DJJD: A Look Inside the James-Younger Gang Camp

Editor's note: As we ready for the 2012 Defeat of Jesse James Days, Northfield Patch will revisit some of the stories we shared during the . Look for more in the coming days.

Roman Kopp didn’t know how to react a few Septembers ago when he heard horse neighs coming from the secluded property he owns behind his house on North Water Street.

So, he hiked down a wooden embankment toward the Cannon River to see who—or what—was the source of noise. He discovered a makeshift horse corral and a man in old-time cowboy garb carrying a pistol.

“He came up to me and asked me if I needed help,” Kopp said. “So, I said to him, “If I find horses on my property, do I get to own them?’”

Receiving no answer, Kopp was directed to a small group of men, all in similar 1870s-era dress.

“They all had guns and one had a knife in his boot,” Kopp said. “I said to them, “If I find horses on my property, do I get to own them?’”

It turned out that members of the James-Younger Gang—thinking they were on city-owned land—setup their new base camp for  on private property without receiving permission. It could be said they were outlaws, at least for a few moments.

But once he was informed of the situation, Kopp didn’t hesitate to give the re-enactors the thumbs-up to transform his backyard into their one-weekend-a-year home.

“And since then, we have been getting along famously,” he said. “It’s fun to have them here.”

The gang’s horses and some re-enactors sleep in the camp during the festival. Other re-enactors stay in motor homes parked nearby.

It might sound cliché, but strolling into the gang’s camp is like walking back in time. You see tall canvas tents similar to those found in Civil War-era photos, a cook trailer outfitted with cast-iron pots and pans, and a black iron coffee pot continuously boiling on the white-hot camp fire.

And, you see members of the gang tending to their horses, cleaning their guns and adjusting their saddles.

But then, you get jolted back to the present by the ringing of the cell phones hidden in the pockets of the re-enactors’ outfits.

Kopp and his son, 9-year-old Roman Kopp III, regularly visit the gang’s camp during DJJD weekend. And, they are invited to join meals served up by the gang’s chef, Derk Hansen.

“Yesterday, Derk baked peach cobbler,” Kopp said Sunday morning as he drank a cup of coffee with a few gang members. “And last night, he made a sort of a taco from pork chops. Really good.”

As for Roman III, he becomes an unofficial gang member for the weekend. On Sunday morning, he looked the part, wearing an off-white duster given to him by gang leader Chip DeMann.

“By the looks on him, I think I’m going to have to get him a bigger size next year,” DeMann said.

The camp also gets visits from DJJD volunteers—some are there on official business, others are there for a cup of coffee or a chat with an "outlaw"—as well as from a few festival-goers.

“It’s really an interesting place to visit,” DeMann said.

The Kopp property is the latest in a list of camp sites for the re-enactors, DeMann said. For years, they setup camp in the parking lot behind the , which provided quick access to the gang’s re-enactment site on Division Street but little shade for the horses.

While the current site isn’t as close to Division Street, it provides gang members and their steeds a comfortable place to regroup during the busy DJJD weekends.

“It’s a very quiet area and a little off the beaten track,” DeMann said. “We’re very fortunate to be there.”

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