Many people send mail through the U.S. Postal Service. But some places are so far away or have so few people that there are no official routes. So, special workers must find a way to deliver the mail. Mary Fields became the first Black woman to have this tough job — carving her path in life, through Montana, and into U.S. history.
No one knows exactly when or where Mary Fields was born. She may have been born around 1832 in Hickman County, Tennessee. She was until slavery was banned in 1865. Then Fields worked on steamboats on the Mississippi River.
In 1870, Fields worked in Toledo, Ohio, for a group of women. Fields washed laundry, cooked, and took care of the gardens at the Ursuline Convent of the Sacred Heart. Then a group of women went to work at a school named St. Peter’s Mission.
Fields moved to St. Peter’s Mission near Cascade, Montana, in 1885. She took care of the property, gardened, and hunted. Fields also managed the supplies — making sure the students and teachers had food to eat.
Fields played an important role at St. Peter’s Mission. However, she had no official job. She refused to be paid for her work. believe that helped her have more control. Without a at the mission, Fields could leave whenever she wanted to — and could do extra jobs.
Some reports say that Fields didn’t get along with leaders at the mission. She did work that usually only men did. And she wore men’s clothing. That made some people uncomfortable. One story said that she got into a fight with a male worker. They pulled out their guns. Although no one fired, Fields was asked to leave the mission in 1886.
So, Fields moved to Cascade. She was the only Black person there. She opened restaurants but couldn’t keep them going. According to stories, Fields let people eat for free if they didn’t have enough money.
In 1895, Fields began working as a Star Route Carrier for the U.S. Post Office Department. (That would become the U.S. Postal Service.) Towns like Cascade were too small or difficult to reach, so the Post Office had no official route there. Star Route Carriers delivered mail to places like this — any way they could.
With her contract, Fields became the first Black woman — and the second woman — to have a Star Route contract. Her route between St. Peter’s Mission and Cascade was 17 miles (27 km). She often carried deliveries in a carriage called a stagecoach. That’s how she got the nickname “Stagecoach Mary.” Fields faced thieves, bad weather, and wild animals. But she never missed a day during the eight years she delivered mail.
Fields left her Star Route in 1903. She later opened a laundry business and babysat. Fields died on December 5, 1914. The people of Cascade paid for her , and many people went to her funeral.
By Hannah Marcum
Updated January 31, 2025, 5:00 P.M. (ET)
