Freaky vigilantes of the 1880s Ozarks

Though they never lit a town on firethat part of the ride is completely inventedthe real story of their rise is a terrifying parable about what happens when government fails and violence reigns. Its a lesson thats perhaps more relevant in the political climate of 2017 than Americans would like it to be.

When I called Dr. Matthew J. Hernando, a professor at Ozark Technical College and author of Faces Like Devils: The Bald Knobber Vigilantes in the Ozarks, he told me that Fire in the Holewhich he has ridden many timesis basically a bunch of nonsense. For the real story of the Bald Knobbers, Hernando explained, you have to look at southwest Missouris peculiar history. In a region where the Civil War had laid waste to the rule of law, neer do wells like the notorious James-Younger Gang and vigilante groups like the Bald Knobbers emerged to fill the void of authority. Admirers saw them as righteous folk heroes; adversaries regarded them as murderous thugs.