Who was Stagecoach Mary Fields?

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Who was Stagecoach Mary Fields?​

Mary Fields, aka Stagecoach Mary (1832-1914) – Born as a slave in Tennessee, Fields was one of the first women entrepreneurs, stagecoach drivers, pioneers of the American West. Orphaned as a child, she grew up with Ursuline nuns but received no formal education.

How far did Stagecoach Mary drive to deliver the mail?​

Stagecoach Mary worked as a star route carrier, protecting the mail from bandits. She rode her stagecoach to the train station to pick up mail and then delivered it on several routes, some of which were more than 40 miles. In all, Stagecoach Mary drove over 300 miles each week to deliver the mail.
Who was the first female stagecoach driver?
Mary Fields Mary Fields, aka Stagecoach Mary (1832-1914) – Born as a slave in Tennessee, Fields was one of the first women entrepreneurs, stagecoach drivers, pioneers of the American West. Orphaned as a child, she grew up with Ursuline nuns but received no formal education.

Why is the mule called Stagecoach?​

Never married, she found her ideal job in 1895 when she became a U.S. mail coach driver for the Cascade County region of central Montana. She and her mule Moses never missed a day, and it was in this capacity that she earned her nickname of “Stagecoach,” for her unfailing reliability.

Stagecoach Mary Fields carried a gun, smoked, drank and had a wicked temper. Mary was the first African American woman to carry mail on a Star Route for the United States Post Office Department. Mary Fields was born into slavery in either 1832 or 1833; her exact birthday is unknown.

Why was Mary Hoey called Stagecoach Mary?​

Mary’s job was not only to deliver the mail but to also protect the mail from bandits, thieves, wolves and the weather as well. Mary gained her nickname “Stagecoach Mary” due to her use of a stagecoach as a method of transportation to deliver the mail. Mary was also known for the guns she carried.
Who was Mary a star route carrier?
A Star Route Carrier was an independent contractor who used a stagecoach to deliver the mail in the harsh weather of northern Montana. Mary was the first African American woman and the second woman to receive a Star Route contract from the United States Post Office Department.
Mary Fields was born into slavery in either 1832 or 1833; her exact birthday is unknown. Mary’s birthplace and other details about her early childhood are also unknown. What is known is that she worked for the Warner family in West Virginia in the years leading up to the Civil War.