The Jesse James Scrapbook

The Jesse James Scrapbook is the life's work of young Tom Gardner who pasted over the pages of his mother's own "Tour Of Continent Scrapbook," with clippings, pictures, and other memorabilia about Jesse James. When his mother scolds him, Tom vows that he is going to "Go out west and interview farmers and outlaws and trainmen and wild Indians —everyone who knew or saw or was robbed by Jesse!"

And Tom does just that. As he matures into a young man, he travels the country gathering the stories —the recollections of the critical events in the life and times of Jesse James, through the authentic voices of the men and women who knew him or whose lives were affected by him— their unique experiences collected in this book provide a fascinating view of the world in which Jesse lived.

We meet friends like Billy Drury the droll farmer and neighbor who shelters Jesse time and time again as he grows to manhood and sees the changes in the young boy that develop his character.

The schoolteacher, Ophelia Helms, who pretended to be engaged in order to teach at the little one-room school in Clay County, Missouri and was horrified a the children's hangman games.

Belle Star, the beautiful young girl, in love with an outlaw, who becomes an outlaw herself.

And the "Gang". Men who, along with Jesse, terrorized and inspired the local citizenry in several states in the South and midwest. From Quantrill to Cole Younger and Frank James, these colorful lives achieve a human scale with each narration.

The Jesse James Scrapbook is the story of the life of a man who was a hero to some and a monster to others. It is a compelling addition to the literature of the Civil War and the lore of the aftermath —the civil unrest that spawned the outlaws of the old west.