Early Life
Belle Starr grew up with four brothers so she spent a lot of time outdoors where her brothers taught her how to ride horses and shoot guns. As a young girl Starr's family was quite wealthy until the Civil War ruined her families fortunes. When Union soldiers came and destroyed the town of Carthage it also destroyed her families business. Desperate, Starr's father John Shirley moved his family to Texas where at the time it was open territory that acted as a safe haven for outlaws, it was also a refuge for people seeking a last-chance. John Shirley obtained land in Scyene Texas and got money from growing corn, sorghum, oxen, horses, cows, and hogs. Around this time newspapers were reporting criminal activity from outlaws like James and The Younger brothers who were former confederates. John Shirley having been a supporter of the Confederacy opened his farm to these outlaws, giving them a hiding place which caused Starr to become close with the members of the James-Younger gang.
Adulthood/Family Life
Belle first ran away with a man named Cole Younger, who was part of the Younger gang. She then married a Missouri outlaw, Jim Reed on November 1, 1866. She had a daughter named Rosie, whom she called Pearl, and two years later and a son named Ed. Jim Reed and Belle left the children with relatives and were running from the law. Jim was wanted for murder and later was killed by a deputy sheriff in 1874. Belle then married a Cherokee outlaw named Sam Starr in June 5, 1880. Sam was killed six years later. Some say she then married Sam's cousin named Jim Starr. Belle Starr was shot and killed in 1889 not far from her home. A lot of her life appears to be myth so according to several different documents it was said that she had either two, three, or for husbands but it is not known for sure.