Charley Parkhurst

#CharleyParkhurst (January 17, 1812 – December 28, 1879): Also known as “One-Eyed Charley” and “Six-Horse Charley,” Parkhurst was assigned female at birth and became one of the most famous American stagecoach drivers in the mid-19th century. Raised partially in an orphanage in New Hampshire after his father passed away, Charley ran away and was further raised by a rancher in Rhode Island. He worked as a rancher through his teenage years, eventually learning how to drive a stagecoach with six horses (hence the nickname). In his late thirties, Parkhurst traveled to California to seek fortune during the Gold Rush. During this time, he lost an eye after a kick from a horse, giving him the nickname he was most well-known for. This didn’t stop him, however, and he became one of the most successful stagecoach drivers on the West Coast, though the success of the railroads in the West led Parkhurst to retire and try his luck at farming and lumbering. He died on his farm at the age of 67 after a battle with cancer. It was in the aftermath of his death, as his neighbors were preparing his body for burial, that they learned he had been assigned female at birth; they also found baby clothes in the house in a trunk, which has led some to believe that he gave birth at some point in his life. Regardless, he is one of the many Trans people in American history whose story must continue to be told and retold because #YouCannotEraseUs. #LGTBQIA #PrideMonth