- In full:
- Charley Darkey Parkhurst
- Born:
- 1812, Lebanon, New Hampshire, U.S., or Sharon, Vermont
- Died:
- December 18, 1879, Watsonville, California (aged 67)
Charley Parkhurst
-
Who was Charley Parkhurst?
Charley Parkhurst (1812–1879) was a famed American stagecoach driver in California during the Gold Rush era. Known for a tough demeanor, Parkhurst was known to indulge in whiskey, tobacco, gambling, and cursing.
Born Charlotte Darkey Parkhurst, she was abandoned as a child and lived in an orphanage. Around age 12, Parkhurst disguised herself as a boy and ran away, finding work at a livery stable. She learned to ride horses and drive stagecoaches, becoming one of the best drivers on the East Coast.
In 1851, Parkhurst joined acquaintances in California, driving stagecoaches for various companies, including Wells Fargo. Sporting a left eye patch from a horse kick, Parkhurst gained a reputation for toughness, further cemented after killing a bandit. After her death from cancer, it was discovered that Parkhurst was female and had lived disguised as a man for nearly her entire life. In 1868, Parkhurst became the first woman to register to vote in a U.S. election.
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What did Charley Parkhurst do for a living?
Charley Parkhurst, born in 1812, was an American stagecoach driver who gained fame as a skilled horse handler in California during and after the state’s Gold Rush. Parkhurst drove stagecoaches for various companies, including Wells Fargo, transporting gold dust, bullion, and other goods on routes such as San Jose to Santa Cruz, Sacramento to Placerville, and Stockton to Mariposa. Later in life, Parkhurst operated a way station and saloon and also held a stake in a cattle ranch.
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Why were stagecoach drivers important in the 1800s?
During the 1800s, stagecoach drivers were vital for overland travel and commerce, especially in areas where railroads were not yet established. They provided a crucial link between communities, facilitating the transportation of passengers, goods, and gold.
Charley Parkhurst (1812-1879) was a famous stagecoach driver known for expert horse handling in California during and after the Gold Rush. Parkhurst drove stagecoaches for various companies, including Wells Fargo, navigating routes such as San Jose to Santa Cruz and Sacramento to Placerville.
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What challenges did Charley Parkhurst face as a stagecoach driver?
Charley Parkhurst, a stagecoach driver in California during the Gold Rush era, faced challenges common to the profession, such as navigating rough terrain and long hours. Parkhurst also faced specific incidents, including being kicked in the head by a horse around 1856, which resulted in the loss of sight in one eye and the wearing of a distinctive eye patch. Additionally, Parkhurst encountered danger on the road, such as an incident in 1858 when a bandit named Sugarfoot robbed Parkhurst’s stagecoach. A few months later, Parkhurst shot and killed Sugarfoot when he attempted a second robbery.
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What surprising fact was discovered about Charley Parkhurst after death?
Charley Parkhurst, a famed stagecoach driver in California during the Gold Rush era, was known for a tough demeanor, complete with whiskey drinking, tobacco chewing, gambling, and cursing. After Parkhurst's death in 1879, a surprising fact was discovered: Parkhurst had the conventional anatomy of a female.
Born Charlotte Darkey Parkhurst, she had spent nearly her entire life successfully disguised as a male. Moreover, in 1868, Parkhurst, still in male disguise, seemingly became the first female to register to vote in a U.S. election, more than 50 years before the Nineteenth Amendment.
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How has Charley Parkhurst's life influenced American history or culture?
Charley Parkhurst, born in 1812, was a stagecoach driver who gained fame in California during the Gold Rush. Known for a tough demeanor, Parkhurst's acquaintances were shocked to discover upon Parkhurst's death in 1879 that the admired driver was female.
Parkhurst's life has impacted American history and culture through their pioneering spirit. In 1868, Parkhurst, disguised as a man, apparently became the first woman to register to vote in a U.S. election, more than 50 years before the 19th Amendment granted women's suffrage.
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Charley Parkhurst (born 1812, Lebanon, New Hampshire, U.S., or Sharon, Vermont—died December 18, 1879, Watsonville, California) was an American stagecoach driver who became famous as an expert horse handler in California during and after the state’s Gold Rush. Parkhurst was known among friends as a tough character who indulged in whiskey drinking, tobacco chewing, gambling, and cursing. Upon Parkhurst’s death, it was discovered that Parkhurst had the conventional anatomy of a female. Parkhurst thereafter became famous throughout the country as a female who had spent nearly her entire life successfully disguised as a male.
Charlotte Darkey Parkhurst was abandoned by her parents, according to some accounts, and spent the early years of her childhood in an orphanage. When she was about 12 years old, she dressed herself in boys’ clothing and ran away. Maintaining the disguise, Parkhurst eventually found work at a livery stable in Worcester, Massachusetts, earning room and board by cleaning stalls and washing carriages. Ebenezer Balch, the owner of the stable, later went with Parkhurst to Providence, Rhode Island, where he had purchased two other stables. There he taught Parkhurst how to ride horses and drive stagecoaches. Parkhurst began to earn money driving stagecoaches and eventually became known as one of the best drivers on the East Coast.
In the late 1840s miners began to flock to California in search of gold. New job opportunities arose with the increase in population. About 1849 two acquaintances of Parkhurst, James Birch and Frank Stevens, left Rhode Island for California, where they founded the California Stage Company. Parkhurst joined them in 1851 and began to drive stagecoaches there, eventually working for several different stagecoach companies in California, including Wells Fargo, which then handled the purchase, sale, and transport of gold dust, bullion, and other goods. Parkhurst’s routes included those from San Jose to Santa Cruz, Sacramento to Placerville, and Stockton to Mariposa.
Parkhurst wore a left eye patch after being kicked in the head by a horse about 1856. The patch undoubtedly contributed to Parkhurst’s reputation for toughness. In 1858 a notorious bandit named Sugarfoot robbed Parkhurst’s stagecoach. When he attempted a second robbery a few months later, Parkhurst shot and killed him.
After Parkhurst’s death, it was discovered that in 1868 Parkhurst (dressed as usual as a man) had apparently become the first female known to have registered to vote in a U.S. election (it is not known whether Parkhurst actually voted). Parkhurst’s registration took place more than 50 years before adoption of the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibited the denial or abridgment of the right to vote on account of sex.
Parkhurst stopped driving stagecoaches in the 1870s, in part because of the expansion of railroads in California. Parkhurst went on to operate a way station and saloon along the route between Santa Cruz and Watsonville but eventually sold that business, along with a stake in a cattle ranch. At the time of Parkhurst’s death in 1879 from cancer of the tongue, not even Parkhurst’s closest friends thought that the driver they so admired was female.