CLYDE AND HIS FORD V8



colorized by Boyd Biggers

colorized by Mark Meadows



March 24, 1910 - May 23, 1934

Clyde Chestnut Barrow was born in poverty on a farm near Telico, Texas, thirty miles southeast of Dallas.
He came from a family of seven children. His father, Henry, was a tenant farmer. His mother, Cumie, was
a native of Nacogdoches, Texas. After moving to West Dallas, the family had lived in a tent camp beneath
the Viaduct. Young Clyde Barrow had become a truant and a runaway early on in life and took to the rough
life on the streets. On March 11, 1918 a warrant was issued by County Judge Chester H. Bryan against
8 year old Clyde Barrow on a complaint of Chief Probation Officer R.R. Adcock. The youth was charged with
being an incorrigible, with wandering the streets at night and with burglarizing a house near his home. He was
tried in a juvenile court and was sentenced to the Harris County School for Boys for an indeterminate period.
He had been involved with a group of toughs who went by the name, "The Root Square Gang" in Houston.




Houston Street Viaduct - Circa 1920's




Panoramic view of Oak Cliff Viaduct, Dallas, Texas- Johnson & Rogers

1924 Oak Cliff Viaduct photo

Oak Cliff Viaduct photo back




Barrow Family Station - Eagle Ford Road


After settling an insurance claim due to an accident, Henry eventually opened a filling station
located on what was then, Eagle Ford Road. Besides gas, he sold groceries and sundry goods there.
This is where the family had also lived. Henry finally sold the place in 1940 for whopping $800.


H.B. Barrow at Filling Station


Barrow Filling Station & Home


Barrow Filling Station & Home (2)


Chuck Flynn's Filling Station Diorama


Barrow Home (Located at rear of service station)
The Barrow family all lived here behind the filling station
photo courtesy of Brad S.


Past recent photo taken of old Barrow Homestead



Latest photo taken of old Barrow Homestead
Overhead lines and new complexes have overtaken the old Barrow place!



Expecting haunting images of old man Barrow sitting inside!



BARROW FILLING STATION PUMPS



AREA AROUND THE BARROW FILLING STATION
Neighborhood buildings surrounding filling station highlighted in yellow






In this Marie Barrow photo, it shows what the area looked like back then!






Still from the movie "Highwaymen"




image by Frank R. Ballinger




MOST RECENT PHOTOS OF BARROW FILLING STATION
photos courtesy of Jamie Farrell

BARROW HOME
BARROW HOME
BARROW HOME
BARROW HOME
BARROW HOME




THE BIG QUESTION
When comparing the current homestead with the one in Bonnie and Clyde times,
I have to wonder what exactly is left any more of the original structure.
Comparison photos




DESCRIPTION 
Name:       Clyde Chestnut Barrow
Aliases:    Clyde "Champion" Barrow
            W. J. Callahan
            Elvin Williams 
            Eldin Williams
            Robert Thomas
            Carl Beaty            
            Roy Bailey 
            Jack Hale

Height:     5' 6 3/4"
Weight:     125-130 pounds
Complexion: light
Eyes:       hazel
Hair color: dark chestnut
Marks: missing 2 toes-left foot
Tattoos:
heart & dagger initials "EBW"-outer arm
(probably initials of ex-girlfriend Eleanor B. Williams)
rose & leaves-left shoulder, shield & anchor with initials
"USN"-left arm, girl's face bearing the name "Grace"- right
arm, and the name "Anne"- inner left arm



Hotel Registration Card
At the Duncan Hotel in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, Clyde and Bonnie
signed in with the aliases Mr. and Mrs. Roy Bailey




IDOLS & ROLE MODELS IN CLYDE'S YOUTH


YOUNG CLYDE'S TATTOO PAGE





His Car Was "Home Sweet Home"



colorized by C. Flynn





1932 Ford V-8 B-400 Convertible Sedan


Used as the backdrop to many of the popular photos taken by Bonnie and Clyde, it was
one of the three vehicles in use by the Barrow gang during the Joplin hideout raid.
It was one of 1105 B-400 convertible sedans built in 1932. The Bonnie and Clyde B-400
was registered to R.F. Rosborough of Marshall, Texas. Stolen in March 1933 and believed
to have been abandoned shortly after the Ruston Caper. After the Barrow gang's Joplin
escape, Detective Ed Portley began an investigation into this fancy Barrow automobile.
The sheriff at Carey, Kansas answered Detective Portley's all-points bulletin stating that
at around six p.m. on April 13th, while making his rounds, he spotted a dark colored mud
spattered 1932 Ford turn south off of the dirt road leading from Joplin. It was traveling
through Carey at a speed of 40 mph and accelerated to 60 as it headed toward Oklahoma's
Cookson Hills. After Mr. Rosborough got his prize vehicle back, it had an extra 3,000
hard driven miles added to it's odometer and was minus it's tags. He then traded it in on
a new 1933 V-8 Coupe. Mr. Rosborough poses with his replacement car in photo below.

Rosborough family photo







Rosborough signed photo










The Unusual Hood Ornament
Officer Persell called it "the pecular radiator cap"

Barrow displayed Officer Persell's weapon on the neck of the hood ornament of Robert Rosborough's
stolen 1932 Ford B-400 vehicle. The hood ornament seems to be that of one you would find on a 1932
Cadillac, such as the Cadillac "Heron" hood ornament. I believe that it's likely that Mr. Rosborough
added it as an after thought, as that's not an ornament for that type car. That ornament is unusual,
as it doesn't seem to be the style of "Heron" ornament found on the Cadillac, yet very similar to it.
Perhaps it was an after market item bought by Mr. Rosborough. See image below for better detail.




1932 Cadillac Heron hood ornament




Rosborough Home


It was here at his parent's home located at 200 Rosborough Street,
Marshall, Texas, that Robert F. Rosborough walked outside to discover
that his B-400 Convertible was missing from the family driveway.



Mr. Rosborough enjoyed the game of golf and was well known in various tournaments.
Below is just one newspaper clipping dated August 13, 1946 which mentions him.





Hideout Update

Robert F. Rosborough of Marshall, Texas, died Thursday, November 7, 2002,
at the age of 97. Services were held Saturday, November 9th at the Sullivan
Funeral Home, Travis St. Chapel, with burial in Algoma Cemetery, Marshall.






LIFE ON THE RUN FOR BONNIE & CLYDE





1932 FORD V8

Clyde so loved the Ford V8, he wrote a letter to Henry Ford - stating:
"For sustained speed and freedom from trouble the Ford has got ever (sic) other car skinned"


W.D. Jones and Clyde Barrow with Henry Ford

above image created by Frank R. Ballinger

Clyde's Letter


HENRY FORD MUSEUM & GREENFIELD VILLAGE
Clyde Barrow's letter to Henry Ford can be seen in the museum's exhibit
"Automobile in American Life" That exhibit's case seems to be touched
more often, than any other area in the museum!






EXTREMELY RARE PHOTO
A young "Pretty Boy Floyd" and Clyde Barrow
Private collection






Clyde Barrow and his Ford V8

Nicely done colorization by Phil David Alexander Morris




Rarely seen snapshot of Clyde Barrow


Hideout collection photo



Click on the link below, to visit...

CLYDE BARROW'S HIGH SPEED DALLAS BUDDY