Mary Fields (1832–1914) also known as Stagecoach Mary and Black Mary was the first African American woman employed as a stagecoach mail carrier in the United States.
In 1895, she hitched a team of six horses faster than all the other job applicants and was hired on the spot. She was just the second American woman to work for the United States Postal Service. Her territory was Montana.
References:
- Weekes, Princess. 2019. “How The Once Enslaved “Stagecoach Mary” Became The Gun-Toting First Black Woman Mail Carrier.” Bust Magazine.
- Amspacher, Shelby. April 1, 2020. “Stagecoach Mary Fields.” Smithsonian – National Postal Museum.
Photo:
- Stagecoach Mary Fields. Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons.