The Northfield Raid of 1876: The Story and What Is True

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The Northfield Raid of 1876 is a Minnesota story with a documented core at Northfield History Center and downtown Northfield, Rice County. The sources are named below.

HistoryKind of story
3Named sources
South Lakes and Bluff CountryRegion
Nov 1Checked, 2026

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The Northfield Raid of 1876

People say the James-Younger gang rode into Northfield on a sunny September afternoon in 1876, expecting an easy bank robbery. The townspeople did not run. They fought back, and the gang fled with almost nothing. Stories grew up around the day: a timed safe, famous outlaws in the saddle, a manhunt across southern Minnesota. Some of it is solid record, and some of it has been repeated for so long that it is hard to tell.

What The Record Shows

The Minnesota Historical Society says that on September 7, 1876, around 2 p.m., the gang tried to rob the First National Bank in Northfield. Clell Miller and Bill Chadwell were shot by townspeople; Nicolaus Gustavson, a recent Swedish immigrant, was hit in the crossfire and died several days later; and bookkeeper Joseph Lee Heywood was killed. Heywood told the robbers the safe was on a timer, which MNHS says was a lie, since the lock was open during business hours but the bolts were engaged. The Younger brothers and Charlie Pitts were found near Madelia; MNHS gives September 20 in one place and September 21 elsewhere. Pitts died, and on November 20, 1876 Cole, Jim and Bob Younger pleaded guilty and received life sentences at Stillwater. MNHS says Jesse and Frank James's part is generally accepted but never proven, and that they denied being in Minnesota. The Northfield History Center hosts an exhibit on the raid.

Sources: Northfield Bank Raid (MNopedia, Minnesota Historical Society); 1876 Bank Raid (Northfield History Center); Northfield History Center.

A Note

A bank clerk and a bystander died. Whether the James brothers took part is not proven, and sources differ on whether the raid was September 20 or 21. Not confirmed: which building holds the exhibit, or the museum's hours.

Its home: Northfield History Center. Official page.

On this site: Historic Sites, Timeline, South Lakes and Bluff Country Events.

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We found no claim for this story that we could not trace to a named source.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is the story of The Northfield Raid of 1876 true?

The Minnesota Historical Society says that on September 7, 1876, around 2 p.m., the gang tried to rob the First National Bank in Northfield.

Is this a legend?

It is a story with a documented core. The facts are listed on this page with their sources.

Where do these facts come from?

From the named sources listed on this page: Northfield Bank Raid (MNopedia, Minnesota Historical Society); 1876 Bank Raid (Northfield History Center); Northfield History Center.

Sources

Read on November 1, 2026. Stories are for fun; the facts come from these sources. How we check: editorial standards; spot a mistake? tell us.

Cite this page: It's Minnesota, “The Northfield Raid of 1876”, itsminnesota.com/legends/northfield-bank-raid-1876/ (updated 2026-11-01). By the It's Minnesota editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.