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Stagecoach Mary Fields was a force to be reckoned with. In addition to her larger-than-life personality, Fields was the first African American woman to carry mail on a Star Route for the United States Post Office Department. (1/7) #AmericanHistory #BlackHistory #BecauseOfHerStory
Born into slavery in the 1830s, Fields worked various odd jobs in the Midwest after the Civil War & eventually ended up in Cascade, Montana. In 1895, Fields obtained a contract as a Star Route Carrier (an independent contractor who transported mail along rural routes). (2/7)
Fields was known for her assortment of guns, penchant for saloons & love of cigars; beloved by the people of Cascade, she drank & ate for free at local establishments. Her relentless character contributed to her legendary status during & after the 8 years she carried mail. (5/7)
She gained her nickname “Stagecoach Mary” due to her use of a stagecoach as a method of transportation to deliver the mail. Fields was the first African American woman and the second woman to receive a Star Route contract. (3/7)
Fields built a reputation of being fearless while working as a mail carrier. Her job was not only to deliver the mail but to also protect it from bandits, thieves, wolves & the weather – which she did with great enthusiasm. (4/7)
Mary Fields died on December 5, 1914. The townspeople raised money for her to be buried in a cemetery along a road she drove frequently; the funeral was said to be one of the largest in the town’s history. (6/7)
Today, Black Americans make up 21% of the Postal Service. @USPS is one of the country’s most diverse federal work forces, comprised of 39% non-white employees and 40% female employees. (7/7)
