood: Jesse James, Jr. (b. 1875) and Mary Susan James... Read more

The James-Younger Gang Attempts To Rob A Bank

On September 7, 1876, the James-Younger gang attempted a raid on the First National Bank of Northfield, Minnesota. After this robbery and a... Read more

Jesse And Frank James Rob A Train In Glendale, Missouri

Later in 1876, Jesse and Frank James surfaced in the Nashville, Tennessee area, where they went by the names of Thomas Howard and B. J. Woodson,... Read more

Jesse James is Assassinated by Robert Ford

With his gang nearly annihilated, James trusted only the Ford brothers, Charley and Robert. Although Charley had been out on raids with James, Bob... Read more