From time to time, my sister sends me bits of interesting information. This past weekend was one of those times. You don't need to be a Western enthusiast to enjoy this story.
TRUCKEE, Calif. — Western stagecoach companies were big
business in the latter half of the 19th century. In addition to passengers and
freight, stages hauled gold and silver bullion as well as mining company
payrolls.
Stage robbery was a constant danger and bandits employed many
strategies to ambush a stagecoach. Thieves rarely met with much resistance from
stage drivers, since they had passenger safety foremost in mind. The gang was
usually after the Wells Fargo money box with its valuable contents. Passengers
were seldom hurt, but they were certainly relieved of their cash, watches and
jewelry. Before the completion of the transcontinental railroad over
Donner Pass in 1868, the only transportation through the Sierra was by
stage. Rugged teamsters held rein over six wild-eyed horses as they tore
along the precipitous mountain trails. The stagecoaches were driven by skilled
and fearless men who pushed themselves and their spirited horses to the limit.
One of the most famous drivers was Charles Darkey Parkhurst, who
had come west from New England in 1852 seeking his fortune in the Gold Rush. He
spent 15 years running stages, sometimes partnering with Hank Monk, the
celebrated driver from Carson City. Over the years, Pankhurst's reputation as
an expert whip grew, while doing it with a patch over one eye which was lost
when kicked by a horse.
From 20 feet away he could slice open the end of an envelope or
cut a cigar out of a man's mouth. Parkhurst smoked cigars, chewed wads of
tobacco, drank with the best of them, and exuded supreme confidence behind the
reins. His judgment was sound and pleasant manners won him many friends.
One afternoon as Charley drove down from Carson Pass the lead
horses veered off the road and a wrenching jolt threw him from the rig. He hung
on to the reins as the horses dragged him along on his stomach. Amazingly,
Parkhurst managed to steer the frightened horses back onto the road and save
all his grateful passengers.
During the 1850s, bands of surly highwaymen stalked the
roads. These outlaws would level their shotguns at stage drivers and
shout, "Throw down the gold box!" Charley Parkhurst had no patience
for the crooks despite their demands and threatening gestures.
The most notorious road agent was nicknamed
"Sugarfoot." When he and his gang accosted Charley's stage, it
was the last robbery the thief ever attempted.
Charley cracked his whip defiantly, and when his horses bolted,
he turned around and fired his revolver at the crooks. Sugarfoot was later
found dead with a fatal bullet wound in his stomach.
In appreciation of his bravery, Wells Fargo presented Parkhurst
with a large watch and chain made of solid gold. In 1865, Parkhurst grew tired
of the demanding job of driving and he opened his own stage station. He later
sold the business and retired to a ranch near Soquel, Calif. The years slipped
by and Charley died on Dec. 29, 1879, at the age of 67.
A few days later, the Sacramento Daily Bee published his
obituary. It read;
"On Sunday last, there died a person known as Charley
Parkhurst, aged 67, who was well-known to old residents as a stage driver. He
was, in early days, accounted one of the most expert manipulators of the reins
who ever sat on the box of a coach. It was discovered when friendly hands were
preparing him for his final rest, that Charley Parkhurst was unmistakably a
well-developed woman!"
Once it was discovered that Charley was a woman, there were
plenty of people to say they had always thought he wasn't like other men.
Even though he wore leather gloves summer and winter, many noticed that his
hands were small and smooth. He slept in the stables with his beloved horses
and was never known to have had a girlfriend.
Charley never volunteered clues to her past. Loose fitting
clothing hid her femininity and after a horse kicked her, an eye patch over one
eye helped conceal her face. She weighed 175 pounds, could handle herself in a
fistfight and drank whiskey like one of the boys.
It turns out that Charley's real name was Charlotte
Parkhurst. Abandoned as a child, she was raised in a New Hampshire
orphanage unloved and surrounded by poverty. Charlotte ran away when she was 15
years old and soon discovered that life in the working world was easier for
men. So, she decided to masquerade as one for the rest of her life.
Now for the rest is history.
Well, almost. There is one last thing. On November 3, 1868,
Charlotte Parkhurst cast her vote in the national election, dressed as a man.
She became the first woman to vote in the United States, 52 years before
Congress passed the 19th amendment giving American women the right to vote.
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