This Liberty bank is now a museum preserving the history of the outlaws who robbed it

In 1866, this antebellum (pre-Civil War) brick building on the square in Liberty was only 8 years old. That’s when it made history.

On February 13, 1866, the Clay County Savings Association was the site of the first successful daylight bank robbery in America. The perpetrators were believed to be the James-Younger gang.

After all, Jesse and Frank’s home was just a few miles away in Kearney. And a number of other bank jobs and train robberies across the Midwest in the next few years were clearly the work of the famous outlaw band.

But proof was scarce.

What is known for certain is how much the robbers got away with that winter day—over $60,000. If the heist was their handiwork, it would represent the largest single “withdrawal” the gang ever made.

While the legend of Jesse James often invokes robbing from the rich and giving to the poor, there’s no evidence that stolen money was ever distributed beyond the participants. And in this case, innocent blood was shed as well. George Wymore, a 17-year old bystander was killed by a stray bullet during the getaway.

After the robbery, the Clay County Savings Association shut down, but other banks utilized the small space on Water Street for years. In 1966, the Jesse James Museum set up shop there, with old posters, artifacts, historical furnishings and a clock that always shows the exact time that the crime went down.

The museum is still in business and the world’s favorite outlaw still draws ‘em in.

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