Fields, Mary

Impact on the world

Secured a U.S. Postal Service Star Route contract in 1895 to deliver mail by horse-drawn wagon across a rugged 34-mile round trip between Cascade, Montana and St. Peter's Mission, becoming the first African American woman, and likely only the second woman of any background, to hold such a contract; she completed the demanding route for eight years without missing a single day, fighting off wolves and walking the route on snowshoes when conditions made driving impossible, though her popular nickname, 'Stagecoach Mary,' is historically inaccurate, since local historians and her own contemporaries confirm she drove a horse-drawn wagon and never actually operated a stagecoach.

Life & background

Born into slavery in Hickman County, Tennessee around 1832, Fields was emancipated after the Civil War and eventually made her way to Toledo, Ohio, working at an Ursuline convent before relocating to Montana at age 53 to help a dying friend, Mother Amadeus, recover from pneumonia. After two failed attempts running a restaurant, she secured a Star Route mail delivery contract in 1895, becoming the first African American woman to hold such a position with the U.S. Postal Service, carrying a revolver and rifle to protect herself and the mail from bandits and wolves across the harsh Montana terrain for eight years without ever missing a scheduled delivery. Though widely remembered today as 'Stagecoach Mary,' a nickname adopted by the predominantly white town she served, Fields never actually drove a stagecoach; some historians, including a detailed historiographical analysis published by Cowboys & Indians magazine, have argued the nickname itself functioned as a subtle form of caricature, recasting her genuine professional achievement as quaint Wild West color. After retiring from postal service in 1903, she ran a laundry business and remained a beloved local fixture, including as an enthusiastic supporter and unofficial mascot of the town baseball team, until her death in 1914.

Sources

1. National Postal Museum; National Park Service; Cowboys & Indians Magazine; BlackPast.org; American Battlefield Trust; Montana Women's History