The Loomis Gang (2002)

In the years surrounding The Civil War, The Loomis Gang was arguably the largest family crime syndicate in America. Today, however, few outside of central New York State have ever heard of these horse-thieving rogues from the small village of Waterville. No "professional" historians have laid claim to the Loomis legend. No action figures. No comic books. In fact, the only thing standing between the Loomis family and utter obscurity is a collection of local folks who are fighting to keep the legend alive in a village that largely ignores it. This struggle typifies a battle being waged in towns across the country, and history may be losing. In The Loomis Gang, filmmaker Brian Peter Falk returns to Waterville, his hometown, to learn the details of the Loomis Gang legend and seek out the amateur historians who are its unofficial caretakers. This committed group includes a former school bus driver, a campground owner who dresses the part of a gunslinging sheriff, a brain researcher, a school teacher, and a real life Loomis. The film also features the filmmaker's mother - the matriarch of a family deeply committed to its own history and holiday traditions. As the film chronicles the Loomis saga, complete with Waterville's climactic vigilante uprising, this rag tag group of locals conducts bus tours, writes books, creates displays and prepares stage presentations - all in an attempt to actively witness history. While historic buildings become parking lots in Waterville and many other towns, The Loomis Gang is a comment on the power, and limitations, of such witnessing in the changing landscape of small town America.