Near Ahwahnee in Madera County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
The Black Kid
Courtesy of 'Sidetrack Adventures', September 19, 2025
1. The Black Kid marker
On 6/2/1900 Madera County's most infamous holdup occurred on the corner 100 yards from here. one bandit with a shotgun, blackened hands, face and a barley sack mask, robbed 4 stages, a freight wagon, lumber wagon, and the officers of 2 troops of cavalry. The cavalry troops were 300 yards down the road but would have done little good. they had no bullets, due to their rowdy ways while in transit.
He gave a driver his card "in case we ever meet again."
Total take $280 from 34 men and 5 women. Time at scene 2 1/2 hrs. Suspected of other robberies thru 1906. He was never apprehended. Dedicated 10/9/99
Erected 1999 by E Clampus Vitus Grub Gulch Chapter 41-49.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Events. In addition, it is included in the E Clampus Vitus series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1906.
Location. 37° 19.007′ N, 119° 47.262′ W. Marker is near Ahwahnee, California, in Madera County. It is on Grub Gulch Rd (Road 600) 0.4 miles north of Road 810, on the right when traveling north. At roadside pull-off. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Ahwahnee CA 93601, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in California’s San Joaquin Valley, specifically in the Central Valley, and in the Sierra Nevada. It is also on the American Pacific Coast. Globally, it is in North America, on the Ring of Fire, in the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexicos Alta California.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 8 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Yosemite Stage Route (approx. 0.4 miles away);
this page online
Also see . . . "The robber got away barely" - The Madera Tribune. (Submitted on September 27, 2025, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)
Additional commentary.
1. 'The Black Kid' vs. 'Black Bart'
The term "the black kid stagecoach bandit" does not refer to Charles "Black Bart" Boles or any other known outlaw in Madera County, California; rather, the name "The Black Kid" was a signature given by a lone, unidentified highwayman in Madera in the late 1870s who robbed a private stage, disarmed cavalrymen, and escaped with the money, never to be identified or caught. Black Bart, also known as the "Gentleman Bandit," was a different outlaw who
Courtesy of 'Sidetrack Adventures', September 19, 2025
2. The Black Kid Marker
— Submitted September 27, 2025, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 27, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 26, 2025, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 127 times since then and 48 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on September 26, 2025, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. 2. submitted on September 27, 2025, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
