The Reno Gang: America’s First Train Robbers

The history of the Reno Gang, America's first train robbers. Covers the birth of the gang in post-Civil War Indiana, the anatomy of their robberies, public reaction and media coverage, their eventual downfall, and their lasting legacy in American outlaw history. Examines the social context of crime in the Reconstruction era.

Before Jesse James, there was the Reno Gang—a group whose bold train robberies invented a new category of crime and captivated a nation still recovering from civil war. This book tells their story and traces the stolen loot that may still be hidden in the hills of southern Indiana.