Bald Knobbers facts for kids

The Bald Knobbers were a group of vigilantes in the Ozark region of southwest Missouri from 1885 to 1889. They were known for wearing black horned hoods with white outlines of faces. This look became popular as the group grew quickly into nearby areas from its start in Taney County. The group got its name from the grassy, treeless hilltops called "bald knobs" in the nearby Ozark Mountains. The first hill where they met, Snapp's Bald, is just north of Kirbyville, Missouri. An old newspaper article from 1898 says that Henry Westmoreland, who owned a ranch in Taney County, was the person who gave the group its name.

Most Bald Knobbers had supported the Union during the American Civil War. They were opposed by the Anti-Bald Knobbers, who mostly supported the Confederates. The Bald Knobbers started as a group to protect people and property. They helped police catch criminals and fought against corruption in local government. They also punished those who broke community rules. In some places, these vigilantes became very powerful in local politics. But they also made many enemies and had several violent fights, some of which were deadly.

Why the Bald Knobbers Formed

During the Civil War, Missouri was a border state. This meant neighbors often fought against each other. After the war, these fights continued. It was hard for authorities to control the crime. Both sides still had strong supporters. Between 1865 and 1885, Taney County reported 40 murders. Not a single person was ever found guilty. The Bald Knobbers first aimed to stop these gangs. But the Bald Knobbers themselves later became involved in their own criminal acts.

The Taney County Group

In 1883, thirteen men formed the group. They were led by Nat N. Kinney. They wanted to fight back against the many criminals who had caused trouble since the Reconstruction Era. The group called themselves the "Citizen's Committee" or "The Law and Order League." Their secret meetings were held on a "bald" mountaintop. This allowed them to watch for spies. Because of this, people started calling them the Bald Knobbers.

Their numbers grew to hundreds. Taney County only had about 7,000 people. As the group grew, their original goals became less clear. At first, people praised them for getting rid of dangerous outlaws. But public opinion soon turned against them.

At first, the men only wore a simple kerchief over their lower faces. Some wore no disguise at all. But many soon started wearing simple white cloth hoods. These hoods had corners tied like ears. They also had holes cut out for eyes and mouths. This scary look made people even more angry. This led to the formation of the anti-Bald Knobbers.

The Bald Knobbers included both Democrats and Republicans. Nat Kinney was a Democrat, but he had fought for the Union Army. The anti-Bald Knobbers also came from both political sides. When the county courthouse burned down, both groups blamed each other. This made the bad feelings between them even worse.

Andy Coggburn, a 19-year-old orphan, was a strong opponent of the Bald Knobbers. He disliked Kinney, who was a very persuasive person. Kinney had moved to the area with his family two years before the Bald Knobbers started. Coggburn enjoyed making fun of Kinney. He played pranks and spoke out against the vigilante group. Kinney and his Bald Knobber friends had a lot of power in the county. Soon, Kinney shot and killed Coggburn. This happened outside the church in Forsyth, where Kinney had gone to preach. Kinney claimed it was self-defense.

In 1886, the Bald Knobbers became famous across the country. This embarrassed state leaders. Missouri Governor John S. Marmaduke sent General J.C. Jamison to Forsyth to investigate. The general saw that order had returned. He told Kinney that officially ending the Bald Knobbers would be best for the county. The next day, a public ceremony was held in the town square. The Bald Knobbers were officially disbanded. They had served their original purpose.

The Christian County Group

Neighboring counties like Christian, Douglas, Greene, and Stone had already started their own masked groups. These groups did not follow the strict rules of the original Taney County chapter. The Christian County group became the most well-known.

At that time, Chadwick was the busiest town in Christian County. This was because of the nearby railroad. It was a good market for timber used for railroad ties. But Chadwick was a "railroad town," so it had many saloons. Many men would gamble and drink away their earnings there.

Dave Walker led the Christian County group. They wanted to improve the morals of the town. However, his seventeen-year-old son, Billy Walker, was a wild member of the group. The Christian County group met in a large cave on the Walkers' land. Their members wore black hoods with cork or wooden horns. These horns were decorated with white or red stripes. Sometimes, tassels hung from the horn points. This group also regularly burned down saloons. They were generally more threatening than the Taney County group.

William Edens was a young man who opposed the group. He would criticize them publicly. He received several warnings, including a late-night beating. Then, tragedy struck. On the night of March 11, 1887, the Christian County group met at the cave. They discussed disbanding. But new members were brought in that night. Several members were very angry about new comments William Edens had made.

After the meeting, many younger men took a long way home. They headed towards the Edens' cabin. Captain David Walker begged them not to go. But his son Billy and others, including Wiley Mathews, were determined.

The men found that William Edens was not home. They continued to the cabin of James and Elizabeth Edens, William's parents. William Edens and his sick wife, Emma, were staying there that night. James and Elizabeth's daughter Melvina, who had the measles, was also there. Her husband, Charles Green, and their two young children were there too. The Bald Knobbers broke in the windows and splintered the doors. They fired shotguns as they entered. In the gunfight, William Edens and Charles Green were killed. James Edens was badly wounded. Bald Knobbers William Walker and John Mathews were also shot. The cries of the women and children brought neighbors to the scene. Charles Green's father, George Green, was the first to arrive. He lived close enough to hear the shots.

Dave Walker had tried to stop his group from escalating their actions. But his presence on the nearby road during the attack sealed his fate. Eighty men were accused and tried in a series of trials. These trials were covered by news around the world for 18 months. In the end, four men were sentenced to death for the crimes: Dave Walker, his young son Billy, Deacon John Mathews, and his nephew Wiley Mathews. Wiley later escaped from the new county jail. This left the other three to face punishment for the vigilantes' actions.

While the Christian County men waited in jail, old rivalries flared up. A group of Anti-Bald Knobbers were still angry about Kinney's involvement in their community. They met and chose someone to kill him. In August 1888, a farmer named Billy Miles entered a store. Kinney was taking inventory for the courts there. Miles killed the former Bald Knobber leader with three shots from his pistol. He then walked outside and gave himself up to the law. He claimed he acted in self-defense. This event made news worldwide. Billy Miles was found innocent very quickly.

Back in Christian County, the execution date arrived on May 10, 1889.

The loose ends of the Taney County Bald Knobbers were also being tied up. The law sought revenge for Nat Kinney's death. Sheriff Galba Branson asked for help from Ed Funk, a bounty hunter from another state. Together, they looked for Billy Miles on the Fourth of July, 1889. They visited several Independence Day celebrations. They finally found him at a spring with a group of men near the Kirbyville Picnic. They approached him with warning shots. A gunfight broke out between former Bald Knobber supporters, Anti-Bald Knobber supporters, and the lawmen. Both Funk and Branson were killed. Billy Miles and his brothers ran away from the area.

Cultural Impact

The Kirbyville Shootout is often seen as the end of the Bald Knobbers' story. But there was at least one more quiet incident in 1890. A masked group killed a man who had cheated on his wife. There are also undocumented stories about unofficial revenge acts by masked people in nearby counties until the 1920s. Stories about the Bald Knobbers made headlines across the country at the time. They became famous again as the original Bald Knobbers passed away.

As early as 1887, the Bald Knobber story was already being turned into popular entertainment. A play called The Bald Knob Tragedy of Taney and Christian Counties was performed. Tourism in the Branson area and Taney County began with a book published in 1907. It was Harold Bell Wright's The Shepherd of the Hills. This book features general Bald Knobbers as the bad guys.

Later, the Mabe family started a local country and western comedy revue called Baldknobbers. This show was named for the funny sound of the name, not for history. The Mabe family attraction started the music show scene that Branson is now famous for.

More recent Bald Knobber-related attractions include an indoor roller coaster ride. It is called Fire in the Hole at the Silver Dollar City theme park. It is a ride with a Bald Knobber theme, but it is not based on specific historical events. Since 2000, the White River Valley Historical Society in Forsyth has held a "Law Day" festival. It includes a Bald Knobber pageant that focuses on the Taney County Bald Knobber history.

Finally, a documentary about the vigilantes was made. It included reenactments, original locations, and family members of both sides. It was called Fire on the Mountain: Bald Knobbers as Heroes or Villains of the Ozarks Frontier?. It first showed at film festivals in spring 2007. It won an award at Worldfest in Houston, TX. It first aired on TV on January 13, 2011, on the OPT Missouri PBS station. It was part of their Ozarks Reflections series. A movie version is also being made. There are few books and items related to Bald Knobber history. But the documentary producer/director Damon Blalack has researched a lot. He has collected many items related to the group for his film. He plans to help create a stronger museum display of the history with the White River Valley Historical Society.