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Necessary Evil: Settling Missouri with a Rope and a Gun
From the Mormon Wars to the Border Wars to gangs of Bald Knobbers and Bushwhackers, Missouri’s reign of vigilante justice during the nineteenth century is unparalleled by any other state in the nation. Situated as the Gateway to the West, Missouri experienced an influx of new cultures, races, and political factions, while already home to a population of patriotic war veterans. The state marked the boundary of eastern civilization and was a stronghold of fierce independence, bordered by Bloody Kansas and Native American territories. With new lands opening for settlement, and a fledgling system of law enforcement, the people themselves were compelled to invent laws and punish transgressors. Lawmen opposed vigilantes but at times were forced to cooperate with them and adopt their methods. Missouri spawned countless stories of individual and mob violence that finally ended at the turn of the century with advancing technology and the people’s enduring insistence on decency and peace.
Necessary Evil is the first book to chronicle the implications of vigilantism in Missouri, ultimately showing that the state could never have been settled without a healthy dose of rebel justice. Packed with stories of popular gunslingers such as Wyatt Earp, Wild Bill Hickok, and Jesse James, this action-filled read will be of interest to crime enthusiasts and historians alike.
Necessary Evil is the first book to chronicle the implications of vigilantism in Missouri, ultimately showing that the state could never have been settled without a healthy dose of rebel justice. Packed with stories of popular gunslingers such as Wyatt Earp, Wild Bill Hickok, and Jesse James, this action-filled read will be of interest to crime enthusiasts and historians alike.
336 pages, Paperback
First published October 15, 2014
12 people want to read
About the author
Joe Johnston
14 books5 followersThe Storyhound, Joe Johnston, continues to delight readers as a powerful author of narrative history, with his newest book, "Grits to Glory: How Southern Cookin' God So Good. His criminal histories include "It Ends Here: Missouri's Last Vigilante," "Necessary Evil: Settling Missouri with a Rope and a Gun," and "The Mack Marsden Murder Mystery: Vigilantism or Justice?" all three in the Vigilante Series from Missouri History Museum.
Born in Missouri and reared on the plains of Oklahoma, he naturally became a student of the blending of American culture. His family vacations centered around such Western destinations as the Rocky Mountains, Buffalo Bills grave, and Taos, and his fascination with the history of people, places, and families is unending. He restored a log cabin in the woods of Tennessee, enjoys wilderness adventures, and enjoys outdoor adventures.
Beyond his love for history, Joe is a creative whirlwind, an author, an accomplished artist, and an award-winning songwriter. A career in advertising included the invention of McDonalds now-famous Happy Meal.
Johnston has also published s "Jesus Would Recycle,"other ebooks: "How To Fail in the Music Business or Succeed if You'd Rather," and "Somethin' from Nothin: the Four Dimensions of Creativity." He illustrated books for Thomas Nelson and other publishers, and his writing is published regularly in various magazines.
Born in Missouri and reared on the plains of Oklahoma, he naturally became a student of the blending of American culture. His family vacations centered around such Western destinations as the Rocky Mountains, Buffalo Bills grave, and Taos, and his fascination with the history of people, places, and families is unending. He restored a log cabin in the woods of Tennessee, enjoys wilderness adventures, and enjoys outdoor adventures.
Beyond his love for history, Joe is a creative whirlwind, an author, an accomplished artist, and an award-winning songwriter. A career in advertising included the invention of McDonalds now-famous Happy Meal.
Johnston has also published s "Jesus Would Recycle,"other ebooks: "How To Fail in the Music Business or Succeed if You'd Rather," and "Somethin' from Nothin: the Four Dimensions of Creativity." He illustrated books for Thomas Nelson and other publishers, and his writing is published regularly in various magazines.
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June 24, 2016
This was a very fun and educational read. Reading this book was like sitting down with an elderly relative and being entertained for an entire afternoon with story after story. It would be approachable for anyone from middle school on.
The book is ambitious in taking on such a large subject matter but does a nice job not getting bogged into too much detail. Instead, it paints enough of a picture to get a broad understanding of the subject matter and allows the reader to delve deeper should they so desire. The book easily could have gone off course and been a history of Missouri from Louisiana Purchase to WW1 and been 1,000 pages in the process.
Growing up and living in Missouri myself (during a slightly more civilized time) I think some of the attitudes, both good and bad, pervade into even today. If you are from Missouri, it'll make you proud, if not, you'll think we're all nuts. I also appreciate that the author does a nice job avoiding sermons and preaching. He nicely presents the history and both sides of all moral arguments. Even today it is hard to read anything about Missouri in the Civil War without someone taking sides.
Overall, this is a great read and a fun history lesson.
As an aside, Henry Fonda starred in the Ox-Bow Incident, not Jimmy Stewart as stated in the book. Actually, reading Walter Van Tilburg Clark's The Ox-Bow Incident and this book for a historical based book club would be really fun.
The book is ambitious in taking on such a large subject matter but does a nice job not getting bogged into too much detail. Instead, it paints enough of a picture to get a broad understanding of the subject matter and allows the reader to delve deeper should they so desire. The book easily could have gone off course and been a history of Missouri from Louisiana Purchase to WW1 and been 1,000 pages in the process.
Growing up and living in Missouri myself (during a slightly more civilized time) I think some of the attitudes, both good and bad, pervade into even today. If you are from Missouri, it'll make you proud, if not, you'll think we're all nuts. I also appreciate that the author does a nice job avoiding sermons and preaching. He nicely presents the history and both sides of all moral arguments. Even today it is hard to read anything about Missouri in the Civil War without someone taking sides.
Overall, this is a great read and a fun history lesson.
As an aside, Henry Fonda starred in the Ox-Bow Incident, not Jimmy Stewart as stated in the book. Actually, reading Walter Van Tilburg Clark's The Ox-Bow Incident and this book for a historical based book club would be really fun.
Displaying 1 of 1 review