Near Pawhuska in Osage County, Oklahoma — The American South (West South Central)
Outlaws
Photographed by James Hulse, September 13, 2025
1. Outlaws Marker
This land was an easy refuge for villains and outlaws because of its isolation and rugged terrain. It was far from Fort Smith, whose magistrate, Judge Parker, was known for laying down the law. The land was also far from the jurisdictions of neighboring states, so it appealed to outlaws who squatted on the land of the Osage.
The Osage Police spent much time and many resources ejecting the squatters who took up residence in the broken hills and blackjack scrub of Osage County. The number of squatters illegally entering the reservation increased each year, and the job of ejecting them could be a dangerous one as they were often violent men.
Most of the outlaws were petty thieves; but some like the Dalton Boys, Bill Doolin, and "Black Face Charlie" Bryant were violent hooligans who ran large outlaw gangs.
Some of the most notorious outlaws running the Old West were the Dalton Boys; Robert (Bob), Emmett, and Gratton (Grat).
Two of the brothers, Bob And Emmett, started as officers in the Osage Police patrols. The Osage would sometimes enlist the help of white men to run patrols and eject squatters hiding out in the bushes and caves of the area.
Bob and Emmett worked with the Osage Police for a while, but they were soon kicked out for wild shooting sprees, taking bribes, and smuggling whiskey. The brothers soon met up with a third brother, Grat, and the three took to robbing banks and trains.
The Daltons took full advantage of the gullies and blackjack thickets of the Osage lands. They made an ideal cover for their many raids. They would also hide out for months in the caves of the Osage Hills.
The Dalton Boys reigned terror and outlawry in Misssouri and Oklahoma for many years.
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Their successful attempts at robbing trains and stealing ponies made the eldest brother, Bob, want to make a bigger name for himself. He wanted to be better known than his idol, Jesse James, so the gang planned an escapade to rob two banks in the same town--Coffeyville, Kansas.
Six members of the gang, including the three Dalton Boys, snuck into town wearing beards and trench coats. The townspeople, getting wind of the planned robberies, opened fire on the outlaws. Two of the brothers were killed while the third, Emmett, survived 23 bullet wounds. He went on to become an actor, a real estate agent, and a published author after serving a 14 year prison term. He died when he was 65 years old in Los Angeles, California.
Captions
The Dalton Gang
(Photo #1) Robert
(Photo #2) Emmett
(Photo #2) Gratton
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Law Enforcement.
Location. 36° 44.804′ N, 96° 17.181′ W.
Photographed by James Hulse, September 13, 2025
2. Outlaws Marker
The marker is the second marker form the right side
Regionally, this marker is in the Osage Nation and in Greater Tulsa. It is also in the American South, specifically on the prairies, and on the Southern Plains. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Forest of Irons (here, next to this marker); Osage County Ranching (here, next to this marker); The Tallgrass Prairie Preserve (approx. 4.3 miles away); Oil in the Osage Indian Nation and the "Million Dollar Elm" (approx. 6.2 miles away); Friendship Between the Osage and the Occitan of Montauban (approx.
Photographed by James Hulse, September 13, 2025
3. The view of the markers from the parking area
Also see . . . Dalton Gang - The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Oklahoma Historical Society
Lawmen and outlaws Emmett Dalton (18711937), Frank Dalton (185987), Grattan "Grat" Dalton (186192), Robert Rennick "Bob" Dalton (186992), and Mason Frakes "William" "Bill" Dalton (186594), five sons of Adeline Younger and Lewis Dalton, came from a family of fifteen children who grew up in Kansas near Indian Territory. Their mother was an aunt of the Younger boys of James-Younger gang fame.(Submitted on September 21, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)
Frank Dalton served as a deputy U.S. marshal for the Federal District Court of Western Arkansas at Fort Smith from 1884 until horse thieves and whiskey peddlers killed him on November 27, 1887. He was a good, efficient officer and highly respected by other lawmen.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 21, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 20, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 85 times since then and 43 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 20, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.
