Ozarks Gunfights and Other Notorious Incidents

In Ozarks Gunfights and Other Notorious Incidents, award-winning author Larry Wood shares true stories about the region’s infamous history.

The battle between the Blue and Gray had ended, but the Ozarks were still witnessing a war. Divided loyalties gave rise to rampant lawlessness and debauchery, plaguing this region with robberies, shootouts, and showdowns. In twenty-five compelling chapters, Larry Wood meticulously compiles his research from the shocking incidents that took place in the Ozarks during the late 1860s through the 1950s to include haunting portraits of the corrupt criminals, snapshots of Western towns where the events took place, and excerpts from previously published magazine articles.

Wood recalls the notorious Springfield, Missouri, showdown between Davis Tutt and Wild Bill Hickok, which ushered in the era of the Wild West. He remembers the biggest railroad-settler dispute in Kansas history and the Roscoe shootout that resulted in the murder of John Younger—a member of Jesse James’s gang—at the hands of Pinkerton detectives. This revealing volume also mentions the not-as-well-known, but equally as scandalous crimes, including the bank holdup by female bandit Cora Hubbard and the bloody Benders’ massacre as well as such infamous outlaws as Bonnie and Clyde, Bill Cook, Henry Starr, and many more.

“A vivid portrayal of the time when western Missouri was part of the Wild West. Larry Wood has enhanced his careful historical research with graphic details and meaningful commentary. His account of these little-known bad men and women gives a true picture of the wild and brutal side of the era.” —Ellen Gray Massey, author of The Bittersweet Ozarks at a Glance