Born a slave in Tennessee on May, 15, 1832, Mary Fields grew up an orphan,never married and had no any children. But she was admired and respected for holding her own and living her own ways in a world where the odds were stacked against her. While African American and women of any race enjoyed little freedom any where in the world, Mary Fields enjoyed more freedom than most white men.
At the end of the civil war, the 6 foot tall and 200 pounds, Fields headed to Montana in search of an opportunity and was hired to do heavy works for the nuns in catholic convent in cascade. Fields carried a pair of six footers and a 10 gauge,. and loved the children of Cascade County. The tough short-tempered woman had a standing bet that she could knock a man out with one punch,and she never lost a dime to anyone foolish enough to take her on that bet. She wasc also the only woman of reputable character in Cascade County allowed to drink in a local bar as ordererd by the mayor. But this tough woman has also a caring side to her.
Marry Fields helped build the St. Peters mission school and supported the local baseball team as its no.1 fan,preparing buttonhole bouquest of flowers for each player from her own garden,with larger bouquest reserved for run home hitters.After opening her own cafe with the help of the nuns,she closed thereafter because she fed the hungry who were unable to pay( although rumors suggesting that her cooking were horible).
At the end of the civil war, the 6 foot tall and 200 pounds, Fields headed to Montana in search of an opportunity and was hired to do heavy works for the nuns in catholic convent in cascade. Fields carried a pair of six footers and a 10 gauge,. and loved the children of Cascade County. The tough short-tempered woman had a standing bet that she could knock a man out with one punch,and she never lost a dime to anyone foolish enough to take her on that bet. She wasc also the only woman of reputable character in Cascade County allowed to drink in a local bar as ordererd by the mayor. But this tough woman has also a caring side to her.
Marry Fields helped build the St. Peters mission school and supported the local baseball team as its no.1 fan,preparing buttonhole bouquest of flowers for each player from her own garden,with larger bouquest reserved for run home hitters.After opening her own cafe with the help of the nuns,she closed thereafter because she fed the hungry who were unable to pay( although rumors suggesting that her cooking were horible).
After Bishop Brondell, the first catholic bishop in Montana, received co,plaints about her behaviour( the fights,the drinking and the smoking),he told the convent that Marry Fields must leave. The nuns helped secure a mail for her and Fileds became the second woman in the country to manage a mail route. They even supplied her with a wagon and a team and a team of roses for the route. Marry became a legend known AS "Stagecoach Marry" for her unfalling reliability as she miss miss a day on the job.
Fields retired from stagecoach driving at the age of 70 and opened a laundry business. The people of town thoght so highly of her that on her birthday they would close the local on her nonor.She would then buy candy and trees for the children.Fileds was also trested to free meals at the New Cascade Hotel for the rest of her life when it was leased in 1910.Two years later,when her home ( and busines lanudry), was burned down, the citizens built her a new one.
Sensing that the end was near in 1914, Fields took some blanket and went in to the tall weeds near her home.Some children playing nearby found her lying there,and she was to hospital where she died a few days later. She was burried in a small cemetery,alongside the road between Cascade and St.Peters Mission that she had travelled many times during her life. Her grave is marked with a simple cross.
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