The Marysville Cemetery is home to a headstone bearing the name Charles Wells, accompanied by the inscription "AKA C.E. Bolton & Black Bart. Born as Charles Earl Boles." This marker supports a local claim that the notorious stagecoach robber, known as Black Bart, is buried within its grounds. However, the assertion is contentious, and the history surrounding how the headstone came to be in the historic cemetery remains "nebulous," as a local news report recently described. The enigma dates back a century, with the actual whereabouts of Black Bart’s final resting place a subject of ongoing historical debate.
Charles E. Boles, or Black Bart, garnered fame across California for his 29 known stagecoach robberies. Unlike other criminals, he focused on stealing from Wells Fargo and the federal mail system, deliberately avoiding passengers. He also wrote poems that taunted bank detectives, which helped fuel a public fascination and granted him a charismatic folk status rare for a criminal of his era. After a period in San Quentin prison following his capture, Boles reportedly vanished from the historical record, deepening the mystery surrounding his ultimate fate.
Despite the uncertainty of his burial in Marysville, Black Bart maintained clear connections to the Mid-Valley region during his active years. According to John Boessenecker's 2023 biography "Gentleman Bandit," Boles was aware of Marysville as a primary river gateway to San Francisco as early as 1852, having initially attempted mining in Butte County. His criminal exploits brought him directly into Yuba and Nevada counties. In December 1875, Boles ambushed a stagecoach just east of Smartsville, situated between Yuba and Nevada counties. The stagedriver, Mike Hogan, was a former Marysville police officer. During this heist, Boles confiscated the Wells Fargo strongbox and mail shipment, consistent with his usual approach of leaving passengers unharmed.
Further encounters with local figures occurred in 1878. After robbing one stagecoach near Oroville, Boles attempted another hold-up in the same vicinity. George M. Hackett, a Wells Fargo shotgun messenger from Marysville, was onboard the second stage targeted by Boles. Hackett reacted by firing buckshot at the robber, shooting off Black Bart's hat and wounding him, causing Boles to retreat into the brush. The driver of that coach, James Helm, detailed the chaotic event to a newspaper writer in Marysville. Black Bart continued his regional activities, holding up another stage near Oroville in June 1879 and later targeting a Wells Fargo shipment in the Yuba County foothills in December 1881, specifically four miles east of Dobbins. He also operated outside Redding, utilizing a getaway route through Williams in Colusa County.
Boles eventually faced capture after a botched robbery in Calaveras County, coincidentally at the same location as his first heist. This event, detailed in Boessenecker's "Gentleman Bandit," revealed his identity to a surprised San Francisco society. After his release from San Quentin, Boles almost instantly returned to robbing stagecoaches, committing a few more crimes before, like the writer Ambrose Bierce, completely disappearing.
The life of Charles E. Boles parallels that of writer and journalist Ambrose Bierce in several striking ways, as described by Boessenecker. Both men were Easterners who volunteered for the Union Army during the Civil War, surviving devastating combat and proving calm under fire, earning promotions. Following the war, both found themselves adrift and subsequently moved west to San Francisco, captivated by the city's vibrant atmosphere. They even bore a physical resemblance. However, their post-war paths diverged sharply: Bierce became a renowned crime reporter, investigative journalist, and influential opinion columnist on the West Coast, known for criticizing railroad monopolies and government corruption. He also produced significant works of horror fiction and wrote critical commentary about Black Bart once the robber was sent to prison. In contrast, Boles adopted a false identity as a wealthy San Francisco mining entrepreneur, Charles Bolton, while secretly committing his Black Bart robberies.
While Bierce vanished in 1913 after heading to Mexico, Black Bart's disappearance after his final crimes leaves his ultimate fate and resting place an enduring mystery. The headstone in the Marysville Cemetery thus stands as a physical representation of this century-old enigma, leaving residents and historians to ponder whether the legendary highwayman truly rests beneath its blanket of earth. The contested claim ensures that the story of Black Bart, and his connections to the Mid-Valley, continues to prompt discussion and historical inquiry.