KSHB 41 reporter Fernanda Silva covers stories in the Northland. She also focuses on issues surrounding immigration. Share your story idea with Fernanda.
During our Let’s Talk series, Liberty neighbors shared the story of the Jesse James Bank Museum, a historical building in the heart of the city.
Jesse James Bank Museum keeps alive the history of the first bank robbery of its kind
It was February 13, 1866, a snowy and cold day, when criminal history was made.
It was about 2 p.m. when the infamous outlaw’s gang rode their horses to Clay County Savings Association, a bank on the historic square in Liberty.
They were about to commit the country’s first successful daylight bank robbery during peacetime.
“They asked to change a bill when the person working at the bank counter that day came up,” said Bryan Shibley, Clay County Historic Sites specialist. “They pulled out some guns on that person, jumped over the counter, demanded the money, and robbed the bank.
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12 outlaws, believed to be led by Jesse James, stole around $66,000. That would be equivalent to $1.6 million today.
The group fled on their horses as people in the town tried to chase and catch them.
They were not able to locate the gang.
“No reward was ever paid. No one was ever caught, incarcerated, or convicted,” said Historic Interpreter Dan Doty, who helps keep the story alive.
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The gang murdered a student from William Jewell College. According to Shibley, he was alerting the town that the bank was being robbed.
The empty vault and other parts of the bank still stand almost 170 years later.
“It truly defines the Wild West,” said Shibley. “There’s so much legend out there, we want to bring some reality to the situation and really teach the history of how these things happened.”
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They say visitors come from all over to hear tales about the outlaws.
“It’s a part of history, not always a beautiful part, but a part of history,” said Doty, who often uses his middle name, James, to introduce himself.
