Mary Fields

MARY FIELDS (c.1832-1914)

Mary Fields was born a slave somewhere in Tennessee. After Emancipation she began working for the Ursuline nuns' convent in Toledo, Ohio, then in 1885 followed Mother Amadeus to Montana. Already fifty years old upon her arrival, she was a tall and tough woman, over six feet tall and 200 pounds, and hauled freight, lumber and supplies as a teamster for the convent. One time when wolves frightened her horses and they overturned the wagon she stood guard over the load all night to protect it. Another time, lost in a blizzard and she walked back and forth all night to keep from freezing to death. She didn’t duck trouble, and after fighting - and winning - a gun duel with another workman on the convent grounds, she was asked to find other employment. She ran a restaurant for a time, then found her niche running a stagecoach mail route between the mission and the nearby town of

Cascade, earning the nickname "Stagecoach Mary." She was the second woman in the country, and the first African-American woman, to deliver the U.S. mail. She won a special dispensation from the town to drink in the saloons, which were normally off limits to women. After age 70 she “settled down” as the town launderer. In spite of her wild escapades - she still liked to spend time smoking cigars and drinking - she celebrated her birthdays by giving candy to children, and was quite well-respected in the community. In 1912 when her house burned down her the townspeople rebuilt it for her. She died in Cascade in 1914, and is buried at Hillside Cemetery.
The Cascade County Historical Museum has information and photographs of Mary, plus information on local history, farming, mining, railroading. They offer tours of the area as well. There is also an 1897 ink sketch of her, "A Quiet Day in Cascade," by noted western artist Charles M. Russell, on display in the lobby of the Cascade Bank downtown. A photograph of Mary can also be seen at the Black American West Museum in Denver, Colorado.

For specific travel information about these sites, check the "Travel Resources" page.