The Buzzard Gang: The Jesse James Gang of the East

This episode dives into the violent, fascinating true story of the Buzzard Gang—one of the most infamous outlaw families to ever roam the rugged hills of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Rising from post–Civil War poverty, brothers Abe Buzzard and Ike Buzzard transformed a life of petty theft into a full-blown criminal enterprise marked by bold burglaries, armed confrontations, and a reputation that earned them the nickname “the Jesse James of the East Coast.”

Operating from the remote strongholds of the Welsh Mountains, the Buzzards used the rocky terrain around the Blue Rocks to evade law enforcement and disappear into the wilderness. Their story includes daring prison breaks, repeated arrests, and one especially memorable escape involving a pet canary—proof that truth can sometimes outpace fiction.

Yet this is more than a tale of crime and gunfire. As the years passed, betrayal, aging, and relentless pressure from authorities brought the gang’s reign to an end. Abe Buzzard even attempted an unlikely reinvention as a traveling preacher, adding a strange epilogue to an already legendary life. While the Buzzard name remains etched into local lore, this episode also explores how later generations worked to escape the shadow of infamy and build respectable lives of their own—leaving behind a legacy that blends outlaw violence, frontier survival, and Pennsylvania folklore.

To learn more, visit UnchartedLancaster.com.

Learn about other unique people and places like this when you step off the beaten path with Uncharted Lancaster: Field Guide to the Strange, Storied, and Hidden Places of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania by Adam Zurn. This one-of-a-kind 239-page guidebook uncovers 56 fascinating sites, from the county’s very own fountain of youth to the oldest continuously operating short-line railroad in the western hemisphere. Order your copy here.