SeeCalifornia.com

Charley Parkhurst always dressed like other stagewhips–bulky clothes, coat and hat–and most didn’t know that Charley was a woman until her death in 1879. The coroner made the discovery and determined further that she had been a mother. Also, locked in a trunk beneath her bed was a baby’s red dress.

Author Craig MacDonald has uncovered many interesting, true stories about (and relating to) women in the Wild West. Here are a few tidbits from his book, “Old West Wow!”:

• Mule for a Wife — A prospector near Rich Bar overheard a miner quarreling with his wife. The angry argument became so loud the prospector went up to the Forty-niner and said, “I’ll give you my mule for your wife.” The husband agreed and so did the wife and everyone left happy.
• Looks Can Be Deceiving —  A San Francisco photographer made a fortune peddling a picture of Mary McCloskey, a girl miner. The image circulated for 150 years, making its way into miners’ hands, books and museums. The photo was proven to be teenager John Burt Colton.
• Shocking Advice About Kissing — In 1857, the Weekly Columbian shocked some of its Mother Lode readers with this Kissing Tip: “Don’t bungle the matter by 5 minutes of torture, like a cat playing with a mouse, kiss deliberately, enjoy its full flavor like champagne from the flask!”