Actual Jesse James photos are rare, and KCQ ran one that doesn’t pass muster
Only eight verified photos of Jesse James exist, and, unfortunately, one that ran with The Star’s recent KCQ story on the Dalton Gang isn’t one of them.
Reader Scott Cole pointed out the error of our ways soon after seeing the story online. We had thought the sepia-toned picture portrayed Jesse with brother Frank James and gang mate Cole Younger, all with their faces hidden by beards.
This mistake was at least 18 years in the making. The same photo ran with a 2003 Star article about John Newman Edwards, the founder of The Kansas City Times in 1868 and an unabashed supporter of the James and Younger boys. It has remained in The Star’s archives since then.
“These three men are not Jesse, Frank and Cole,” Beth Beckett, historic sites manager at the James Farm and Museum in Kearney, said in an email. She also confirmed the figure of eight verified Jesse James photos.
So, who are the men in the photo? Please let us know if you have the answers.
In the meantime, we have corrected the caption in our archives.
“What’s Your KCQ?” is The Star’s ongoing series with the Kansas City Public Library that answers readers’ queries about our region.
Have a question of your own? Ask at kansascity.com/kcq or email kcq@kcstar.com.
This story was originally published March 15, 2021 at 11:29 AM.
