• One of the most FAMOUS stagecoach drivers in the Old West
• Dressed and acted like a man for the majority of her life
• Sent to an orphanage at a young age, she stole a boy's clothes and ran away
• Ended up at a barn where she continued pretending she was a boy named Charley so she could work with the horses
• Learned how to drive a team of six horses, a rare skill that put her in high demand; "Charley" was one of the most respected stagecoach drivers on the East Coast by the time she was 20 years old​
• Moved to California for the Gold Rush, once again becoming an esteemed driver​
• ​Lost the sight in one eye when a horse kicked her
• Often traveled 60 miles daily, facing wild animals, rocky and muddy terrain, and rickety bridges as she carried mail, transported people and goods, and delivered important news from town to town
• None of her passengers were ever lost or injured, despite multiple encounters with thieves whom she shot, whipped (literally), and charged all six horses at, ensuring future robbers avoided her coach
• Also sought out by people statewide for her famed ability to cure ailing horses
• Kept her sex a secret by constantly wearing gloves and keeping to herself, sleeping in the stables with the horses
• Retired from driving in her fifties and settled near Watsonville, CA, where she became known for supporting charities and helping those in need
• Registered to vote 43 years before it was legal for women to vote in California, although it's uncertain whether she actually voted or not
• When she died, her friends began preparing her for burial and discovered that the "old man" was actually a woman
• A doctor examined her and found that she had given birth at some point in her life, a fact apparently confirmed by a child's dress and a pair of baby shoes in Charley's personal belongings

Bibliography: Monson, Marianne. Frontier Grit: The Unlikely True Stories of Daring Pioneer Women. Salt Lake City: Shadow Mountain, 2016. Print.

Biographies for Kids and Young Adults

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**There are a few historical fiction books about Charley Parkhurst that look interesting also

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