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Charley Parkhurst

Harper’s Monthly1865

California Museum

California Museum
Sacramento, United States

Charlotte Parkhurst was 12 when she ran away from a Massachusetts orphanage wearing boys’ clothing. A stable owner provided the child—by then known as Charley—with a job and horsemanship skills.

Parkhurst caught Gold Fever and quickly became known as a skilled stagecoach driver. Parkhurst guided a team of six horses between gold-mining outposts and San Francisco, carrying news and valuables over rough roads. Facing flash floods, bears, and bandits, the daring driver often covered 60 miles a day.

The mobile, dynamic environment of early California gave Parkhurst the opportunity to embrace a different gender identity—and thrive.

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  • Title: Charley Parkhurst
  • Creator: Harper’s Monthly
  • Date Created: 1865
  • Location Created: San Francisco, CA, USA
  • Subject Keywords: Gender stereotypes
  • Type: Image
California Museum

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