The historical city of Lawrence, Kansas, welcomed the James-Younger Gang for its 7th annual reuinion membership meeting and get-together on the weekend of September 21 - 23. The Holiday Inn provided the venue for yet another perspective on some of the Civil War events involving the Jamses and Youngers.
The first speaker on the program, Chris Reinhard, gave us the female perspective on Kansas pioneer life. Martha Parker, Executive Director of the nearby Clinton Lake musium was the next speaker. Her talk was concerned with the Kansas view of the Border War era, with an emphasis on the Underground Railroad. Gang member and genealogist Donna Rose followed with a general talk about the Youngers, displaying photographs and copies of newspaper accounts. She emphasised the devastating effects the Civil War had on the Younger family. Phillip Steele followed with a presentation on "The Fine Arts of Hoaxing." His lively talk started with the question "What does it take to be an American folk hero?" Answer: You need good public relations, and you need to be shot in the back of the head.
Saturday's bus tour included a cruise through downtown Lawrence with guide Steven Jansen of the Douglas County Historical Society, and a welcome and orientation film by Debeorah White, manager of the Lawrence Convention and Visitors Beureau. A talk followed at the musium by Steven.
After leaving Lawrence, the Gang was joined by tour guide Charline Winter of the LeCompton Historical Society. Stops included the LeCompton Historical Musium and the LeCompton Constitution Hall. The LeComption United Methodist Church served the Gang an exellent lunch and treated us to a beautiful piano recital.
At the town of Baldwin, some of the Gang took a six mile ride on the Midland Railway, a non-profit demonstration railroad. The motive power was a rebuild -- a curious combination of an Alco RS-3 short hood and frame, and an EMD GP-7 long hood with dynamic brake radiator housing. And, with true Alco heritage, the long end of the frame is still marked "F", even though they were running her short hood forward from the depot. They do a run-around at the other end of the line, and the train returns with the bizarre consist of locomotive, chair car, and caboose all lined up appropriate-like, and pointed proper. There's a 5-chime horn in the middle of the locomotive's long hood, and the sides of the cab still proudly bear the MKT "Katy" logo. Very nice.
Saturday night, we celebrated with the banquet and the announcement of the Gang's 1999 Milton F. Perry awards. Ted Yateman's Frank and Jesse James, the Story Behind the Legend was named Best Book. Donna Rose was named Best Contribution, and newsletter editor Thurston James was cited for best research.
A great big THANK YOU to N. David Smith for organizing the entire bash!
Elections resulted in the following:
Officers
| President | Peggy Yurczak
| Vice-President | David Best
| Secretary-Treasurer | Marcia E. Smith
| Board Members
| Rick Burden | Donna Rose
| Scott Smith | Sheldon Smith
| Rex Macbeth | Wilbur Zink
| Phililp Steele | James R. Ross
| |
Thank you for visiting the James - Younger Gang home page.
For information regarding membership and activities in our orginization, please contact Marcia Smith at nottabadvue@earthlink.net.
For historical and geneological information, please contact Donna Rose at
dmrosejyg.net.