I have to admit that I adored reading this write-up on Mary Fields of Cascade, Montana. She was the second woman and first African American to deliver mail for Wells Fargo Co.
In her stay in Montana, she took on many tough traditionally male jobs and those were sometimes dangerous enough that she would slap a gun on her hip. Even beyond being a well-armed woman, the legends surrounding her seem pretty epic. Consider that the article says she was “one of very few black people in the new state at all, and most likely the only one with a pet eagle.”
By the time she retired from her mail route, apparently her birthday was celebrated as a local holiday for the school kids.
Stagecoach mail carrier with a pet eagle?
Forget the gun. That’s bad-assed enough to make me steer clear of messing with her.
Amazing to realize just how dangerous delivering the mail used to be, and what kind of certified badasses were responsible for doing it.