Black Bart: The Gentleman Bandit Behind Our Boldest Candle

goldrushwax
2 days ago
2 min read

Who Was Black Bart?

When people talk about outlaws of the American West, names like Jesse James and Billy the Kid come to mind. But California had its own legendary figure-Charles E. Boles, better known as Black Bart.

The Gentleman Bandit

Between 1875 and 1883, Bart carried out more than two dozen stagecoach robberies, all of them targeting Wells Fargo shipments. He never harmed passengers, never stole their belongings, and reportedly never even fired a shot. His shotgun was said to be unloaded. Courteous and calm, he was known to say “please” and “thank you” even while committing the crime, earning him the enduring nickname: “The Gentleman Bandit.”

Autry Museum image alt text: “$800 reward circular for stage robber Black Bart, 1877, with handwritten poem signed Black Bart the Po8. Courtesy Autry Museum of the American West. — Reward circular featuring one of Black Bart’s poems, 1877. Courtesy of the Autry Museum of the American West.

Poems and Public Fascination

Adding to his mystique, Bart sometimes left behind short poems at the scene, signed “Black Bart, the P o 8.” Though far from great literature, the verses captured imaginations and transformed him from a feared outlaw into a colorful folk figure of the Gold Rush frontier.

A Double Life in San Francisco

Bart’s story didn’t end at the stagecoach. He lived a double life, spending his stolen wealth to mingle with San Francisco’s wealthy elite, disguising himself as a polished gentleman of society. This bold deception eventually became his downfall. In 1883, after a robbery near Sonora, he left behind a handkerchief with a laundry code. That small mistake unraveled his secret, leading Wells Fargo detectives to his true identity. Bart was sentenced to San Quentin Prison, and though he eventually walked free, his final years remain cloaked in mystery.

AI artwork of Black Bart by a campfire with coffee in California’s Sierra Nevada foothills, created by Gold Rush Wax Co. — AI depiction of Black Bart by a campfire, enjoying coffee in California’s Sierra Nevada foothills. Created by Gold Rush Wax Co

5 Fast Facts About Black Bart

Real name: Charles E. Boles.
Robbed more than two dozen Wells Fargo stagecoaches.
Never robbed passengers or harmed anyone.
Left poems signed “Black Bart, the P o 8.”
Caught after leaving a handkerchief with a laundry mark in 1883.

Black Bart in Calaveras County

And for us here in Calaveras County, his story hits even closer to home. Bart’s very first stagecoach holdup in 1875 - and his very last in 1883 - both happened at Funk Hill near Copperopolis. His legend remains woven into the history of the Sierra foothills, just a short drive from where we hand-pour our candles in Mokelumne Hill.

The Inspiration for Black Bart’s Brew

At Gold Rush Wax, we captured the spirit of this bold and refined outlaw in Black Bart’s Brew. Just as Bart lived boldly yet with refinement, this fragrance opens with the richness of fresh coffee and creamy vanilla, unfolds into notes of bitter almond and golden caramel, and finishes with a lingering base of dark roasted coffee and cocoa. Hand-poured in California’s historic Gold Country, Black Bart’s Brew is more than a coffee candle - it’s a piece of Western history retold in fragrance.

Black Bart’s story is one of daring, refinement, and legend — and now, you can bring a piece of that history into your home.

Explore Black Bart’s Brew – Coffee, Vanilla & Cocoa Candle and let the Gentleman Bandit light up your space.