STRICTLY BUSINESS: GAD'S HILL, OZARK TOWN, IN HISTORY OF OUTLAW

You won't find Gad's Hill in the Atlas.

You won't even find it in the Blue Book of Missouri, which lists Missouri cities.

It's not on the Missouri state map.

But there is a Gad's Hill.

Telephone operators know where it is, historians know of its where-abouts, and GS Roofing Products knows about it.

GS Roofing is the major industry in the community.

GS, which owns and operates roofing granule plants in South Carolina, Arkansas and California, recently acquired Quality Aggregate Plant at Gad's Hill, and is in the process of constructing a new facility to crush and color roofing granules.

GS, which has become one of the largest asphalt roofing manufacturers in the nation, is headquartered in Irving, Texas. It was founded a decade ago and has a dozen manufacturing facilities in nine states.

In Wayne County

Gad's Hill is in Wayne County, five miles north of Piedmont, which is in the midst of an industrial revolution.

The new GS facility will help the entire area, said Piedmont Mayor Gaylon Watson. The new operation will mean an additional eight to 10 good-paying jobs.

A Piedmont concrete company is providing concrete work at the new facility.

In addition to roofing granules, GS will continue to produce rock ballast to railroads and crushed rock for highway and other construction.

Gad's Hill may be more familiar with Missouri historians -- as the site of a train robbery by the James Gang more than 120 years ago.

Gad's Hill a hill

Gad's Hill is just that -- a hill between Piedmont and Ironton.

It was a small railroad station during a past era when many trains made their runs throughout Missouri and the nation.

During the late 1800s, the small village was almost hidden by the many pine trees that surrounded it.

The station also had another attraction for the group of highwaymen who planned a scheme for plundering a certain train on the Iron Mountain Railroad on a day in January 1874.

The highwaymen -- led by the infamous James Brothers -- Jesse and Frank -- and Cole Younger, did their homework well. The railroad approach near the Gad's Hill Station, was a long climbing one from either side, thus slowing the train to a crawl.

On Jan. 31, 1874, Jesse and Frank James and three of their gang members rode into the station and made prisoners of every man in the place -- consisting of the railroad agent, a saloon keeper, blacksmith, two wood choppers and the son of Dr. John M. Rock.

Recorded in history

These men were confined in the station house under threats of death if any attempt at escape was made.

This is all recorded in "The Border Bandits," a history of the noted outlaws, Jesse and Frank James, and their bands of highwaymen, a book written by J.W. Buel and published by a Chicago publishing house.

In the same "turn of the century book, a chapter, entitled "The Tragic End of Jesse James," outlines the full particulars of the assassination of Jesse James

Back to Gad's Hill and the great train robbery of 1874.

The James band, having prevented every means of alarm, turned the switch to ditch the train if it attempted to run past (Gad's Hill was only a flag station, where trains would stop only if a flag was placed in front of the station).

The highwaymen then planted a red flag in the track immediately in front of the station.

This particular train was not due until 5:40 p.m., at which time the shadows of twilight curtained the little station and prepared the approach of darkness.

The train was prompt on this day, and the engineer, seeing the danger-signal ahead, brought the engine to a standstill alongside the station house.

The actual robbery

No one was in sight when the train stopped, but a moment thereafter, Cole Younger mounted the cab, and with drawn pistol compelled the engineer and fireman to leave the engine and walk into the woods.

The two men didn't argue.

A Mr. Alford, the train's conductor, was approached by Jesse James as he stepped from the train to see what the problem was. He was relieved of his watch and $75 in cash. James then placed Alford in the station house along with the townspeople.

James and Younger took opposite sides of the train keeping watch. They fired shots in the air to keep passengers in a state of frenzy.

After stripping all the passengers of their valuables, the outlaws went to the express car, where they broke open the safe and secured the contents.

The mail was next plundered, and letters cut open. One of them contained $2,000, and other letters contained smaller sums.

The total take was about $11,500.

The highwaymen then released all those confined in the station house, the engineer and fireman were recalled from the woods, and train was ordered to proceed.

When the trained reached Piedmont, information of the robbery was telegraphed to Little Rock, Ark., St. Louis, and many other in between.

A posse search ends.

On Feb. 1, 1874, a posse of well-armed men from Ironton and Piedmont went on a search for the bad guys.

The search party found where the bandits had breakfasted, more than 60 miles from Gad's Hill. Continuing on, the party found where the bandits had apparently spent the night.

The search ended when the posse came to a low marsh.

The train robbery created much excitement in the neighborhood.

Citizens who had never before been known to carry firearms armed themselves with the best revolvers that money could buy. Rewards were offered for the gang, and many area men set out in pursuit of the gang.

But, the highwaymen had disappeared without a trace.

B. Ray Owen is a staff writer for the Southeast Missourian.