WATCH: 1934 Ford, Bonnie and Clyde keep town alive

Bonnie and Clyde keep this town alive. A couple killed in an ambush? Call it saving grace for the small town of Gibsland, Louisiana. Road trips across this great country, the United States of America, can be full of adventure and history. Perry Carver, owner of the Bonnie & Clyde Ambush Museum, discusses his life as the caretaker of macabre American history. Bonnie and Clyde, lovers forever linked to a criminal life on the run and a 1934 Ford that encapsulated their brutal end.

Where?

This tucked away gem is just off Interstate 20 for those travelers zooming across northern Louisiana. Hop off at Exit 61 for a pit stop that delivers a one-of-a-kind experience. Witness the history of Bonnie and Clyde along the same road where they met their ultimate demise. You can’t get closer to the infamous outlaw’s story than walking up to the address of their last meal in Gibsland, Louisiana. Legend has it that Clyde bought two sandwiches — a BLT for Bonnie and a fried bologna sandwich for himself at Rosa Canfield’s Cafe on May 23, 1934. Seven and a half miles later, or about 15 minutes of driving in the Ford, a nationwide manhunt ended in a gun battle. An ambush by the Texas Rangers silenced the couple that blazed a murderous trail for two years. The couple’s exploits captured the imagination of a nation hard-pressed by the lingering effect of The Great Depression. Many suspect that Bonnie and Clyde received help eluding the police because of a Robin-hood persona. We do know they had a hand in the death of at least 12 people, most of them police officers. The result of the ambush show the level of outrage by law enforcement. I’m sure it was a deterrent to any other would-be Bonnie & Clyde couples.

See history before it disappears

That Cafe’s original building was destroyed by fire in 1946. The Bonnie & Clyde Ambush Museum now sits on the old Cafe property. My kids remember stopping in Gibsland almost 10 years ago. The place was smaller back then. The experience was worth stopping for then and now. Slow down, gawk at the bloody Death Car, grab a souvenir, see the autopsy room, then maybe hit the toilet. Don’t forget to pet Mr. Kitty. He’s 15 years old!

Thanks for watching!

Jody Potter

– Junkyard Life: The Story Beneath the Rust

Bonnie and Clyde Ambush Museum in Gibsland, Louisiana is the main attraction in town.

Hundreds of photographs of Bonnie and Clyde cover the walls of the museum.

Bullet-riddled clone of the 1934 Ford that Bonnie and Clyde were in during ambush.

The Texas Rangers ambushed Bonnie and Clyde 15-minutes after they left Gibsland, Louisiana with a sackful of food.

Mr. Kitty is Perry Carver's cat. He likes to sit on the counter beside the cash register.