(Charles Boles)

Born: c. 1829
Died: ?
AKA: Charles Bolton, C. E. Benson, Charley Barlow, T. Z. Spaulding, and others

An older, distinguished gentleman, Black Bart robbed stagecoaches over an eight year period in northern California and Oregon. Known as a robber who never harmed his targets, Bart sometimes left poetic notes to tease his pursuers. He was eventually caught and imprisoned. Released from prison early, he disappeared from the public eye.

From farm fields to gold mines

Charles Boles—who came to be known as Black Bart—was born in England around 1829. His parents, John and Maria Boles, were married on June 27, 1807, and had seven children—including Charles, who was their seventh child—before they left their native country for America. In the summer of 1830, the family left London on a boat that was bound for New York City. The family settled on...