Devil's Gulch and the legendary jump of Jesse James (13 photos + 1 video)

The ravine where Jesse James supposedly made an impossible leap to avoid capture has become the stuff of legend.





In the Garretson Wilderness, South Dakota, in a natural scenic canyon known as Devil's Gulch, one of the greatest escapes of legendary outlaw Jesse James took place.



Jesse James

After the famous bank robbery in Northfield, Minnesota in 1876, James was pursued by a local posse determined to bring the criminal to justice. Unable to get rid of his persistent pursuers, James galloped into the desert, where he encountered a chasm approximately 5.5 meters wide. Realizing that there was nowhere to run, he jumped over the abyss on his horse, leaving the bewildered squad on the other side of the canyon. This is how James went down in history and became a legend.





Many scientists have tried to confirm or refute this story and the physical possibility of such a jump. But no one managed to do either one or the other. The feat remained a legend.



The story became so widespread that a memorial plaque was erected at the site of the jump and a bridge was built so that visitors could walk across the legendary chasm. Looking at the 18-meter abyss through the metal grating of the bridge, it is difficult to imagine what anyone would have done in James’ place - jumped or stopped. It turns out that this man had both the courage and, perhaps, the madness to make this historic leap.