http://castlepix.com/gunslingers.php

https://vimeo.com/57377686

In the preview video for the program, Johnny Boggs, past president of the Western Writers Association and friend to the James, appears. Earlier this week I knew Bob Boze Bell, the publisher of True West magazine taped another segment for the series. I myself passed on the project.

A production assistent informed me, “The goal of this series is to tell these stories in a thrilling, visceral, personal way, as no documentary series before it has. If we succeed, viewers will relate to each character on a more emotional level than they might have when they first heard about them growing up, and come away with a renewed appreciation both for the protagonist and the time and place where his legend was born.”

I replied, stating, “Since my focus is the James family, and not the partisan or criminal exploits of the James brothers, I am probably not one you’d want for your project.” What I neglected to say was I’d quickly grasp the opportunity to appear in programming that presented a factual historical viewpoint that was intellectually stimulating as well as informative and enlightening about Jesse James, his family, and his community.

Instead, I directed the producer to my book, Jesse James Soul Liberty, adding, “My quintet is intended to define the unknown character of Jesse James, that no historian or media has yet grasped or reported in 150 years. My books show the genetic character, personality, and behaviors, evidenced in his family from the American Revolution to present day. It may illuminate the many misconceptions of what history to date commonly has defined as Jesse James. “

I further added, “As successive volumes of my history roll out over the next four years, I expect the family of Frank & Jesse James will acquire a whole new meaning for America and the history of its development as a nation.” We already know painfully and all too well what the emotional promotion of gunslinging has done for America.

The discovery of historical artifacts always is thrilling. My exhumation of the twin children of Jesse James was clearly more poignant than the authentication we conducted of the Zee James Collection, the trunk packed after Jesse’s assassination that was sent to his mother’s family in Stamping Ground, Kentucky for safekeeping, but became a lost treasure itself as 130 years of history passed until the trunk and its contents were rediscovered.

As I periodically return to the original family documents, memoirs, and writings that I draw upon for writing the five volumes of Jesse James Soul Liberty, the tie between my readers with the family of Jesse James, I know, will be authentic and true, and as much a discovery as if they stumbled upon the material artifacts of history themselves.

Because of this, I can relish and enjoy the discovery of others.

This week I learned of a 100 year old time vault that the First English Lutheran Church in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, just opened. From 1913 to 2013 the vault laid air tight and water tight beneath the church floor. When finally opened this year in April, the dead long gone again were able to speak. And because of new gramophone technology in the era past, they are heard decades past their time. See the mark at 1:06.00 for the unveiling of the vault and its contents.

Many of us pray to the dead. But fewer of us speak, or sing, or leave gifts for those yet to come. Shouldn’t we be doing a lot more of that?

James Family Trunk from the Zee James Collection - Put Up For Auction

Many think archives and institutions are forever. The fact is, they are subject to failure like anything else. This sad realization hit home in recent years for the family of America’s iconic outlaws, Frank & Jesse James. Their experience prompts the question, is there any reliable custodian for history’s meaningful remainders?

Over the years, the James family had made donations of their property, homes, artifacts and relics. Their trust was placed with Clay County, Missouri and its governing commissioners. As the economic climate fluctuated across decades like the weather, the enthusiasm of the politicians and governing body for preserving the James family’s donation grew stormy. Donations that were made became lost, never to be retrieved.

When the historic home of Jesse James’ daughter burned down, and   it was proved the county was responsible and negligent, the county took the insurance money and ran. Instead of restoring the burned hulk, or replicating it, the county announced it intended to use the land for an animal shelter.

What lessons has the James family learned? History is best preserved by those best able to respect and maintain it. Reliance upon government or political bodies is tenuous. Time itself is preservation’s enemy. Money for continual preservation will always be a factor. If at all possible, it is best to self-insulate by self-insurance or underwriting. A specific endowment also may not last or endure forever, but it’s the foundation that gives history improved prospects for survival.

"Sue" the Tyrannosaurus Rex at the Field Museum in Chicago

Book Review: Jesse James Soul Liberty Vol. 1: Behind the Family Wall of Stigma & Silence
By Eric F. James (Cashel Cadence House 2012) 411 pp. hard cover, $36.95

Most longtime outlaw-lawman aficionados have probably read a number of books about Jesse and Frank James. Those books probably included Background of a Bandit by Joan M. Beamis and William E. Pullen and Jesse and Frank James: The Family History by Phillip W. Steele. Chances are you think you know a lot about the family of America’s most famous bandits. However, if you think this– think again– you have seen only the tip of the iceberg. Jesse James fanatics are going to be delighted with all the new material and serious historians are going to wonder how they have missed so much for so long.

The author points out that there is a paradox for the family of Jesse James. America celebrates the out- laws yet has stigmatized the outlaw’s family. This has led to a wall of silence within the family. The author goes on to say that the James family lived lives that are ordinary and the abundance of their accomplishments is more than enough to mitigate any stigma. In fact, the accomplishments of this James family are very impressive. Members of this family have built churches, schools, businesses and communities. They have achieved high professional standards and they have frequently taken a stand for religious, social and personal tolerance.

Early members of the James Family in America left Virginia to avoid religious persecution. In Kentucky they founded churches and helped build communities. Members of the family moved on to Missouri, California, Texas and a number of other states.

Drury Woodson James went to California. He was active in local civic activities and in California politics. Among his descendants were Joan Beamis who battled deaf- ness and helped improve education for the deaf. She also researched family history and compiled extensive family archives. Another descendant of Drury Woodson James was Rev. James Burns Malley. He graduated from Dartmouth, served in the U. S. Navy then graduated from Harvard Law School. Later he became a Jesuit Priest and worked among the poor in Brazil for six years.

Thomas Martin James settled in the Kansas City, Missouri area and he became a very wealthy business- man. He assisted in founding a number of churches in the area. His descendants continued to con- tribute to the educational and business life of the Kansas City community. Vassie James was named for Vassar College. Her mother graduated from the first class of that school. Vassie also attended Vassar. She went on to found two schools in Kansas City. She also managed extensive financial holdings and was an early supporter of what became Planned Parenthood. Her second husband served as the President of the University of Missouri.

Another descendant of Thomas Martin James was Daniel Lewis James Jr. He graduated from Yale University, helped organize labor unions in Oklahoma then went to California and became a well-known writer. He worked with Charlie Chaplin on the script of The Great Dictator. He wrote the plays Bloomer Girl and Winter Soldiers. Bloomer Girl played on Broadway for eighteen months. Daniel Lewis James ran afoul of the House of Un-American Activities Committee. He was blacklisted and suffered a severe professional set back as a result of this.

There is considerable material in this book about Jesse Edward James, the son of Jesse James, and his family. There is also a chapter devoted to Judge James R. Ross. Many of us in the outlaw-lawmen community were acquainted with Judge Ross. However, few of us have known about his stand for civil rights for gays. Judge Ross made the ruling that Disneyland was violating the civil rights of a gay couple when they were expelled from the park for dancing together.

There are a few tidbits of new information in the book about Frank James. There is some mention of the Dalton gang. One member of the James family settled in Coffeyville, Kansas and his son was in one of the banks when the Daltons attempted their dual bank robbery. There is a family story or two about Belle Starr. There is Burton Allen James the Indian Agent and Missouri legislator. There is also John James of Alvarado, Texas who ran a school for Choctaw Indians and numerous other interesting members of the extended James family.

In addition to the individual stories of a number of the James family the book is liberally illustrated with family photos, pictures of family homes and buildings, copies of book jackets, playbills and items from family art collections. There is an appendix which contains a detailed genealogy chart. There are extensive notes and a bibliography. The book is very well written, has an outstanding dust jacket and is
very pleasing in overall presentation.

There are a few editorial glitches such as, the mix up of a couple of names and confusion of relationships between some of the family members. These are very minor and do not detract from the overall content of the book.

In summary, this is one of the best books I have read in a long time. I did not want to put the book down. It reads a lot like the family sagas written by Howard Fast and John Jakes. However, this is all fact, not fiction. If you have any interest in the James gang and their history this book is a “must read”. And do not skip the notes; there is a wealth of material to be found in the notes and the bibliography is a gold mine. Four more volumes of James family history are to follow this book. I eagerly anticipate all of them.

~ Nancy B. Samuelson

Every few weeks I receive photographic images that are claimed to be of Jesse James, or Frank James, or of the two together. More often, they are pictures of some claimed relative to the James. Most every image can be promptly dismissed. But sometimes, when the physical resemblance appears close, the first thing I look at are the ears.

Zee Mimms, wife of Jesse Woodson James

This is one of my most favorite James family pictures, because it shows very clearly the physical ear definition common to the Jesse James family.

This is Zee Mimms-James, Jesse James’ first cousin & wife. Zee is the granddaughter of John M. James & Mary “Polly” Poor, who are the same grandparents to her husband Jesse.

The giveaway in the ear formation of the James is the flattened portion of the ear’s perimeter, and the deep peninsula canal at the bottom inside the ear.

Young Zee Mimms

Evident in this image of a young Zee Mimms is the same ear formation, which will last a lifetime. This formation rarely appears in both ears, but only in one.

This singular ear formation would have been familiar to Jesse James. While no image of Jesse shows he possessed the same ear formation, it is easy from viewing the images of his children that he possessed the formation, too. His children Jesse Edwards James Jr. and Mary Susan Jamesm definitely did.

Jesse Edwards James Jr.

Mary Susan James

Among the Jesse James family, this ear formation appears to be genetic. Generations of the James display the identical ear formation through time to present day.

Robert Franklin James

Frank James, son, Robert Franklin James had one. So did Jesse’s cousin Susan Prudence James-Smith.

Susan Prudence James-Smith

Living members of the Jesse James family display the same ear formation today, even among family who are not directly descended from Jesse James.

Finally, this is J. Mark Beamis. Mark is the son of Joan Malley-Beamis, author of Background of a Bandit, the first genealogy assembled by a James family member. Furthermore, Mark is a second great grandson of Drury Woodson James, Frank and Jesse’s uncle; and he is a third great grandson of John M. James and Mary “Polly” Poor.

J. Mark Beamis

Recently, when these images were presented to living descendants among the James family, some ran quickly to the mirror to check their own ears. What they viewed in the mirror was their James family genetic heritage in full and irrefutable display.

To other James family members, only now becoming aware of this genetic characteristic, I’ll ask you to SEND ME YOUR EARS.

Faced with terror and death, there were no calls to arm each and every person with guns. No citizens grabbed for the weapons of war. There were no trumpets to hate government. There was no fomenting of distrust in leadership. All that was the terrorists’ do.

What the people of Boston seized upon was their self-reliance in government, their self-support for enlightened leadership, and their own militia-style spirit of organized cooperation, that didn’t require their personal guns. In victory’s end, the people of Boston cheered their champions, welcoming them with ever more dedication and support, as they now reassemble in the welling pride of their community.

Boston shows us the American way.

Cartoon by John Cole

It appears the cable channel formerly known as the History Channel is not about to give up manufacturing bogus Jesse James history.

This week I was contacted by a production company seeking to associate Jesse James with the Knights of the Golden Circle. My response was, “Good luck in finding something that doesn’t exist.” I then directed the production company to the numerous posting links below from our blog, Leaves of Gas, for details on my terse response.

A final email to me from the production company stated, “I will go ahead and advise my team not to pursue this myth.” While the production may have given up, I expect to hear from History again no doubt in the future. After all they’re “Making (up) History Every Day.”

RELATED:

Jesse James, Lost Treasure, & the Golden Circle – Where’s the Beef?

The Latest Fake Jesse James History From Ron Pastore

James-Younger Gang Journal Pans Jesse James’ Hidden Treasure

Jesse James’ Hidden Treasure – Bogus History & Fantasy from The History Channel

Jesse James Hidden Treasure: Laughable “science”

Jesse James’ Hidden Treasure

Jesse James’ Hidden Treasure – Deconstructing Chapter One

Jesse James’ Hidden Treasure – Deconstructing Chapter Two

Jesse James’ Hidden Treasure – Deconstructing Chapter Three

Jesse James’ Hidden Treasure – Chapter 4 deconstructed

Jesse James’ Hidden Treasure – Chapter 5 Deconstructed

Newman University Promotes Bogus Jesse James Historian Ron Pastore

Jesse James Family Challenges Newman University’s Presentation of Bogus History

Wichita Man Tries to Change History of Jesse James

Wichita’s Jesse James Museum Challenges Jesse James History as We Know It

Area Historian Takes a Fresh Look at Jesse James

Techniques of Jesse James Con Artists

Jorge Mario Bergoglio S. J. - Pope Francis I

Jesuits teach and practice a street-savvy concern for the disadvantaged and the poor. That not only is evident in the biography of Jesse James’ cousin, Fr. James Burns Malley S.J., as Chapter 10 tells his life’s story as a Jesuit, it also is evident throughout the book among the stories of others in the James family.

While encouraging education, Jesuits foster critical thinking, the kind that not only is necessary to challenge, address, and remedy the ills of society, but also the kind to move society forward as a result.

From the Enlightenment of the American Revolution, through each James pioneer who sought to establish his own “Athens of the West,” to Thomas Martin James who aspired to “the highest mental culture” – as he spiffed loans to Frank James behind his store –  the James family has demonstrated a solid record of cultivating education, intelligence, and mental acuity in service to those of lesser means.

The family of Frank and Jesse James knows that the ills of the world cannot be cured without being in the street. Like Jesse James, they have been there, and they always will be there. If not specifically like Jesse James, then in their own way. Among the James family, Jesse James’ soul liberty always will be self-defined.

Like the Jesuit, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who rode the subways of Argentina to the Papacy of the Vatican where the real work begins, of the James can be expected the unexpected.