Stagecoach Mary
Hello & happy first Monday of March! Yes, March. Let that sink in.
March is Women’s History Month, and a week from today is International Women’s Day (March, 8th). To kick off the month dedicated to all the incredible women who have come before us — the trailblazers, advocates, sisters, wives, mothers, friends, and visionaries, I am highlighting one remarkable female of the United States Postal Service. Her name is Mary Fields, and she was the first Black female letter carrier. I am in awe of (and honestly a bit obsessed with) Mary Fields, and I think you will be too. FeMAILS, am I right?!
From my desk, to yours.
xo,
FP
Stagecoach Mary
Mary Fields, known as Stagecoach Mary (absolutely fire nickname), was born into enslavement around 1832 in Hickman County, Tennessee. After the Civil War and her subsequent emancipation, Mary found work as a housekeeper at the Ursuline convent in Toledo, Ohio. While at the convent, Mary developed a close friendship with the Mother Superior, Mother Mary Amadus. In 1884 Mother Amadus was relocated by the Catholic church to Cascade, Montana. It was there she was to set up a school for Native American girls (heck yeah!) at the St. Peter’s Mission. Shortly after her arrival, she fell very ill with pneumonia and when Mary Fields was informed of this, she relocated to Cascade to nurse Mother Amadus back to health. And that’s where the legend that is Stagecoach Mary began.
Mary was a force in more ways than one. She stood at 6 feet tall and handled the tasks that were only delegated to men at that time. She worked as the forewoman at the mission, tending to the vegetable garden, livestock, maintaining the buildings, traveling to neighboring towns for supplies, and hauling freight. And while she respected the lifestyle of the nuns, she found their day-to-day a bit slow for her taste. Mary preferred to drink at the saloons in town with men, some of which, she got into the occasional gunfight with. Yes, our Mary always carried a .36 Smith & Wesson pistol under her apron. One time while enjoying an after-work beverage at a saloon, a disgruntled gentleman walked in and began berating Mary about how he was paid less than she was for the same work (interesting how men care about the wage gap when it affects them). He tried to strike her, but not before she whipped out her pistol and fired a warning shot in his direction. The bishop of the archdiocese at the time was none too pleased with Mary’s choice of self-defense and told the nuns that they must dismiss her from her role at the mission. They adored Mary and attempted to plead with the bishop, but he did not relent.
In need of work, Mary opened up a small tavern in town. Ten months later, she had to close up shop due to bankruptcy. Mary was as fierce as she was generous, always letting the poor eat for free. At this point, in the mid-1890s, Mary was in her early 60s and once again in need of work.
In 1895 she took a job as a Star Route Carrier, delivering mail for the United States Postal Service to the rural 15 miles surrounding Cascade. At the time, she was the second woman to work as a mail carrier for the USPS, and the first Black female to work as a mail carrier for the postal service. Mary never missed a day on the job, delivering mail by horse and stagecoach. With her pistol under her apron and her shotgun at her side, she protected herself against the Wild West, animals the bandits alike. Keep in mind, she was around 65 years old at the time and just out in the wild, shooting down the thieves trying to steal her parcels and horses. If the snow was too high for her horses, she strapped on her snowshoes and carried her sacks of mail on her shoulders. Her unwavering dedication to her job and reliability earned her the beloved nickname of Stagecoach Mary. I would like to reiterate - Stagecoach Mary, a woman of color in her mid-60s was out in the unforgiving (and lawless) wilderness of Montana, experiencing severe weather and intense terrain, warding off bad guys and wild animals, solo. John Dutton WISHES.
Stagecoach Mary retired after 8 years of delivering mail, at around age 71. In her retirement, she ran a laundry service out of her home and cared for the local children. She continued to grow as a beloved figure in Cascade. Because she was born into enslavement, she wasn’t certain of her actual birth date. So, Stagecoach Mary picked a day and the Mayor of Cascade would close the school on that day so the children, many of which she looked after, could celebrate with her. When Mary’s home suffered significant damage after a fire, the town volunteered to take care of the rebuild.
Aside from shooting men who tried to cross her, Stagecoach Mary’s favorite pastime was cheering on the town’s baseball team. She would go to every game and award home-run hitting players with bouquets of flowers from her garden. It was rare that she would be seen at a game without a cigar hanging out of her mouth (could I love this woman anymore?!).
Despite her busy schedule of cheering on her home team and caring for the local children, she still found ample time to put men in their place (love that for her). One day, Stagecoach Mary was drinking at her favorite saloon when she spotted a good-for-nothing laundry customer of hers who kept stiffing her with his bill. She darted after him, grabbed him by the collar, and punched him right in his face. She is reported to have said that the broken nose she gave him cleared him of his debts. Seems fair to me, this was the lawless Wild West after all.
Mary Fields died in 1914 and her funeral was the largest the town had ever seen. Stagecoach Mary continues to be a revered and respected historical figure in Cascade, MT.
I am giddy at the thought of the most badass, fearless woman Montana had probably ever seen living her life on her own terms. Self-sufficient, independent, generous, and determined. Also never one to turn down a drink or a cigar. She kept her community connected, unwavering in the guaranteed delivery of their mail. She was herself and adored for it. Mary Fields, living her TRUTH!
Thank you, Stagecoach Mary!