Baldknobbers Hanging

On this approximate spot on May 10, 1889, three members of the Baldknobbers were hanged for murder. Their name came from the Bald Knob hilltops where the Taney County group met. After the Civil War, justice in the area was minimal, and the Baldknobbers began as a group of men dedicated to restoring law and order. Although they started by punishing criminals, they eventually harmed innocent people, culminating in the deaths of two members of the Edens and Greene families in Oldfield. After extensive trials, four Baldknobbers were sentenced to death, but before the hanging one escaped jail and was never recaptured. Many expected the Governor to commute the sentences of the remaining three, but that did not happen, and their executions were carried out, ending the reign of Baldknobber justice in the Ozarks.

Ozark, Missouri · United States