Jesse James robs the Poplar Bluff train

There are Poplar Bluff museum that tells the story of us, our family and our history. I want to tell you some of those tall tales found within our museum walls.

Did you know Poplar Bluff was part of the Jesse James folklore? On Jan. 31, 1874, he robbed the Poplar Bluff train from the Iron Mountain Railroad. The railroad had come to Poplar Bluff just two years earlier. It became known as the “Great Missouri train robbery.” The story begins in Hot Springs. Arkansas.

Jesse James had just robbed a stagecoach in Hot Springs. He, Frank James, Cole Younger and two other bandits escaped to their hideout in Moark, Arkansas, just 20 miles south of Poplar Bluff. There, they planned their next heist.

The gang decided to rob the train. The Iron Mountain Railroad ran from Little Rock to St. Louis. They followed the tracks north through Poplar Bluff. The gang was described as heavily armed and excellently mounted. They were looking for a place to ambush the train. Their next stop was a gambling resort called McFadden’s located in Mill Springs.

Jesse James passed through Piedmont and stopped at the lumber mill in Gads Hill. This was the spot! Gads Hill had only three houses and the mill. They rounded up the town folk and built a bonfire to keep them warm.

At 4:45 p.m. the southbound “Little Rock Express” arrived. Jesse James stopped the train by waving a red flag indicating danger. They boarded the train at gunpoint, forcing the crew to move it onto the siding.

The bandits took $22,444.00 from the train. The passengers with soft hands were robbed. Those with calloused were not.

One of the gang members replied “Hard handed men have to work for their money, soft handed ones are capitalists and professors and get their money easy.”

They seemed to enjoy their work. The bandits made several ludicrous remarks and kept the passengers in good humor.

Jesse James wrote the agent a receipt for the stolen money and handed him a note describing the robbery. It seems the St. Louis newspaper got the facts wrong about the Hot Springs hold up. He wanted to make sure they got credit for the train robbery. Some 40 minutes later, Jesse James released the hostages, shaking hands and thanking them for their kindness.

They rode off toward Piedmont, eventually turning west. Needless to say, the train arrived late to Poplar Bluff. A Desarc posse was formed but lost them at the Black River. This was Jesse James first Missouri train robbery.

This story was told in the Poplar Bluff DAR. The detailed article with photos are on display at the MoArk Regional Railroad Museum. The museum is located in the old Frisco depot just across from the Black River Coliseum. It is open every Saturday free of charge from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tell them Mike sent you!

Mike Shane is a veteran, Poplar Bluff resident and board member for the Poplar Bluff Museum.