The House where Jesse James was killed

I am the first to admit that I don't know much about the outlaw Jesse James.  And I don't know much about the circumstances leading up to his death.  So this YouTube provided a bit of background.

I can now say that I've seen the bullet hole in the house where he was shot in the back of the head when he was standing on a chair trying to straighten a picture on the wall.  

The house has been moved a few times and is now by the Patee House

Jesse James as he looked around the time of his death

Jesse James was living in St. Joseph, Missouri, with his wife and children under an assumed name  They lived in a small house, just four rooms, and barely enough room to turn around in.  

This is in the front room where he was shot.

This is the bullet hole - it's been "picked at" so it appears much larger than when it happened.

This is an original kitchen chair much like the one Jesse James was standing on.

This is a view to the front door.  The wall where he was shot is to the right and just out of the picture.

The house is now a museum on the grounds of the Patee House Museum.  The Patee House was known as the World's Hotel at the time of Jesse James' death on April 3, 1882.  [For "on this date in history" fans, this was the 22nd anniversary of the first ride of the Pony Express.]

The museum has drawings and pictures of Jesse James at various points in his young life.  He was just 34 years old when he died.  There are also pictures of his parents and his wife and other family members on display.  I find these of interest because in my own genealogy work, I'm always looking for pictures to help tell the stories of my family.

Wife who was also his cousin

Letter from his mom to his brother Frank.

There is also information about when his body was exhumed and DNA testing was conducted to confirm that it was really Jesse James who was killed that day.  There are artifacts from his coffin as well as a casting of his skull.

Coffin handles

Casting of his skull

I have a newspapers.com subscription, so while putting this post together, I did a search for Jesse James in April 1882.  The newspapers from the days and weeks following his death were filled with articles related to it.  I use this technique with my own genealogy work to help learn more about them.   

This is also a good case if you're interested in forensics.  An internet search should point you to documents and articles where you can read and learn more.

And lesson learned?  Be careful when you stand on a chair!

~ Cindy D.