Supposed Jesse James-era train tracks may be recovered

Gene Stevens, an Ankeny historian and writer, was given permission by the Adair County Board of Supervisors last Wednesday morning to continue exploring whether remaining railroad tracks — believed to date to the 1873 Jesse James train robbery west of Adair — can be recovered and moved to a location where the public can more easily view them.

The partially embedded tracks sit along Turkey Creek near the locomotive wheel that marks the site of what is thought to be the first train robbery west of the Mississippi River. Stevens discovered the tracks and has examined them closely with another author and history enthusiast.

“I’m interested in all of this because Iowa really is the doorstep to the American West,” Stevens said in a follow-up phone interview Thursday. “We got back into the remnants of the railroad crossing that’s there, and I didn’t realize there are these twisted tracks, pieces of the bridge and some ironwork left there. I took some pictures, and I was able to get photos of the very ends of these tracks.”

After consulting with the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad in Boone and studying the ends of the rails, Stevens believes they date to the 1870s. The manufacturer, which is typically stamped on the side of a rail, has not yet been identified.

“The creek there is actually a very substantial creek, and there’s a large spillway — you can tell a lot of water goes through there. It’s probably going to take some specialized equipment,” he said. “We still have to work out the details on that.”

Stevens, 67, has a long-standing love of history. He has authored a blog and several books on a wide range of historical topics and is a Civil War and Wild West reenactor.

The details of how the tracks will be recovered are still unknown. Supervisor Jodie Hoadley suggested the only requirement be that those doing the work provide proof of insurance. Conservation Director Dominic Johnson asked if a piece of any recovered track can be given to the Adair County Historical Society.

“My main objective is historic preservation because I’m looking at the recovery of these tracks as historic artifacts — which they are,” Stevens said. “They’re from a very specific time in our history and a very special event that happened.”

Around 8 p.m. July 21, 1873, the Rock Island train passing through southwest Iowa encountered a surprise west of Adair when Jesse and Frank James and their cousins, the Youngers, set out to carry out the first robbery of a moving train.

The group had learned that $75,000 in gold was being shipped east from the Cheyenne, Wyoming, area and believed they knew when it would pass through. After spending the night before at a nearby farmhouse and part of the next day at another local farm, they stole the tools they needed: a spike bar and hammer. Using those, they removed a fish plate connecting two rails and pulled the spikes from the track.

When the train hit the altered section, it rolled onto its side. The engineer and fireman were killed. Several passengers were grazed by bullets as the James Gang boarded, firing pistols and shouting orders. Instead of the larger sum, the robbers found only $1,700 in cash in the safe, plus jewelry, money and other valuables that brought the total to about $3,000.

The locomotive wheel with a descriptive plaque that stands near the site was installed in 1954 along White Pole Road.

Stevens said the historical recognition of the James name is another reason he wants to pursue the project.

In other action, the supervisors:

• held a public hearing and passed a budget amendment for fiscal year 2026

• heard a presentation from Ryan Berven and Eric Willis of Assured Partners regarding the FY 2027 health, dental and vision insurance renewal