Document text
Jesse James ... framed Legendary outlaw showcased in Talent exhibit By Paul Fattig TALENT � Jesse James has ridden into town. But the outlaw isn�t here to cause any trouble. The Talent Historical Society is displaying a collection of Jesse James memorabilia through the end of February. The exhibit, collected by local residents Steve and Alice Ray, includes old clippings and photographs of the famed highwayman. "We�re adding a little color by looking at a few criminals, a few infamous people," said Marian Angele, museum director. Not everything on display is related to Jesse James. One old poem about Black Bart was written by C.J. Wilson, a sheriff of Jackson County during the late 19th century. A local descendant of Wilson�s submitted the poem. But most of the display is aimed at the James gang. One 1881 notice, which Angele believes is an original, announces a $5,000 reward for each of seven robbers of a train who murdered its conductor in Missouri. Jesse and Frank James were named as prime suspects. Talent resident Rada Jackson, 61, who was raised in Lakeview, dropped in to see the exhibit Saturday. Her late husband�s father was related to James, she said. "All the years we grew up together in Lakeview, he always spoke about the Jameses," she said. "It was a known fact in his family that he was related in Jesse James." Her husband�s father was born in Missouri, she explained. "We�ve also collected a lot of articles on Jesse James over the years," she said. "He really wasn�t a nice person but he was an interesting person." Several local residents are distant relatives of the James family, observed Angele, who has a doctorate�s degree in comparative literature. She was also reared in Lakeview. Southern Oregon is rich with folklore and history, she noted. James never visited Southern Oregon, but a movie starring Robert Duvall as Jesse James was filmed in Jacksonville in 1970. Actor Cliff Robertson played Cole Younger in the movie, "The Great Northfield, Minnesota Raid." Released in 1972, the movie was called one of the best of the year by Time Magazine. In real life, many believe that James was shot and killed in 1882 in St. Joseph, Mo., by Bob Ford, a member of the James� gang. But others say he faked his death and went on to live to a ripe old age. The Talent Historical Society Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday. There is no admission fee. The museum is located at 206 E. Main St. For further information, call the museum at 512-8838. Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.