Defeat of Jesse James Days

Defeat of Jesse James Days The Defeat of Jesse James Days is held the weekend after Labor Day and is among the largest outdoor celebrations in Minnesota
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This festival is an annual heritage event which began in 1948 as the “Fall Festival” with Saturday’s theme being “Jesse James Day”. It is held the weekend after Labor Day and is among the largest outdoor celebrations in Minnesota and is organized and managed by a true all-volunteer organization. Thousands of visitors witness reenactments of the robbery, which is staged on Division street, outside

of the First National Bank of Northfield. Other activities during the festival include: a championship rodeo, carnival, car show, and parade, horseshoe hunt, as well as arts and crafts expositions, and musical performances. Many food stations are set up in Bridge Square, and during the evenings live music is played in an “Entertainment Center” on Water Street. Cole Younger, along with his brothers Bob and Jim, robbed banks and trains with Frank and Jesse James and other members of the James-Younger Gang following the Civil War. After more than a decade of life as an outlaw, Cole’s exploits were halted by a fateful attempt on September 7, 1876, to rob the First National Bank of Northfield, Minnesota. When members of the gang rode into Northfield, they wore flowing dusters to conceal their guns. Once inside, they dropped their coats and demanded the money from the vault. Joseph Lee Heywood, the bank clerk on duty, was killed when he refused to open the safe. When the townspeople were alerted and the shooting started, the robbers dropped everything and fled. In the melee that followed, Nicholas Gustavson, a Swedish town resident, was killed, as were gang members Clell Miller and William Stiles. The pursuit of the gang went on for weeks and covered 400 miles, during which the gang split up and managed to get away. The Youngers were eventually captured at Madelia, Minnesota, in another gun battle, in which gang member Charlie Pitts was killed. The three Younger brothers were tried in Faribault, found guilty of murder, and sentenced to 25 years in the state prison at Stillwater. Bob Younger died in prison in 1889; Jim was pardoned in 1901 and committed su***de in 1902; Cole, also pardoned in 1901, died in 1916. Cole served his time as a model prisoner, and started the prison’s first newspaper, the Prison Mirror. The Northfield Raid, as the robbery attempt has come to be known, has been the subject of countless novels and movies. It has inspired endless speculation and multiple theories of the sequence of events and who actually participated.

The Defeat of Jesse James Days Committee is proud to announce that Earl Weinmann has been selected as the 2026 recipient...
04/09/2026

The Defeat of Jesse James Days Committee is proud to announce that Earl Weinmann has been selected as the 2026 recipient of the Joseph Lee Heywood Distinguished Service Award, the community’s highest recognition for exemplary service to the Northfield community.

Read the full press release on our website: https://www.djjd.org/posts/earl-weinmann-announced-as-2026-joseph-lee-heywood-distinguished-service-award-recipient/

For nearly three decades, Weinmann has been one of Northfield’s most influential
educators, historians, and civic volunteers. He served as a Social Studies teacher in
Northfield Public Schools for close to 30 years, where he became widely known for
bringing local history to life through experiential learning, civic engagement, and youth leadership.

Beyond the classroom, Weinmann’s impact has been transformative. Since the early
1990s, he has volunteered extensively with the Northfield History Center and Bank
Museum, becoming widely regarded as one of the foremost experts on the
James–Younger Gang and the 1876 raid. Since 1998, he has trained and led both the
Adult Posse and Junior Posse, preparing more than 1,300 Northfield students to serve as tour guides and ambassadors for the community—an effort consistently praised by visitors from around the globe.

For those who wish to attend the Joseph Lee Heywood Distinguished Service Award
Banquet in September, details will be updated this summer and can be found on djjd.org – RSVPs are appreciated.

Mission Statement of the Heywood Committee:
To honor a Northfield citizen who we feel exemplifies the commitment to public service, which Heywood lived. It is an award that reminds us of our past and our promise to improve ourselves and our community for the future. An award that each of us would someday hope to be considered worthy of receiving.

Picture Caption: Earl Weinmann (center) with DJJD General Chair Galen Malecha (left) and Heywood Committee Chair Rebecca Peterson (right).

We are so fortunate to have such a great local museum that shares the history of the Defeat of Jesse James. The Northfie...
03/24/2026

We are so fortunate to have such a great local museum that shares the history of the Defeat of Jesse James. The Northfield History Center is based out of the Scriver Building and the original First National Bank building that Jesse James and his gang attempted to rob. The History Center is looking to complete some ambitious renovations in the coming years. Learn more here: https://www.northfieldhistory.org/campaign

The Northfield Historical Society turns 50 this year! Join us for our upcoming celebrations - April 20th for our capital campaign kick off, and June 22nd at Loon Liquor Co. for our 50th birthday party! As part of the 50th Anniversary of the Organization, and the 150th anniversary of the bank raid, we are undertaking a capital campaign to save the Scriver Building - adding 5 new apartments and preserving the 1876 exterior of the building. Please consider a donation at northfieldhistory.org!

Each year the DJJD committee recognizes a local Northfield citizen who exemplifies the characteristics of our hometown h...
02/14/2026

Each year the DJJD committee recognizes a local Northfield citizen who exemplifies the characteristics of our hometown hero Joseph Lee Heywood. Heywood was the acting cashier at the time of the bank robbery on September 7, 1876 and ultimately gave his life to protect the funds belonging to the citizens of Northfield, housed within the First National Bank of Northfield's vault.

Nominations for the 2026 Joseph Lee Heywood Distinguished Service Award are now being accepted. Deadline to submit a nomination for consideration is March 15, 2026. For full award information and to access the nomination form, please visit https://www.djjd.org/banquet/

The James Younger Gang and 1876 townspeople are ready for your smiling faces at the Northfield Historical Society tonigh...
12/12/2025

The James Younger Gang and 1876 townspeople are ready for your smiling faces at the Northfield Historical Society tonight for Winter Walk. It's a family tradition! Stop in and get your photo taken.

A great night to thank all the volunteers and committee members who make DJJD possible!
11/16/2025

A great night to thank all the volunteers and committee members who make DJJD possible!

09/19/2025
09/19/2025
09/12/2025

Congratulations to this year's winners!

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408 Division Street S
Northfield, MN
55057

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