32. Stealing Horses & Hearts: Trans Vagabonds of the Wild West

In this episode of History is Gay, Leigh and guest host Ashten Hope slap on some cowboy boots and head to the wild west to tip our hats to a slew of badass transgender pioneers. We’ll first meet Harry Allen, a handsome horse-stealing and heart-stealing trans man who was both loved and hated by papers and police across the pacific northwest. Then we’ll dance with the dazzling and talented Mrs. Nash, who’s baking and sewing charmed many a soldier boy. Lastly, prepare to be lassoed by the legendary Charley Parkhurst who was known as one of the best “whips” in all the west. Grab your horse and your headphones and get ready to ride into the fantastic lives of these frontier queers.

But first, let me introduce to you our new friend and guest host for this rootin’ tootin’ episode, Ashten Hope!

Ashten is a teacher in Texas, an avid birder, and runs a cryptid club! They also like to hike with their dog and read comics.

You can find more from Ashten on twitter at @AshtenHope!

A Closer Look at Our Trans Vagabonds of the Wild West

Harry Allen/Harry Livingston (aka Nell Pickerell)

Really, this is just going to be a slew of photos from the IMMENSE pile of newspaper articles we found on him. And when we say pile….

This isn’t even all of them!!!

Harry Allen was a frequent figure in the papers, with scandalous headlines especially focused around his many dramatic relationships. 1908.

Allen was known for his fashion. Truly an icon. We, too, would wear cowboy outfits great deal if we had them, Harry.

Honestly….we’ve seen worse headlines written about trans people in 2020 so….

Harry Allen: a scoundrel of the worst kind! Wearing the WRONG CLOTHES!

And finally, a joke that didn’t make it into the edit of the episode because it just works better visually, behold:

Who wore it better? Harry Allen, the original Florida Man. From Seattle.

Mrs. Nash

The only depiction there is of Mrs. Nash, from New York’s National Police Gazette, February 15, 1879

Charley Parkhurst

Illustration of Charley, showcasing the reason for his “One-Eyed Charley” nickname.

Charley with journalist J. Ross Browne, in an illustration from the 1865 edition of Harper’s Monthly

Charley Parkhurst’s tombstone in Watsonville, CA

The plaque on the Soquel fire station wall that marks and commemorates Charley/Charlie’s voting registration.

If you want to learn more about our wild west trans heroes, check out our full list of sources and further reading below!

Online Articles:

• Knute Berger. “Meet Nell Pickerell, transgender at-risk youth of yesteryear”. Crosscut, June 29, 2014.

• “Those Daring Stage Drivers”. CA Department of Parks and Recreation, 2008.

• A Note on the Historical Accuracy of the Jocker

• Janna Bommersbach. “Homos on the Range: How Gay Was the Wild West?”. True West Magazine, November 1, 2005.

• Sabrina Imbler. "The Forgotten Trans History of the Wild West". Atlas Obscura, June 21, 2019

• Livia Gershon. "The Forgotten Gender Nonconformists of the Old West". JStor Daily, April 27, 2018.

• Curt Eriksmoen. “Two tales of transgender behavior in 1800s Dakotas”. Inforum, October 15, 2016.

• “The Mysterious Mrs. Nash”. Midwestern Scout, April 20, 2016.

• An Essay from 19th Century U.S. Newspapers Database: Newspapers and the Press

• The History of Print from 1850-1899

• David Ng. “‘Out West’ at the Autry examines the history of homosexuals and transgender people in the Old West”. Los Angeles Times, Dec 15, 2009.

• Metroactive Features: Charley Parkhurst

Books and Print Articles:

• Re-Dressing America’s Frontier Past by Peter Boag

• Margaret Walsh. “Women’s Place on the American Frontier”. Journal of American Studies, Vol. 29, No 2. August 1995

• Peter Boag. “Go West Young Man, Go East Young Woman: Searching for the Trans in Western Gender History” in Western Historical Quarterly, Vol. 36, No. 5 (Winter 2005).

• Peter Boag. “The Trouble with Cross-Dressers: Researching and Writing the History of Sexual and Gender Transgressiveness in the Nineteenth-Century American West”, Oregon Historical Quarterly, Vol. 112, No 3. (Fall 2011)

• Elizabeth Reis. “Transgender History at a Crossroads: A Close Reading of a ‘Queer’ Story from 1857”. Early American Studies, Vol. 12, No. 3 (Fall 2014).

Newspaper Articles (where publicly available online, we have provided links!):

• “Thirty Years in Disguise: A Noted Old Californian Stage Driver is Discovered, After Death, To Be a Woman”. New York Times, January 9, 1880. Online.

• “A Woman By Nature – A Man By Choice”. Philadelphia Times, May 6, 1900: 18. Online.

• “Goes By the Name of Harry” Seattle Daily Times, Oct 12, 1901: 5.

• “Dolly Quappe’s Suicide. Loved a Masquerading Girl”. Los Angeles Times, Dec 26, 1901. Online.

• “Nell Pickerell in Court: Her Trial for Throwing a Spitoon at a Saloon Man is Continued”. Seattle Daily Times, Aug 4, 1902: 14.

• “Girl Tries to End Her Life: Pearl Waldron Falls in Love with Notorious Nell Pickerell.”. Seattle Daily Times, Nov 4, 1903: 3.

• “Nell Sees It All”. Seattle Daily Times, Jun 28, 1904: 3.

• “Nell Pickerell Again.”. Seattle Daily Times, Jul 10, 1904: 7.

• “Nell Pickerell Wanted on a Serious Charge”. Seattle Daily Times, Jan 23, 1906: 17.

• “Nell Pickerell Did Not Register: Girl Who Affects Man’s Attire Made No Effort to Be Recorded as a Voter”. Seattle Daily Times, Jan 28, 1906: 2.

• “Woman Declines to Act as Stool Pigeon” Seattle Daily Times, Mar 31, 1906: 7.

• The Notorious Nell Pickerell in Town”. The Ellensburgh Capital, Feb 13, 1907. Online.

• “Nell Pickerell in the Toils Again” Seattle Daily Times, Mar 23, 1907: 2.

• “Deadly Love Trap of the Youth Who is a Girl”, The Seattle Sunday Times, Jan 12, 1908.

• “Strange Story of a Seattle Girl”, San Diego Union and Daily Bee, Mar 22, 1908.

• “Nell Pickerell Tended Bar in Montana Town”. Seattle Daily Times, Apr 27, 1908

• “How Catherine Madden Fell a Victim to Strong Drink; Why Nell Pickerell Will Not Wear Women’s Clothing”. The Spokesman Review, Oct 22, 1911: 24. Online.

• “Nell Pickerell Returning to Jail”. The Spokesman Review, Nov 15, 1911: 5. Online.

• “Nell Pickerell Denies Her Sex; Woman Who Dresses in Male Attire Starts Story She Is a ‘Real Man’; Rumor Causes Sensation”. The Spokesman Review, Nov 22, 1911: 6. Online.

• “Fighter, Bootlegger and ‘Bad Man’ is Miss Pickerell For Love of Whom Three Women Have Killed Themselves”. Tacoma Times, April 12, 1912. Online.

• “Woman Jailed”. Seattle Daily Times, Apr 22, 1912: 19.

• “Trousered Woman Bites Policeman”. Seattle Daily Times, July 22, 1915: 2.

• “Woman is Freed”. Seattle Daily Times, Aug 19, 1915: 11.

• “Nell Pickerell Stabbed”. Seattle Daily Times, Sept 27, 1916: 5.

• “Nell Pickerell May Die of Wounds”. Seattle Star, Sept 27, 1916. Online.

• “Nell Pickerell Asks $50 Pay for Services”. Seattle Daily Times, Jul 1, 1917: 19.

• “Nell Pickerell is Dead: Masqueraded as Man, Attracting Attention Here.” Seattle Daily Times, Dec 22, 1922: 11.

• “Nell Pickerell Dead". Seattle Star, Dec 28, 1922. Online.

Until next time, stay queer and stay curious!