Outlaws
Bullion Bend Robbery: El Dorado County’s Infamous Stagecoach Robbery
The Bullion Bend Robbery was one of the most dramatic crimes in Gold Country history. On June 30, 1864, armed men stopped two Pioneer Stage Line coaches on the Placerville-Carson route near present-day Pollock Pines and made off with bullion and treasure. What makes the story especially memorable is that this was not just another...
“The Greatest Robbery of the Century”: John Winters’ Selby Heist
In the summer of 1901, a former refinery worker named John “Jack” Winters, also known as “Buck Taylor,” staged one of the boldest gold thefts in American history. In the predawn hours of August 5, he penetrated the vault of the Selby Smelting Works on Carquinez Strait in Contra Costa County and made off with …...
Convict Lake: A Stunning Eastern Sierra Lake with an Infamous Past
Convict Lake history is about more than a scenic Eastern Sierra landmark. The lake got its name after an 1871 prison escape, pursuit, and deadly shootout near what was then known as Monte Diablo Creek, creating one of the most memorable place-name stories in Mono County. Convict Lake History Quick Facts Location: Mono County,...
