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RSS FeedSurprises in the Wild West of Los Gatos |
Jul. 28, 2007
Categorized in: Los Gatos History
When people hear the phrase "the wild west", Los Gatos doesn't tend to be the first thing to pop to mind. But truth be told, this was the wild west, complete with horse theiving, bandits of every kind, grizzly bear attacks, scary stagecoach rides, the danger of fire with only a bucket brigade, and every other advantage and disadvantage you can imagine in the 1800s.
Transportation was a challenge back then. The road to Santa Cruz was dirt, narrow, and frought with danger. Hairpin turns could be lethal if another stagecoach was coming your way and you didn't hear it in time. Just as now you might toot your horn on a narrow, blind mountain turn, the stagecoach drivers would use a loud whistle to announce their presence to avoid catastrophe.
One of the teamsters who ran the stage between Los Gatos and Santa Cruz was a character named Charley Parkhurst ("Parkie"). Initially hailing from the east coast, Charley was an exceptionally adept driver. Having survived a grizzly bear attack but losing an eye in the process, Charley sported a black patch over the empty socket. Rough times! For about 20 years, Parkie or "one eyed Charley", traversed the hill (from about 1854 to about 1874). Charley eventually had to slow down and retire to his home in Aptos. There he died in late 1879. That's when the surprise came: it was discovered that he was actually a she! Apparently an orphan, Charlotte escaped the orphanage dressed as a boy...and simply continued on that way.
Interesting fact about this colorful figure:
Charley Parkhurst voted on November 3, 1868 when Ulysses Grant was running for president of the United States. This makes her the first woman to have voted both in the state of California or anywhere in the US
Charley Parkhurst is sometimes confused with "Mountain Charley" (Charles McKiernan), who also suffered the wrath of a grizzley. But they are not the same people - they just happened to both live and work nearby during the same timeframe.
Buried in Watsonville.
