April 23, 1874

Jesse married first cousin Zerelda Amanda Mimms in Kansas City, Missouri. The newlyweds honeymooned in Galveston, Texas.

April 1874

A stagecoach robbery in Austin, Texas is credited to members of the gang, who made off with $3,000. No one injured.

June of 1874

Frank James marries Annie Ralston in Omaha, Nebraska.

August 30, 1874

The Waverly-Lexington Omnibus Stagecoach was blamed on the James Gang; however, there is some question as to they were actually responsible. No one was injured.

December 7, 1874

The Tishomingo Savings Bank robbery in Corinth, Mississippi is blamed on the James-Younger Gang. $10,000 was taken from the bank and no one was injured. However; the blame for this robbery seems highly unlikely, as the James-Younger Gang robbed a train in Kansas just the very next day.

December 8, 1874

The Kansas Pacific Railroad in Muncie, Kansas was held up by the James-Younger Gang, who made off with $55,000. No one was injured.

January 26, 1875

Thinking that the James Brothers were hiding out at the family farm, six Pinkerton agents surrounded their mother's home near Kearney, Missouri. In an effort to lure them out, the agents tossed a smoke bomb into the house. However, Archie Samuel, thinking it was a loose stick from the fire, tossed it "back" into the fireplace when it exploded. The explosion killed the young boy and took the lower part of Zerelda's arm off.

August 31, 1875

Jesse Edwards James is born to Zee and Jesse.

September 5, 1875

On Jesse's 28th birthday, the James-Younger Gang robbed the Huntington Bank in Huntington, West Virginia making off with somewhere between $10,000-$20,000. One of their gang was shot during the robbery.

July 7, 1876

The Missouri-Pacific Railroad train in Rockey Cut, Missouri was robbed of $15,000 by the James-Younger Gang.

September 7, 1876

In the infamous failed attempt to to rob the First National Bank of Northfield, Minnesota the James-Younger Gang was destroyed. Bank cashier Heyman refused to open the safe and ducked down. Angered, Jesse put a pistol to his head and shot him. The shot was heard beyond the bank and when the bank alarm began to go off the Northfield citizens opened fire upon the gang. Charley Pitts and Bill Chadwell were killed. Cole, Jim and Bob Younger were badly wounded but managed to escape. However, the were captured just two weeks later. Frank and Jesse escaped back to Missouri, unharmed.

February 6, 1878

Robert Franklin James, Frank and Annie's only child, is born at the Walton Farm.

June 17, 1879

Mary Susan James was born to Jesse and Zee James

October 8, 1879

The Chicago, Alton & St. Louis train at Glendale, Missouri was robbed by the James Gang of $40,000.

September 3, 1880

The brothers made off with $1,800 from a stagecoach in Mammoth Cave, Kentucky. No one was injured.

February 1881

B. J. Woodson (a Frank James alias) rents a house for $8 a month on Fatherland Street in Nashville, Tennessee. A man by the name of John Davis Howard (a Jesse Jamesalias) comes to visit.

March 11, 1881

$5200 was taken from a paymaster as he left a bank in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The James are recognized.  No one was injured.

July 15, 1881

The James Gang rob the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad train near Winston, Missouri of $2,000. Frank murdered Frank McMillan and conductor William Westfall.

September 7, 1881

Their last train robbery was that of the Chicago and Alton train at Blue Cut, near Glendale, Missouri. The gang made off with $3000 in cash and jewelry taken from the passengers.

December 24, 1881

A Tom Howard (a Jesse James alias) and family rent a house on Lafayette Street in St. Joseph, Missouri.

April 3, 1882

Bob Ford with his brother Charles enter Jesse's home at about 8:27am. When Jesse turns to straighten a picture on the wall, Bob shoots him just below the right ear, killing him instantly. His body hit the wall then fell to the floor lying on his back. Within no time at all word quickly spread throughout the town that Jesse James had just been assassinated.

Late April, 1882

The distraught Zee James is forced to sell almost all of her and her husband's possessions to earn money and she and her children move in with her brother in Kansas City.

October 5, 1882

Frank James surrenders to Missouri Governor Thomas Crittendon.

May 6, 1884

Charles Ford, scared to death of Frank James, has been on the run ever since his brother Bob killed Jesse. Moving constantly from town to town and changing his name several times, he finally gave up and committed suicide.

1885

Frank James is acquitted on all charges.

June 8, 1892

Bob Ford, Jesse's killer, is himself shot down in a saloon in Creede, Colorado.

November 13, 1900

Zee James, who has suffered a deep depression ever since her husband Jesse's death, dies herself. Zee is buried at the Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Kearney, Missouri.

1901

Dr. Samuel was placed in an Insane Asylum in St. Joseph, Missouri where he remained until his death in 1908.

1903

James-Younger Wild West show is started by Frank James and Cole Younger.

March 1, 1908

Dr. Archie Rueben Samuel dies in a St. Joseph Insane Asylum.

February 10, 1911

Zerelda Samuel dies of a heart-attack at the age if eighty-six. She is buried at the Mt. Olivet Cemetery next to sons Jesse and Archie, husband Reuben, and daughter-in-law Zee.

February 18, 1915

Frank James dies at the age of 72

Compiled and edited by Kathy Weiser/Legends of America, updated April, 2012.