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Trunk Belonging to Jesse James "Tomas Howard"

The contents of this sale which pertain to Frank and Jesse James (aka Tomas (Thomas) Howard) and their families were found in and behind this old trunk, and were at the old home place of Judge James Madison Lindsay, Frank and Jesse's Uncle.

The trunk was found under a deteriorated pile of hay, in the loft of an old barn on the property. Believed to have originally belonged to Jesse's mother, Zerelda, this trunk was hidden away for some 116 years.

This farm is located outside of Stamping Grounds, Kentucky, and was commonly visited by James gang members when they needed to hide from the law. This farm also hosted the wedding of Frank and Jesse's parents. Soon after Jesse's death, Zerelda and Zee, Jesse's mother and wife, collected these personal items and had Frank move them to the Lindsey farm for safe keeping.

Hidden away from looters, it remained there until it was accidentally discovered in Jesse's alias at the time of death "Tomas Howard" is deeply imbedded in the leather on the front of the trunk. These words were discovered while attempting to restore the trunk. It was not until after the discovery of this name, that the owners realized whose trunk they had. Soon after the trunk was further dismantled and the secret compartment was discovered, which housed the majority of the items in this sale. Condition: Restoration was not performed on this trunk, and it is in fair overall condition, due to its age and handling prior to its discovery. Internal shelving and compartment pieces are still inside.

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