Alexandria Wyckoff
The Wild West was a time period in the American frontier between the mid-19th and early 20th century. However, when most people think of the “Wild West,” they imagine outlaws, robberies, and faceoffs. There was no real judicial system out West, and many disputes were solved with duels, and criminal gangs popped up everywhere, robbing and stealing. Some of these criminals have become larger than life over the years, remembered by tales of their exploits and heists. Below are six of these famous outlaws of the Wild West, including names like Billy the Kid and Butch Cassidy.
6. Black Bart
Starting our list of famous outlaws of the Wild West is Black Bart. Real name Charles Boles, Bart was British-born and always dressed to impress with a long duster, bowler hat, and a flour sack mask. Unlike many other robbers, Bart never fired a shot or harmed anyone. When he robbed Wells Fargo stagecoaches, he would hand the driver a polite note demanding the strongbox, sometimes adding poetry to the note. He quickly became a media sensation and a favorite of the public for his wit.
5. Belle Starr
Fifth on our list of famous outlaws of the Wild West is Belle Starr. Born in Missouri to a well-off family, Myra Maybell Shirley Starr, later known as the “Bandit Queen,” was just a teenager when she got her first encounter with outlaws. After Jesse James and his gang used their family’s home, Belle went on to marry three different outlaws, and often acted as a front for bootleggers and harboured fugitives. She was shot in the back in 1889, and her killer was never identified.
4. Sam Bass
Next on our list of famous outlaws of the Wild West is Sam Bass. An iconic train robber, it all started when Bass left his home at 18 and moved to Texas, where he met Joel Collins. The pair went north on a cattle drive but ended up robbing stagecoaches. The pair later robbed a Union Pacific train of $65,000 in gold coins. Bass eluded the Texas Rangers for years until one of his crew turned on him, leading to a gunfight and Bass died in custody.
3. Butch Cassidy
Rounding out our top three famous outlaws of the Wild West is Butch Cassidy. Born Robert LeRoy Parker in Utah in 1866, it is speculated that by 1884, Cassidy was rustling cattle. In 1889, he and three other men committed a bank robbery and made off with $20,000. Turning into the “Wild Bunch,” the group moved across the frontier, holding up banks and trains in South Dakota, Wyoming, New Mexico, and Nevada. With authorities on their trail, Cassidy fled to Argentina, though he later went back to train robbing and death in a shootout in 1908.
2. Jesse James
Second on our list of famous outlaws of the Wild West is Jesse James. Not only was James an American outlaw, but a bank and train robber, guerrilla, and leader of the James-Younger Gang. As the leader of the gang, James played a huge role in a string of train, stagecoach, and bank robberies. His legend grew with the help of newspaper editor John Newman Edwards, and in 1881, the governor of Missouri issued a $10,000 reward for the capture of Jesse and Frank James. However, James was shot in the back of the head by one of his accomplices in 1882.
1. Billy the Kid
Last but not least on our list of famous outlaws of the Wild West is Billy the Kid. While “the Kid” moniker may not seem that menacing, Billy pulled it off. Originally named Henry McCarty, in New York City, a turbulent life forced Billy and his family out west. His life as an outlaw began in 1877 when he drew a gun and shot a blacksmith for bullying him. Brought into custody, Billy managed to escape and met up with bandit Jesse Evans and his gang, “The Boys.” He reluctantly joined and was soon connected to many felonies and the Lincoln County War. Billy the Kid was later gunned down in 1881 with a $500 reward on his head.