The Notorious Reno Gang: The Wild Story of the West's First Brotherhood of Thieves, Assassins, and Train Robbers

by Rachel Dickinson

The true story of the world's first robbery of a moving train, and the real origins of the Wild West They were the first outlaws to rob a moving train. But from 1864 to 1868, the Reno brothers and their gang of counterfeiters, robbers, burglars, and safecrackers also held the town of Seymour, Indiana, hostage, making a large hotel near the train station their headquarters. When the gang robbed the Adams Express car of the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad on the outskirts of Seymour on October 6, 1866, it shocked the world--and made other burgeoning outlaws like Jesse James sit up and take notice. The extraordinary--and extra-legal--efforts to take them out defined the term "frontier justice." From the first report of the robbery, Allan Pinkerton's operatives were on the scene, followed by kidnappings, lynchings, and an extradition from Canada to Indiana that caused an international incident. In the end, ten members of the Reno Gang were hanged, including three of the Reno brothers. And no one was ever charged with the murders. The Notorious Reno Gang tells the complete story for the first time, revealing how these gangsters, Pinkerton's National Detective Agency, and the little city of Seymour ushered in the Wild West.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, True Crime, Crime, Westerns

272 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2017

Reviews

[Betsy Richardson]

Just checking to make sure I still don’t like history books :)

[Elwin Kline · Rating 5 out of 5]

"It was amazing." - 5 out of 5 star rating.

What makes Reno Gang so good and ultimately the decision point of me pushing it up to a 5, was what this book covers outside of the scope of just the notorious Reno Gang. By the cover and title if you are like you me, you expect a fun filled book of train robbin', safe crackin', gunslingin', etc., typical old west gang activity content. Which is absolutely there, but oh so much more.

More than just the Reno Gang content:

- A beautiful deep dive into the pork industry back then
- The Sexual Transmitted Disease (STD) dilemma
- Anti-alcohol movements and the perceived impact of alcohol has a whole against society (gambling, whoring, fist fights, gun fights, etc.)
- Full coverage of the banking system back then (very interesting if you've never looked into this!)
- Hangings, Lashings, and long-term hard labor sentences (25-40 years of hard labor! Damn.)
- Both sides of Slavery and the Civil War
- Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
- And so much more!

Outside of the Reno Gang content too, was my first exposure to the Pinkertons. I am beyond amazed how awesome the Pinkertons were and also so glad this book opened my eyes to them as I had no idea about them prior to this.

Without getting too deep, Pinkertons are essentially undercover agents/operatives that lived false lives as workers, business men, common folk, and everything in between. They conducted surveillance missions of fraud/waste/abuse from workers in every industry imageable, they tracked down wanted criminals fleeing from the law, and so much more. They were trusted agents that went all the way up to the presidential level, all while living secret lives wearing disguises, fake names, etc. I am just barely scratching the surface with how cool the Pinkertons really are. This aspect of the book alone is worth adding this to your reading priority list immediately.

Oh yeah, and the Reno Gang stuff is great too. Honestly, it kind of dwarfs in comparison though to everything else this book offers. The Gang is just the cherry on top.

Someone who has a PhD in old west history may find this less attractive, but for folks like me reading this information for the first time - wow, just wow.

Highest level of recommendation.

[Saxon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad. loved the Vigilance committee. More bad ass than the robbers

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book through Netgalley. I enjoy historical genre books and this filled the niche. It is more than a story about the Reno Gang.

It includes historical information about statehood (for Indiana, Ohio, Illinois) and formation of the town of Seymour, Indiana. The book provides insight into how the monetary system “grew up”:

“Imagine a time when the states had responsibility for chartering bank is, a time when neither a federal banking system nor federal regulations covered banking.”

You get a feel of the deep animosity in the country with the civil war. The need for the establishment of the Secret Service was included. It provides insight into the Pinkerton Agency and train robberies. You get a complete understanding on the lack of societal control of violence. Vigilantes and criminals were prevalent; prisons were poorly constructed. Many crooks escaped prison, posted bond and never returned (unless arrested again).

The Reno family was not a very nice family. The parents, Wilkinson and Julia Ann, were split up because of domestic violence. There were five sons (all crooks) and one daughter. The Reno “gang” extended beyond the five sons to friends and cohorts. The book flows easily and keeps your interest in learning about the Reno gang. “John [Reno] and his brother spent years making a mockery of the justice system.” “The gang created an atmosphere where the townspeople became somehow convinced that they deserved to be mistreated.”

Many times the scenery’s description is extremely well done. You can feel, see, and smell the setting: “…spring melted into summer, the muddy streets of the city that could formerly bury a carriage wheel up to the hug became dry and dusty, although they were never without a generous layer of manure from the many horses that pulled carriages and wagons. The fetid smells…”

Throughout this book, you definitely get a feel of life in the Wild West. For those interested in history, it’s worth reading.

[Gloria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC of this book.

A well researched and detailed discussion of the Reno Gang, the first ever train robbery, Allan Pinkerton and law enforcement officers, and life during the period just after the Civil War.
The detail became tedious at times but also very interesting especially after I figured out that book was not going to get exciting very fast and that I might just as well enjoy the ride. I found the prose almost "old fashioned" and somewhat awkward but still readable.
An interesting read that would especially appeal to fans of the old west.

[andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story about the beginning of Pinkerton Detective Agency and train robberies.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

A compelling narrative in its own right, this book taught me a lot about crime as American society developed. Great read, great history.

[Casey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free Kindle copy of The Notrious Reno Gang by Rachel Dickinson courtesy of Net Galley and Rowman & Littlefield, the publisher. It was with the understanding that I would post a review to Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and my history book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Google Plus pages.

I requested this book as I have read a great deal about the west and the description presented something that I had not read about. This is the first book by Rachel Dickinson that I have read.

The book was a bit of a disappointment. While it is well researched, the book tends to bog down in several places due to the author's writing style. I have read similar types of books and the authors have been able to make the book read almost like a novel versus a somewhat dull presentation of the facts. This occurs even when the book gets into some conjecture on dialogue. Overall, it is not a very satisfying read.

[Steven Christofferson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love western US expansion history and this account of the world’s first gang of train robbers is really interesting. Most of it takes place in and around Seymour, Indiana, an area I’m pretty familiar with from my college days. Ultimately, the Reno gang was brought to justice not by the law, but by vigilantes. The people of Seymour were fed up with law enforcement and the judicial system, taking matters into their own hands by lynching 10 members of the gang over the course of two years without any form of due process. A fascinating tale that makes me want to explore southern Indiana again in search of some of these places

[Jph12 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting account of the origins of the Pinkerton Detective Agency (did not see them being started by a former labor activist), the first robbery of a moving train (okay, maybe the second), and the problems that follow when the formal legal processes are inadequate to keep the peace. Whatever the faults of the Seymour Vigilance Committee, at least they never seemed to hang the wrong people (which puts them far ahead of many other such committees).

Engagingly written, with lots of interesting details about the era. Sometimes, however, it can be a bit repetitive.

[Dsinglet · Rating 3 out of 5]

A history of the Reno Gang, a group of brothers and relatives who held the town of Semore hostage with scams of all sorts. They were accused of every crime including murder, burglary, running bawdy houses and holding local citizens hostage in their schemes. Law enforcement was unable to bring them to justice. Finally the Pinkertons were hired to run them to ground. It is a look at the true history of the wild west before laws meant much.

[King Haddock · Rating 3 out of 5]

The material starts slowly, and there were times I reread sections because I didn't immediately comprehend Dickinson's train of thought. That said, Dickinson's writing and research paints a fascinating picture of post-Civil War midwest culture. Once the Reno Gang's crimes start, it's hard not to be interested in dangerous stories of criminals, detectives, and vigilantes. Very informative, and something I come away glad reading.

[Candida · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a little more drawn out than I wanted it to be. The writing style wasn't to my taste but there were a lot interesting facts in this book. It was a story I had never heard before.

[Christina]

Crothersville Book Discussion. 😫

To hire a thief or no? Took a thief to know a thief....