Lorin Morgan-Richards Presents Biographies of the West
The Yankee Jim Robinson Story
Directed by Lorin Morgan RichardsS4 • E2 Aug 10, 2024
The Yankee Jim Robinson story begins with narrator Lorin Morgan-Richards visiting the historic Whaley House in Old Town San Diego, where he senses a missing piece of the past. That missing piece is James "Yankee Jim" Robinson, a 19th-century adventurer, gold prospector, and alleged horse thief whose life has long been overshadowed by myth and mistaken identity. Through colorized imagery and historical documents, the documentary uncovers the murky details of Robinson's life and the events that led to his controversial hanging in 1852-a death many believe was a tragic case of mistaken identity. The film also explores the enduring legend of Yankee Jim's ghost, said to haunt the very grounds where the Whaley House now stands, built near the site of his execution.
