Mary was born in 1832, a slave in tennessee and was owned by a catholic family. Instead, they would have been facetoface with mail coach driver, former slave, and formidable woman mary fields. She was six feet tall, heavy, tough, shorttempered, twofisted, powerful, and packed a pair of sixshooters and an eight or tengauge shotgun. Mary fields, rough exterior with a giving heart african.
She showcased her incredible skills and courage, proving her ability to. Feb 25, 2015 affectionately known as stagecoach mary, the cigarsmoking fields was good with her fists and known for being a crack shot with a heart of gold. She was around seventy years old when she finally retired. A former slave, fields became the first african american woman stagecoach driver in 1895, when, in her 60s, she beat out all the cowboys applying for the job by being the. Mary fields aka stagecoach mary paperback march 9, 2016. Jan 14, 2019 fields helped pave the way for other women and people of color to become stagecoach drivers and postal workers. She makes it clear to everyone that she is the best, most capable candidate for the job, beating out 40 cowboys. She traveled north to ohio, settled in toledo, and worked for the catholic convent where she formed a strong bond with mother amadeus. I saw a woman who lost half of her life and her family to slavery. Jan 22, 2016 the road was the hub of activity in 1895.
Learn more about the life and legend of mary fields. Mary fields, american stagecoach driver hardcover january 1, 2019 by tami charles author, claire almon illustrator 4. We know of figures such as hardasnails coach driver stagecoach mary fields and notorious outlaw cherokee bill. Mary fields, also known as stagecoach mary, born 1832.
Why i wrote stagecoach mary and mother amadeus chazs. Tami charles the true story of mary fields, aka stagecoach mary, a trailblazing african american woman who helped settle the american west. She received her freedom when the war ended and slavery was outlawed but she stayed near her original owners, the dunn family, as she and the dunns daughter had become good friends. Mary fields better known as stagecoach mary was born a slave in hickman county, tennessee, around 1832. Telegraphs and trains bring supplies and messages to cascade, montana, but to get through the mountains to st. A littleknown but fascinating and largerthanlife character, mary fields is one of the unsung, trailblazing african american women who helped settle the american west. Robinson plays stagecoach mary, obviously inspired by the real stagecoach mary aka mary fields, also sometimes called black mary, the first black woman to work as a mail carrier in the usa, known to have been one of the toughest women ever, earning the respect and devotion of most of the residents of the pioneer community in which she. Orphaned as a child, she grew up with ursuline nuns but received no formal education. Sometimes it just isnt easy to hold that confidence inside yourself with all the challenges coming from the outside world. Meet stagecoach mary, the daring black pioneer who protected. Mary stagecoach mary fields 18321914 find a grave memorial.
Now cascade montana in 1895 was not exactly the place that celebrated. Fearless mary a littleknown but fascinating and largerthanlife character, mary fields is one of the unsung, trailblazing african american women who helped settle the american west. She was a black entrepreneur and stagecoach driver. Fearless mary the story of stagecoach pioneer mary fields. The true adventures of mary fields, american stagecoach driver by tami charles. Apr 08, 2014 after two failed attempts at running a restaurant, fields secured a contract to deliver mail to st.
Mary fields, aka stagecoach mary 18321914 born as a slave in tennessee, fields was one of the first women entrepreneurs, stagecoach drivers, pioneers. Claire almon the true story of mary fields, aka stagecoach mary, a trailblazing african american woman who helped settle the american west. This made her the second woman and first african american woman to work for the u. A former slave, fields became the first african american woman stagecoach driver in 1895, when, in her 60s, she beat out all the cowboys applying for the job by being the fastest to hitch a team of six horses. Fields is the subject of michael hearsts song stagecoach mary, as part of his 2015 extraordinary people project. Fields, who was profiled last week by the root news site, was born a slave. Mary fields was the first known africanamerican woman mail carrier. Feb 06, 2017 fearless mary mary fields, american stagecoach driver womens history for kids read aloud duration. Mary fields was born as a slave in tennessee during the administration of andrew jackson a feisty sort with whom she shared driving ambition, audacity, and a penchant for physical altercation on a regular basis. When mary was in her 60s, she got word that the postal service was in search of stagecoach drivers. Stagecoach kings in the old west legends of america. She earned the nickname stagecoach mary for her reliability and speed, and she drove the fifteenmile route between the. Mary fields, american stagecoach driver, by tami charles. Thats what i saw in the character of mary fields, and why i wrote stagecoach mary and mother amadeus.
Fearless mary put the wild in wild west, breaking boundaries and throwing prejudices aside. The life and legend of mary fields womens history matters. Freed after the civil war, she moved west and settled in montana. In 1890s montana, wouldbe mail thieves didnt stand a chance. Mary fields, american stagecoach driver kindle edition by charles, tami, almon, claire. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading fearless mary. Mary fields, black mary, and stagecoach mary are all one in the same person.
Mary fields, also known as stagecoach mary and black mary, was the first africanamerican female star route mail carrier in the united states. Fields helped pave the way for other women and people of color to become stagecoach drivers and postal workers. Stagecoach mary has joined the cast of hell on wheels. Mary heard about a job opening up in cascade, montana. Mary should be revered by women in the transportation industry. She earned the nickname stagecoach mary for her reliability and speed, and she drove the fifteenmile route between the mission and cascade from 1895 to 1903. Stagecoach mary 18321914 born as a slave in tennessee, fields was one of the first women entrepreneurs, stagecoach drivers, pioneers of the american west clark old chieftain foss, aka. After two failed attempts at running a restaurant, fields secured a contract to deliver mail to st. Mary fields, american pioneer who was the first african american woman to become a u. Stagecoach mary fields, a screenplay by georgianne landykordis.
Her dedication and reliability on the difficult route earned her the sobriquet stagecoach mary. Mary fields american stagecoach driver here wee read. Hailing from georgia, monroe was born in the early 1840s to louis and mary monroe. Back in 1895 an exslave, a woman, named mary fields had a chance to show the world she could do it. Fearless mary mary fields, american stagecoach driver womens history for kids read aloud duration. At the age of 70, mary retired from the postal service and settled in cascade.
Wouldbe mail thieves didnt stand a chance against stagecoach mary. In a span of 15 years, stagecoach mary fields had gone from cascades outsider to its most respected citizen. See all 2 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. First black womanand second woman, periodto work for the u. Mary fields was born into slavery in tennessee in about 1832. Unfortunately, because the original is not in good condition, this image is a little pixelated.
Mary was a cigar smoking, shotgun and pistol toting negro woman, who even frequented saloons drinking whiskey with the men, a privilege only given to her, as a woman. When the nuns moved to montana and mary learned of mother amadeus failing health, she went west to help out. A legend in her own time, she was also known as stagecoach mary. With the nuns she traveled west but never known for her quiet temperament, she left the convent when she was still in her teens. Mary fields was born around 1832 hickman, tennessee, into slavery. As portrayed by rosieleetta lee reed, stagecoach mary fields distinguished herself as the first african american woman star route mail.
When dolly became a nun and moved to toledo, ohio, mary joined her there. She delivered the mail regardless of the heat of the day, cold of night, wind, rain, sleet, snow, blizzards, indians and outlaws. Mar 14, 2014 though mary never really was a stagecoach driver, her reputation for being on time despite the elements earned her the name stagecoach mary. However, little is known about two black pony express riders. A former slave, fields became the first african american woman stagecoach driver in. Feb 05, 2019 wouldbe mail thieves didnt stand a chance against stagecoach mary. Few wild west characters can match mary fields, the first known africanamerican woman mail carrier. Mary fields, aka stagecoach mary 18321914 born as a slave in tennessee, fields was one of the first women entrepreneurs, stagecoach drivers, pioneers of the american west. Old foss 1819 a boisterous and colorful driver, foss ran a stage through napa valley, california during the 1860s and took many sightseers to the famed geysers in the. Braving all sorts of weather and ceasing work only for the worst, fields brought mail to settlers in montana, one of very few black people in the new state, henry louis gates jr. The harddrinking, quickshooting mail carrier sported two guns and mens. Mary fields, american stagecoach driver, by tami charles mary fields. A black guntoting female in the american wild west. A former slave, fields became the first african american woman stagecoach driver in 1895, when, in her 60s, she beat out all the cowboys applying for the job by.
Meet stagecoach mary, the daring black pioneer who. A former slave, fields became the first african american woman stagecoach driver in 1895, when, in her 60s, she beat out all the c. The true adventures of mary fields, american stagecooach driver by tami charles. In 1895, at 60 years old, fields was hired as a mail carrier because she was the fastest applicant to hitch a team of six horses. She showcased her incredible skills and courage, proving her ability to drive a stagecoach. A former slave, 60yearold mary fields sets out to get a job as a stagecoach driver, a famously dangerous and maledominated field. Oct 29, 2015 in a span of 15 years, stagecoach mary fields had gone from cascades outsider to its most respected citizen. Back and forth along the route, mary fields, a former slave, drove a stagecoach carrying mail for people in the central area of the state.
Fields was the first black postal carrier in the u. Mary fields, american stagecoach driver charles, tami, almon, claire on. The harddrinking, quickshooting mail carrier sported two guns and mens clothing. The sixfoottall, 200pound driver whipping out a sixshooter wouldnt be the cowboy they were expecting. Got the job at age sixty because she could hitch a team of six horses faster than any of the other applicants. Fearless mary mary fields, american stagecoach driver is based on the true story of former slave, mary fields in the late 19th century. Oct 20, 2016 mary had no fear of man, nor beast, and this sometimes got her into trouble. Mary fields lady stagecoach driver legends of america. She traveled north to ohio, settled in toledo and worked for the catholic convent. Stagecoach mary 18321914 born as a slave in tennessee, fields was one of the first women entrepreneurs, stagecoach drivers, pioneers of the american west. Though mary never really was a stagecoach driver, her reputation for being on time despite the elements earned her the name stagecoach mary. Fearless mary mary fields, american stagecoach driver. Jan 01, 2019 a littleknown but fascinating and largerthanlife character, mary fields is one of the unsung, trailblazing african american women who helped settle the american west.
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