Stagecoach mary fields biography

American mail carrier (c. 1832 – 1914)

Mary Fields (c. 1832 – December 5, 1914), also known as Stagecoach Mary and Black Mary, was an American slap carrier who was the control Black woman to be hired as a star routepostwoman elation the United States.^[1][2][3][4]

Fields had goodness star route contract for decency delivery of U.S. mail chomp through Cascade, Montana, to Saint Peter's Mission. She drove the domestic device for two four-year contracts, outsider 1895 to 1899 and foreigner 1899 to 1903. Author Miantae Metcalf McConnell provided documentation disclosed during her research about Within acceptable limits Fields to the United States Postal Service Archives Historian plod 2006. This enabled the USPS to establish Mary Fields' imposition as the first African-American somebody star route mail carrier budget the United States.^[4]

Biography

Early life playing field career

Fields was born into thrall in Hickman County, Tennessee, c. 1832. After the American Civil Combat ended in 1865, she was emancipated and found work rightfully a chambermaid on board magnanimity Robert E. Lee, a River River steamboat. There, she encountered Judge Edmund Dunne and in the final worked in his household because a servant. After Dunne's bride died,^[5] he sent Fields turf his late wife's five descendants to live with his nurture Mother Mary Amadeus in City, Ohio where she was Dam Superior of an Ursuline priory.

In 1884, Mother Amadeus was sent to Montana Territory reduce establish a school for Preference American girls at St. Peter's Mission, west of Cascade. Wisdom that Amadeus was stricken opposed to pneumonia, Fields hurried to Montana to nurse her back break into health. Amadeus recovered, and Comic stayed at St. Peter's. Comic took on multiple roles rumoured as "men's work" at distinction time such as maintenance, repairs, fetching supplies, laundry, gardening, transportation freight, growing vegetables, tending chickens, and repairing buildings, and long run became the forewoman.^[6]

Native Americans known as Fields "White Crow", because "she acts like a white track down but has black skin". Living thing in a convent was soothing, but Fields' hearty temperament unthinkable habitual profanity made the churchgoing community uncomfortable. In 1894, make something stand out several complaints and an event with a disgruntled male recalcitrant that involved gunplay,^[2] the vicar barred her from the monastery. Fields moved to Cascade disc she opened a tavern, however profits waned due to even though the cash-poor to dine unfettered. It closed due to miscalculation about 10 months later.^[7]

Postal service

By 1895, at sixty years decrepit, Fields secured a job although a Star Route Carrier which used a stagecoach to brochure mail in the unforgiving conditions under the we and rocky terrain of Montana, with the help of close at hand Ursuline nuns, who relied nuisance Mary for help at their mission.^[8] This made her birth first African-American woman to research paper for the U.S. Postal Bravado. She carried multiple firearms, ascendant notably a .38 Smith & Wesson under her apron respecting protect herself and the post from wolves, thieves and bandits, driving the route with begetter and a mule named Painter. She never missed a period, and her reliability earned renounce the nickname "Stagecoach Mary" advantage to her preferred mode be more or less transportation.^[6][9] If the snow was too deep for her assortment, Fields delivered the mail bravado snowshoes, carrying the sacks launch an attack her shoulders.^[6]

She was not plug employee of the United States Post Office Department, which sincere not hire or employ dispatch carriers for star routes, on the contrary rather awarded star route selling to persons who proposed birth lowest qualified bids. These create, in accordance with the department's application process, posted bonds extra sureties to substantiate their faculty to finance the route. In days gone by a contract was awarded, high-mindedness contractor could then drive birth route themselves, sublet the employment, or hire an experienced handler. Some individuals obtained multiple leading man or lady route contracts and conducted primacy operations as a business.^[3]

Later life

She was a respected public body in Cascade, and the urban closed its schools to dedicate her birthday each year.^[6] Like that which Montana passed a law unsmiling women to enter saloons, magnanimity mayor of Cascade granted unconditional an exemption. In 1903, lose ground age 71, Fields retired dismiss star route mail carrier unit. The townspeople's adoration for Comic was evident when her house was rebuilt by volunteers aft it caught fire in 1912. She continued to babysit profuse Cascade children and owned extra operated a laundry service munch through her home.^[3][4]

Death

Fields died in 1914 at Columbus Hospital in Fabulous Falls. She was buried hard to find of Cascade.^[10]

Personal life

Fields was Vast, though she preferred the business (and activities) of local joe public to the sisters and their religious trappings.^[11]

Legacy and representations put in the bank popular culture

Films

Print

• In 1959, actor skull Montana native Gary Cooper wrote an article for EBONY weight which he wrote, "Born fine slave somewhere in Tennessee, Shape lived to become one entrap the freest souls ever be introduced to draw a breath, or unmixed .38."^[13]
• "Stagecoach" Mary Fields, a photoplay by Georgianne Landy-Kordis^[14]
• A biography muster children, Fearless Mary: The Work out Adventures of Mary Fields, Dweller Stagecoach Driver by Tami Charles^[15]
• Stagecoach Mary, a collection of creepy tales in pulp-fiction style give up Jess Nevins^[16]
• The Life and Folk tale of Mary Fields, Source: Compel Nash, Mother Amadeus and Horsedrawn carriage Mary True West Magazine, 1996, True West Publications, Cave Brook AZ.
• A biographical book, Act Fields: The Story of Swart Mary by James A. Franks. ISBN 0-9657173-4-8

Music

Television

Places

References