150 years since Northfield's defeat of Jesse James

Eight bandits rode into Northfield, Minn., 150 years ago. They were members of the James-Younger Gang, notorious outlaws of the American West. The gang intended to rob the First National Bank but was instead defeated and driven out by local armed citizens.

This week, the town of Northfield is celebrating their victory with the annual Defeat of Jesse James Days celebration. It is a five-day event that includes a parade, vendors, rodeo, carnival rides and multiple reenactments of the robbery.

Earl Weinmann is a historian and longtime tour guide at the Northfield Historical Society. He has studied the events of Sept. 7, 1876, and he knows the story down to the smallest details.

After the Civil War, the James-Younger Gang had become notorious for robbing banks and trains across the American West and South. According to Weinmann, the James-Younger Gang came North to Minnesota after attracting too much attention in the South. The gang believed Northfield to be an easy target.

“I think the most plausible theory, regardless of their direct motive, is that they thought the job would be easy because banks in the North hadn't been robbed,” Weinmann said." “They had the impression that people in the North were basically dumb sodbusters, and that it would be unexpected. So therefore, all three combine to make for an easy job.”

However, the robbery went awry almost immediately. It began with three members of the gang entering the bank and ordering the bank employees to open the safe. Joseph Lee Heywood was the acting cashier at the time and lied to the gang, saying the safe door was locked and couldn’t be opened. Heywood was later shot and killed by the gang.

At the time, the safe contained about $15,000 — roughly $250,000 in today's money. It was also unlocked.

“You have to understand that money wasn't insured back then, so there was no getting back money if it were stolen,” Weinmann said. “And I think Heywood also knew that if that money was gone and gone for good, it could adversely affect the town of Northfield in the future.”

Outside, the robbers had gained the attention of several locals.

“A man named J.S. Allen, a hardware store owner in town, ran down the streets, yelling the words that everybody in Northfield knows: ‘Get your guns, boys, they’re robbing the bank,’” Weinmann said.

The resulting gunfight lasted seven minutes, ending with two of the robbers dead, two more badly wounded and the rest on the run. The James brothers escaped. The Younger brothers were later captured near Madelia, Minn.

Historians mark the occasion as a significant point in history, being one of the last clashes of the Civil War. Weinmann believes it’s significant for other reasons.

“Northfield celebrates it because of what Heywood had done. Money can be re-earned, but dreams and hopes can die,” Weinmann said. “I think Heywood protected what that $15,000 worth of community savings represented, namely the livelihood of his friends and neighbors and their plans for the future.”

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

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