 | Dr. Jon Kardatzke is Curator of the Museum of Ancient Treasures…an exhibition hall filled with 1,000's of rare antiquities, located in downtown Wichita. Dr Jon practiced medicine for more than 30 years in Wichita. His interest in history and archaeology began as a young boy and when he retired in 1997 he set out to fulfill a life long dream. To open a world-class museum right here in his own community. The museum's permanent collection is the result of 20 years of travel and explorations to exotic locations all over the world. The museum fills over 10,000 sq. ft. of exhibits in three halls: The Hall of the Ancients, The Hall of the Royals and The Hall of the Americas. The museum is open 7 days a week from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Special rates and guides for group tours. It is located at 250 W. Douglas, Wichita, in the lower level Kiva Mall in the Garvey Center, north of Century II. Free parking is available. To contact Dr. Kardatzke, call (316) 263-1311; or e-mail him at, treasures@intcon.net |
History
2002-04-01 16:17:00
Related to Jessie James?
Answer: In reviewing the James Family genealogy I do not find either of the names you mentioned above. However this does not mean that you are not related. The James family tree is quite large and has many branches. Jesse's mother was married three times in her life and she is thought to have had as many as eight or more children.Researching one's family history is challenging project. However with the advent of the Internet there are many Web sites available that can help with genealogical research. Perhaps the best known for their Genealogy resources is the Mormon Church and the National Archive. When seeking to find your family connection to a figure such as Jesse James it is helpful to acquire as much detail about your family tree as possible. Knowing about the geographical region in which they resided is also helpful when you start researching their names on the census roles at the county seat courthouse. When we look at the social climate at the time Frank and Jesse James lived it becomes easier to understand what drove them to a life of violence. Their family had purchased a 260-acre spread near Kearney, Missouri. During the 1860s the Civil War in the East began to affect the lives of farmers in the West as well. Federal troops from New York would cross the border from Kansas raiding rural Missouri residents for whatever supplies they could find. These raids became ever crueler and more ruthless, eventually starting the Border Wars of Bloody Kansas. One day a group of the New York Jayhawkers raided the James family farm. They horse- whipped Jesse until he could no longer walk and hung his stepfather, Dr. Rueben Samuels. When the Union Cavalry rode off the family was able to cut Doc Samuels down in time to save his life but the lack of oxygen permanently disabled him. This was the final outrage that drove Jesse to leave home at 15 to join his brother with Quantrell's rebel forces.After the Civil War ended Frank and Jesse James attempted to surrender under a special amnesty. As they rode in with a white flag of surrender they were fired on by Federal troops and Jesse was shot through the lung. Jesse is credited with robbing the Clay County Savings Bank in Liberty, Missouri in May of 1866. Frank and Jesse James, Cole and Jim Younger committed the first-ever daylight armed bank robbery. This was the beginning of a very successful seventeen-year career as America's most famous outlaw. Jesse had become quite good at deception and disguise during the war and continued to do so afterwards. He moved to Kansas City and became a noteworthy bounty hunter under the alias of Thomas Howard. When he lived in Nashville he was involved in horse racing, even jockeying his own steeds to frequent victory.As the story goes, Jesse James was shot in the back of the head by his cousin Bob Ford. However, there has been speculation since day one that the body was not Jesse James. In fact there have been several men who have claimed to be Jesse James after the 1882 shooting. This is the topic of an exhibit now on display at the Museum of Ancient Treasures in Wichita. A family from SE Kansas claims that Jesse James made a deal with the Governor of Missouri and Sheriff of Clay County. Jesse would provide a corpse, whether by convenience or opportunity and fade away into the remote Kansas countryside. Frank James surrendered to the Governor and after a two-year trial he was exonerated and allowed to go free. Bob and Charlie Ford were said to have made overtures to a newspaper reporter that they would produce Jesse James alive for $100,000.00. Shortly thereafter Charlie Ford committed suicide and a man walked into Bob Ford's Saloon in Creed, Colorado and blasted him with both barrels of a shotgun. There is a great deal of evidence that points to the fact that the ruse of Jesse's death may indeed be true.An upcoming book and television documentary will take an in-depth investigative look at the evidence. The Producer will do extensive scientific tests employing the latest forensics technology, such as DNA, photographic and handwriting analysis. The test results will provide proof that the Legend is true and may help to establish a positive identification of the "body donor". No matter what the outcome of the test results it will prove to be a very interesting production. Fortunately there is a wealth of physical evidence preserved by the James family and part of the exhibit. However, when you visit the museum and meet Jesse' s Great great grandson Jeremiah James, you will agree that he is the spitting image of his namesake, Jesse James. Learn more about Jesse's ruse at http://jessejamesmuseum.com/ and visit the museum website at http://ancienttreasures.org/
