Jesse James Robbery - Corydon

The infamous Jesse James Gang robbed the Ocobock Bank in Corydon in 1871.

Location: west side of the Wayne Theatre, 110 N Franklin St, Corydon, IA 50060

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Jesse James Robbery

The Ocobock Bank was one of the first banks in Wayne County, built in Corydon in 1865. On June 3, 1871, the bank was robbed at gunpoint by the Jesse James Gang, who escaped with $6,000 - $10,000 in cash (around $140,000 to $230,000 at today’s value).

As they rode out of town, they went past the Methodist church, where local townspeople had gathered to hear a speech in support of raising funds to expand the railroad through Wayne County. Legend has it that Jesse James and his gang taunted the Corydon townspeople and told them to catch them if they could.

The gang wasn’t caught after this robbery – they escaped into Missouri, which is where they had gotten their start after the Civil War. The owners of the Ocobock Bank contacted the famous Pinkerton Detective Agency in Chicago for help with the robbery, which was the first (but not last) time the Pinkertons tried to catch the James gang.

The Jesse James gang (aka the James-Younger gang) was active from 1868 to 1882, conducting a string of brazen robberies across 11 states. This included the first known train robbery and many bank and stagecoach robberies.

The Younger brothers and other accomplices were captured or killed in Minnesota in 1876. The James brothers continued the gang until 1882, when Jesse James was killed by his accomplice, Robert Ford. Frank James surrendered, marking the end of the James gang.

You can see more artifacts about the Jesse James gang and Ocobock Bank at Prairie Trails Museum in Corydon.

Fun fact: for several years in the 1980s and 1990s, Corydon residents hosted a Jesse James Days festival, which included a reenactment of the robbery. Some of the imagery for the mural comes from reenactment photos, not historical photos, as a tribute to the festival organizers.

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about the art

This mural was painted during the Walldog Mural Festival in Wayne County, Iowa, from August 30 - September 3, 2023.

The lead designers were Joe Diaz and Ben Diaz of Pontiac, IL. Joe and Ben are brothers and experienced Walldoggers (as people in Allerton call their beloved Walldogs). Their parents, Bill and Jane Diaz, painted at the original 1993 Walldog festival in Allerton. Joe and Ben were children during that festival and were some of the original “Wallpuppies.” Their family still runs Diaz Sign Art.

Fun fact: At every Walldog festival, local kids and children of attending Walldogs are invited to paint special “Wallpuppies” murals. The 2023 Wallpuppies murals are also hung on the west side of the Wayne Theatre, below Joe and Ben’s Jesse James Robbery mural.

FAQs

  • The Walldogs are an international group of muralists and sign-painters who volunteer their time to create community art. They have painted throughout the US and around the world.

    The Walldog movement started in Allerton, Iowa, in 1993. Local artist Nancy Bennett invited dozens of signpainters to Allerton to paint murals in Allerton’s downtown, and the local community opened their homes to host these artists. Since that first gathering, the Walldog movement has grown tremendously.

    The Walldogs celebrated their 30th anniversary in 2023 by returning to Wayne County, Iowa. They have meets planned for the next several years to continue this community art tradition. You can learn more at thewalldogs.org.

  • In 2023, the Walldogs painted 16 murals. They also painted new signage at the Wayne County Fairgrounds.

    These murals included 12 new designs, as well as 4 restorations of the original 1993 Walldog murals in Allerton.

  • We recommend starting at Prairie Trails Museum in Corydon, Iowa. The “Come, Come Ye Saints” mural recognizes the passage of the Mormon Trail through Wayne County.

    From there, you can drive in an approximate circle to Promise City, Seymour, Allerton, Clio, Lineville, Humeston, and Millerton, before returning to Corydon to see the rest of the murals there.

    Alternatively, you can start at any mural that works for your route.

    The entire route takes approximately 2 hours to drive.

  • Check our main FAQ page for more details and contact info.

Next stop

Walk around the corner to see the “Gone With the Wind” mural on the north side of the Wayne Theatre.

The Wayne Theatre is an Art Deco theatre that has been lovingly restored. It still shows movies every weekend.

You can find the Gone With the Wind mural at 110 N Franklin St, Corydon, IA 50060.

For the full list of murals and locations, visit this page or download the map.