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Research Forum Exploration of Local History
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| Stanley D. Stevens |
 Posted: Thu May 17, 2007 7:08 am |
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Joined: 12 Apr 2007
Posts: 7
Location: Santa Cruz
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Charley Parkhurst
also known as Charlotte Darkey Parkhurst
1880 Jan 1
Source: Watsonville Transcript William H. Wheeler, Editor & Proprietor Friday Evening, 1880 Jan 1 3:1 “News of the Week. — Watsonville”
Everybody knows “One-eyed Charley,” the popular stage-driver of the olden time who used to drive stage between San Juan and Santa Cruz via Watsonville. He wrote his full name “Charles D. Parkhurst.” Of late years he has lived on a ranch between Watsonville and Aptos. He was afflicted with a cancer in the throat and saws Mr. Plumm, the Soquel cancer doctor, who said his medicine would cure the cancer but that the operation would so swell the throat that he could not breathe. Plumm told him to get a silver tube from San Francisco, have it inserted in the windpipe below the cancer (a common operation, known as tracheotomy), to breathe through during the operation and he would cure him. But Charley wouldn’t do it and on Monday last he died. A Mr. Woodward, who lives on a ranch near Soquel, attended him during the 35 days of his last illness, and laid him out after his death. It was then that he discovered that “Charley” was a woman. Mr. Woodward and Mr. O’Neill, the undertaker, good authority, assert that it was a woman, and furthermore, that at sometime she must have been a mother. Charley had laid by some little money, having some deposited in the Watsonville bank. He left his money to Mr. Harmon of San Juan, giving him an order for the certificate of deposit and other documents which had been left in Stoesser’s safe. Charley was buried in a lot which Mr. Stoesser holds in the Protestant burying ground. Stoesser keeps the lot for the benefit of any friend of his who may wish to be buried there, his family lot being in the other cemetery. Mr. Woodward has received no compensation for his 35 days’ nursing and the funeral expenses have not been paid, but perhaps this is an oversight on the part of Mr. Harmon and will soon be attended to.
1880 Jan 29
Source: Watsonville Transcript William H. Wheeler, Editor & Proprietor Friday Evening, 1880 Jan 29 3:1 “News of the Week. — Watsonville”
…
The following, from the Redwood city Gazette of April 18, 1868, may throw some light on the Charley Parkhurst mystery. Some twelve or fourteen years ago, when this was a portion of San Francisco county, there was a young man running a two-horse stage from Redwood city to Searsville. The man’s name is withheld for good reasons; but all the old residents of this section no doubt remember him well, as a stirring, industrious business man. In 1855 or 1856, he drew off his stage from the Searsville route and went into the southerly part of the state, but eventually settled down in Watsonville, Santa Cruz county, and engaged in other pursuits, at which place he still resides, or did at last accounts. He had always remained single, and no suspicions were ever raised as to his sex until a short time ago, when circumstances which he found it impracticable to control revealed the long hidden secret. The young gentleman who used to drive the Searsville stage gave birth to a child. The matter was known to but very few friends at the time, anhd the whole thing was hushed up, as the child lived but a few hours, or was dead when born, we are not positive which. The mother did not change her attire and still passes for a man as before, and although looking slightly feminine, still not enough so to raise any suspicion that she was not what she pretends to be.
1886 Apr 2
Source: Santa Cruz Surf 1886 Apr 2 2:2
CHARLOTTE-CHARLEY.
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The Romatic History of “Charley” Parkhurst Revived.
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Early in the Spring of 1848 there lived near the little village of Sandusky, in Ohio, Frederick M. Parkhurst, his wife and only daughter, Charlotte, the latter at that time a young woman of twenty, and as far as can be learned prepossessing in appearance. At about the time mentioned an acquaintance sprang up between Miss Parkhurst and the town postmaster, a dashing young Westerner. Their acquaintanceship ripened quickly into affection and love upon Miss Parkhurst’s part, which seemed also to be reciprocated by the young postmaster. The old, old story of misplaced affection and subsequent betrayal was told in the little town one April morning when it was found that Charlotte, or “Lottie” Parkhurst, as she was known, had disappeared — gone no one knew whither. The distracted father searched for the girl for months and months, without success and finally concluded that she had destroyed herself. Her betrayer, by reason of the odium cast upon him by his action had to leave the town and soon the nine-days wonder in Sandusky became a thing of the past.
The California mining excitement with its attendant sensation throughout the country, broke out in the following year, and thousands flocked to the field of gold. The railroad was unknown, stages were the only means at hand for transporting the miners to different points in the gold fields, and experienced drivers to safely convey the human freight, were in demand. Their perilous exploits with the mustang teams and Concord coaches were the stories of the cabins, the camp-fire and the bar-room. None were oftener mentioned or their daring feats recounted more, that was that of young Charley Parkhurst. He was in fact “the whip” of the hour, and price of the “profession,” as the mountain Jehu’s styled him.
For years Parkhurst was a stage driver and a decade ago manipulated the ribbons over a team running between this city and Watsonville. To know Charley Parkhurst, or “one eyed Charley,” as he was called, was to respect and admire him. Tiring of stage driving, Parkhurst sought more congenial pursuit and at one time was a station agent for a stage company whose coaches plied between this city and Watsonville.
After an eventful career in California, extending over a period of more than thirty years, Parkhurst was, one morning, found dead in his bed. Investigation by the authorities summoned to the bedwide revealed, the astonishing fact that Charley Parkhurst, a pioneer and celebrated Jehu, was a woman.
Subsequent investigations by parties interested in the settlement of a small estate left by the deceased developed the facts given in the narrative above. The identity of Charlotte Parkhurst, or Charley Parkhurst, as she was known in California, was established beyond doubt.
Miss Parkhurst died on the night of December 29th, 1879, and it is a singular fact that until to-day, after a lapse of over six years, no effort has been made either by public officers or friends of the woman, to settle up the estate she left. Indeed the exact value or description of the estate seems yet to be shrouded in mystery. Miss Parkhurst, had, previous to her decease, told many of her friends of her lack of confidence in banks, and that she had entrusted to Nature’s strong-box, the earth, all of her savings.
A written note found among her effects directed the payment to one of her friends of a small amount of money found in a buckskin purse in her cabin. This, so far as known, is all of her estate yet administered upon.
To-day a petition for letter of administration on the estate of Miss Parkhurst, was filed with County Clerk Martin, by one Peter Etchebarne and the matter will soon come up into court for adjustment. ###
[Transcriber’s Note: Peter Etchebarne shows up again in a Deed “Peter Etchebarne to F. A. Hihn” September 26, 1898, identified as “of the City of Oakland, County of Alameda, State of California.” Hihn purchased from Etchebarne for $1400. part of the Rancho Shoquel Augmentation -- which looks like the same property the law suit was over.]
1886 Apr 8
Source: Watsonville Pajaronian 1886 Apr 8 2:3
Several years ago Charley Parkhurst, a noted whip of pioneer days, died in a little cabin on the Moss place. For years he had lived in this section, and that his name was Charley Parkhurst, and that he was a member of the sterner sex, was not denied. But in death the mask of Charley Parkhurst was torn aside, and to those who performed the last services for him before his burial it was soon disclosed that Charley Parkhurst was a woman, and for some unknown purpose had assumed man's garb. The revelation became a sensation, and the tale of Charley Parkhurst's dual life was published wherever the English language was spoken. In the search for motives for this double life the old, old story, of man's lust and woman's error, was trumped up, but proof of it was never given. Who she was, where she came from, and the causes which led her to wear man's garb, were never fully cleared up. In the sensation caused by the revelation of Charley's sex her property (if any she had) was overlooked. Last week, years after her death, Peter Etchebane applied for letters of administration on the estate. This move is probably owing to the fact that the suit of Hihn vs. Parkhurst, involving title to land on Soquel Augmentation rancho has long been pending in this county. The administrator can be made defendant. After years of rest the name of Charley Parkhurst may again figure largely in public prints, and the mystery of her life may be disclosed.
1891 Feb 17
Source: Santa Cruz Surf 1891 Feb 17 3:2
CHARLEY PARKHURST.
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A Hole in a Barn Floor Causes Com-
ment- The Mysterious Stage
Driver.
The people near Hihn’s Aptos Mill have a mystery which they are trying to solve. It appears that many years ago Charley Parkhurst had a stable on the banks of San Vicente creek, some two miles from Aptos. After Parkhurst’s death the stable was unused for a long time and was rapidly going to decay until T. D. Sargent concluded to use the stable himself. In one barn Sargent kept his horses and in another his hay. The other day Sargent was surprised on entering the hay barn to find that a hole five feet square had been made in the floor with an ax, and underneath was a hole six feet deep, freshly dug.
It is supposed that Parkhurst had some treasure buried, and the person who knew of its whereabouts succeeded in making away with it. As Parkhurst has beenf dead for so many years the wonder is that the treasure has been buried so long.
Parkhurst is remembered by many of our older residents. He drove a stage between Aptos and Watsonville and other points for a long time. Not until Parkhurst died was it discovered that the stage driver was a woman, who had donned male clothing for some mysterious reason. The driver never talked much of her early life, therefore many of the reasons given for the wearing of male clothing were based on conjecture. It was always supposed that she had treasurer buried somewhere, as she was of saving habits, and the smallness of the estate caused some comment at the time it was made known. ### |
_________________
Stanley D. Stevens
Coordinator, Hihn-Younger Archive, University Library, UCSC;
Chairman, MAH History Publications Committee |
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