Hell's half-acre : the untold story of the Benders, a serial killer family on the American frontier / Susan Jonusas.
"In 1873 the people of Labette County in Kansas made a grisly discovery. Buried on a homestead seven miles south of the town of Cherryvale, in a bloodied cellar and under frost-covered soil, were countless bodies in varying states of decay. The discovery sent the local community and national newspapers into a frenzy that continued for over two decades, and the land on which the crimes took place became known as 'Hells Half-Acre.' When it emerged that a family of four known as the Benders had been accused of the slayings, the case was catapulted to infamy. The idea that a family of seemingly respectable homesteaders--one among thousands who were relocating further west looking for land and opportunity after the Civil War--were capable of operating 'a humanslaughter pen' appalled and fascinated the nation. But who the Benders really were, why they committed such a vicious killing spree, and what became of them when they fled from the law is a mystery that has remains unsolved to this day--not that there aren't some convincing theories. Part gothic western, part literary whodunnit, and part immersive study of postbellum America, Hell's Half-Acre sheds new light on one of the most notorious cases in our nation's history while holding a torch to a society under the strain of rapid change and moral disarray. Susan Jonasus draws on extensive original archival material, and introduces us to a fascinating cast of characters, including the despairing families of the victims as well as the fugitives that helped the murderers escape. Hell's Half-Acre is not simply a book about a mass murder. It is a journey into the turbulent heart of nineteenth century America, a place where modernity stalks across the landscape, violently displacing existing populations and wearily building new ones. It is a world where folklore can quickly become fact, and an entire family of criminals can slip right through a community's fingers, only to reappear at the most unexpected of times"-- Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9781984879837
- ISBN: 1984879839
- Physical Description: xxii, 345 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
- Publisher: [New York] : Viking, [2022]
Content descriptions
Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references (pages 287-332) and index. |
Search for related items by subject
Subject: | Bender family. Serial murderers > Kansas > Labette County > History > 19th century. Frontier and pioneer life. |
Genre: | True crime stories. |
Available copies
- 29 of 31 copies available at Missouri Evergreen. (Show)
- 1 of 1 copy available at Rolla Public.
Holds
- 1 current hold with 31 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rolla Public Library | NF 364.1523 JON (Text) | 38256101823270 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
LDR | 03228pam a22003497i 4500 | ||
---|---|---|---|
001 | 4408025 | ||
003 | ME | ||
005 | 20220202070002.6 | ||
008 | 210702s2022 nyua e b 001 0deng d | ||
010 | . | ‡a2021024138 | |
020 | . | ‡a9781984879837 ‡q(hardcover) | |
020 | . | ‡a1984879839 ‡q(hardcover) | |
035 | . | ‡a(OCoLC)1259511448 | |
040 | . | ‡beng ‡erda ‡dMO7 ‡dMJ8 | |
049 | . | ‡aMZ7A | |
082 | 0 | 0. | ‡a364.1523 |
100 | 1 | . | ‡aJonusas, Susan, ‡eauthor. ‡0(ME)829075 |
245 | 1 | 0. | ‡aHell's half-acre : ‡bthe untold story of the Benders, a serial killer family on the American frontier / ‡cSusan Jonusas. |
264 | 1. | ‡a[New York] : ‡bViking, ‡c[2022] | |
300 | . | ‡axxii, 345 pages : ‡billustrations ; ‡c24 cm | |
336 | . | ‡atext ‡btxt ‡2rdacontent | |
337 | . | ‡aunmediated ‡bn ‡2rdamedia | |
338 | . | ‡avolume ‡bnc ‡2rdacarrier | |
504 | . | ‡aIncludes bibliographical references (pages 287-332) and index. | |
520 | . | ‡a"In 1873 the people of Labette County in Kansas made a grisly discovery. Buried on a homestead seven miles south of the town of Cherryvale, in a bloodied cellar and under frost-covered soil, were countless bodies in varying states of decay. The discovery sent the local community and national newspapers into a frenzy that continued for over two decades, and the land on which the crimes took place became known as 'Hells Half-Acre.' When it emerged that a family of four known as the Benders had been accused of the slayings, the case was catapulted to infamy. The idea that a family of seemingly respectable homesteaders--one among thousands who were relocating further west looking for land and opportunity after the Civil War--were capable of operating 'a humanslaughter pen' appalled and fascinated the nation. But who the Benders really were, why they committed such a vicious killing spree, and what became of them when they fled from the law is a mystery that has remains unsolved to this day--not that there aren't some convincing theories. Part gothic western, part literary whodunnit, and part immersive study of postbellum America, Hell's Half-Acre sheds new light on one of the most notorious cases in our nation's history while holding a torch to a society under the strain of rapid change and moral disarray. Susan Jonasus draws on extensive original archival material, and introduces us to a fascinating cast of characters, including the despairing families of the victims as well as the fugitives that helped the murderers escape. Hell's Half-Acre is not simply a book about a mass murder. It is a journey into the turbulent heart of nineteenth century America, a place where modernity stalks across the landscape, violently displacing existing populations and wearily building new ones. It is a world where folklore can quickly become fact, and an entire family of criminals can slip right through a community's fingers, only to reappear at the most unexpected of times"-- ‡cProvided by publisher. | |
600 | 3 | 0. | ‡aBender family. ‡0(ME)476560 |
650 | 0. | ‡aSerial murderers ‡zKansas ‡zLabette County ‡xHistory ‡y19th century. | |
650 | 0. | ‡aFrontier and pioneer life. ‡0(ME)21531 | |
655 | 7. | ‡aTrue crime stories. ‡2lcgft ‡0(ME)369065 | |
904 | . | ‡aMARCIVE 2022 | |
904 | . | ‡aMARCIVE 2022 | |
901 | . | ‡a4408025 ‡bAUTOGEN ‡c4408025 ‡tbiblio |