Near Gibsland in Bienville Parish, Louisiana — The American South (West South Central)

Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow Ambush Site

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 12, 2016

1. Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow Ambush Site Marker

Inscription. On This Site
May 23, 1934 at 9:15 a.m.
The Infamous Outlaws
Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow
Met Their Demise At The Hands Of These
Dedicated Law Enforcement Officials

Lest we Forget These Brave And
Vigilant Conservators of the Peace
Front Left: Deputy Sheriff Robert ALCORN
Bienville Sheriff Henderson JORDAN and
Texas Ranger Captain Frank HAMER

Back Left: Deputy Sheriff Ted HINTON
Chief Deputy Prentis OAKLEY and
Texas Ranger B.M. GAULT

Original Marker Erected By:
Bienville Parish Police Jury
Erected By: Bienville Parish Chamber of Commerce
Authentic Bonnie and Clyde Festival Committee

Erected by Bienville Parish Chamber of Commerce, Authentic Bonnie and Clyde Festival Committee.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Law Enforcement. A significant historical date for this entry is May 23, 1934.

Location. 32° 26.476′ N, 93° 5.562′ W. Marker is near Gibsland, Louisiana, in Bienville Parish. Marker is on State Highway 154, 3 miles south of State Highway 793, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Gibsland LA 71028, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 17 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker (here, next to this

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marker); Sparta (approx. 5.2 miles away); Ma Canfield's Cafe (approx. 7½ miles away); Homeplace of Baylus Benjamin (B.B.) McKinney (approx. 9.1 miles away); Driskill Mountain (approx. 11.7 miles away); Driskill Mountain - 535 Feet (approx. 11.7 miles away); W.R. Shadow Home (approx. 12.3 miles away); Citizens Bank & Trust Company (approx. 16½ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Gibsland.

Also see . . .
1. Bonnie and Clyde (Wikipedia). Excerpt:

The couple were shot by a posse of four Texas officers (Frank Hamer, B.M. "Manny" Gault, Bob Alcorn, and Ted Hinton) and two Louisiana officers (Henderson Jordan and Prentiss Morel Oakley). The posse was led by Hamer, who had begun tracking the pair. He studied the gang's movements and found they swung in a circle skirting the edges of five midwestern states, exploiting the "state line" rule that prevented officers from one jurisdiction from pursuing a fugitive into another. Barrow was a master of that pre-FBI rule but consistent in his movements,
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 12, 2016

2. Marker detail: Bas-relief sculpture of Law Enforcement Officials
so the experienced Hamer charted his path and predicted where he would go.

(Submitted on January 5, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. Rare images of the Bonnie and Clyde death scene. Excerpt:

The full posse set up an ambush along Louisiana State Highway 154 just south of Gibsland, near Sailes. Hinton’s recount had the group in place by 9 p.m. on the 21st and said they waited throughout the entire day on the 22nd with no sign of Bonnie and Clyde. Other accounts say they set up the evening of the 22nd. It was about 9:15 a.m. on May 23 when the officers, who were hidden in the bushes and almost ready to give up, heard the stolen Ford V8 driven by Barrow approaching at high speed.

(Submitted on January 5, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

3. Bonnie and Clyde. Excerpt:

Clyde Champion Barrow and his companion, Bonnie Parker, were shot to death by officers in an ambush in Bienville Parish, Louisiana on May 23, 1934, after one of the most colorful and spectacular manhunts the nation had seen up to that time. Barrow was suspected of numerous killings and was wanted for murder, robbery, and state charges of kidnapping. The FBI, then called the Bureau of Investigation, became interested in Barrow and his paramour late in December
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 12, 2016

3. Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow Ambush Site Marker
1932.

(Submitted on January 5, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 12, 2016

4. Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow Ambush Site Marker

(looking south along State Highway 154 • related marker in background)

Bonnie and Clyde Ambush Museum image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 12, 2016

5. Bonnie and Clyde Ambush Museum

(located 8 miles north of marker, in Gibsland, Louisiana)

Bonnie and Clyde Ambush Vehicle image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 12, 2016

6. Bonnie and Clyde Ambush Vehicle

(on exhibit in the Gibsland, LA museum)

Credits. This page was last revised on October 21, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 5, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 3,807 times since then and 563 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on January 5, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.