Last May I had the privilege of visiting a whole slew of Jesse James history sites in the great state of Missouri. Thanks to the knowledge and generosity of my guide, Mark Lee Gardner, we hit the high spots, from the Jesse James Farm to the Jesse James Home in Saint Joe (I saw the mythical bullet hole!) and many graveyards in between.
Besides the rich history I discovered (I never knew the Santa Fe Trail started in Franklin, Missouri!), we encountered great people and great food, from fantastic BBQ in Jeff City to Boudreaux’s Louisiana Seafood and Steaks, catty-corner from the Buchanan County Courthouse in Saint Joe where Bob and Charley Ford pleaded guilty to Jesse’s murder.
All of these great sites are available for anyone who loves history as much as you and I do. In fact, we are planning a return visit next year to celebrate the publication of my next book on The Illustrated Life & Times of Jesse James. So, stay tuned; we’re going to make this a fun road trip for the readers of True West magazine.
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