James–Younger Gang carries out first train robbery at Adair, Iowa

Background. The James–Younger Gang, active from about 1866 to 1876, transitioned from bank robberies to train heists in the early 1870s. By July 1873, the group had already carried out armed robberies in Iowa, including a bank robbery in Corydon, Iowa, on June 3, 1871, for which the James and Younger brothers were suspects. The Adair incident represented a significant escalation in their methods, utilizing derailment to stop a train for theft.

The Robbery. On July 21, 1873, the gang derailed a Rock Island Line train west of Adair, Iowa. The operation involved stopping the locomotive and stealing approximately $3,000. This event is described as arguably the first train robbery west of the Mississippi River, distinguishing it from earlier bank robberies in the region.

Significance. The Adair robbery marked the gang's entry into train robbery, a new criminal frontier. The theft of $3,000 was significant for the era. The event contributed to the gang's notoriety, which later attracted the attention of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency in 1874, leading to increased law enforcement pressure on the group.