#BlackJackHarris July 26
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July 2026 several of us are going to take on theĀ 30-Day America at 250 Coach4aday Challenge. Each day we share something about Americaās unique and quirky history. It can be about a place, an event, or person.Ā Todayās story focuses on BLACK JACK HARRIS a notorious person who gained fame for being an outlaw, desperado, and gunman.
Mentioned earlier in the month I discovered the Founders Podcast hosted by David Senra. This week I am listening to episode 312 on Mark Twain. The content of this podcast comes from Senra reading the book Lighting Out for the Territory: How Samuel Clemens Headed West and Became Mark Twain
One of the colorful characters Mark Twain encountered while living in the Nevada Territory was Black Jack Harris. One ironic chapter of Harris’s life piqued my curiosity and sent me digging for more information. Harris had a reputation for robbing Wells Fargo stagecoaches, yet at one point Wells Fargo actually hired him to protect the very coaches he had been holding up. True to his outlaw nature, he continued robbing them even while collecting a paycheck from the company.
Day 26-The life of Black Jack Harris
For most of his life, no one knew Black Jack Harris’s real name. It wasn’t until a series of deathbed confessions that his true identity was revealed. He was actually Amos Huxford, who grew up in Calais, Maine, before heading west after the Civil War.
The St. Croix Historical Society has done extensive research on his fascinating life. Rather than try to summarize it here, I’ll simply point you to their excellent article. Much of the post includes quotations from Mark Twain, who knew Harris during his time in the Nevada Territory.
Follow the link below if you’d like to learn more about this remarkable and enigmatic character.
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