The Calfornia Gold Rush stagecoach driver who kept a secret until death

Here's A Thought

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This week, Here's A Thought takes a side trip into history — namely, the wild days of Gold Rush California, where some of the most renowned badasses were the people who drove stagecoaches along terrible roads in all kinds of weather, facing down bandits along the way. One of the very best of them was Charley Parkhurst — whose lifelong secret was only discovered after death.
Some sources, and for further reading:
"Overlooked No More: Charley Parkhurst, Gold Rush Legend With a Hidden Identity, New York Times, December 5, 2018
"Charley Parkhurst, Tough Lady Stage Driver," Legends of America
"Meet Charley Parkhurst, the Gold Rush's Fearless, Gender Nonconforming Stagecoach Driver" KQED, April 25, 2019
Elk Grove Historical Society
New England Historical Society
"Stagecoach Driver Charley Parkhurst Blazed Gender Non-Conforming Trails," California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, June 13, 2019
The Legacy Project
Charley Parkhurst, Wikipedia
Don Romesburg, Sonoma State University
Sound Effect from Pixabay

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