In the rugged hills of Northern California, where dusty roads wound through redwood groves and frontier towns, a teenage girl once took the reins of a stagecoach and made history. Her name was Delia Buraguard Haskett Rawson, and in 1875 she became the first—and perhaps only—female stage driver to carry U.S. mail in California.

A Frontier Childhood

Born on December 7, 1861, in Ukiah, California, Delia grew up in a household steeped in frontier enterprise. Her father, Samuel Haskett, ran the Ukiah Hotel, operated a blacksmith shop, and served as the Wells Fargo stage line agent. Her mother, Miranda, taught school. From an early age, Delia was drawn to horses and the excitement of stage operations. She practiced trick riding, roping, and shooting, skills that earned her respect in a world where women were rarely seen behind the reins.

That single run marked her place in history: the first girl stage driver entrusted with the U.S. mail in California.

Ten Years on the Lakeport–Ukiah Line

Delia’s achievement was no one‑time stunt. For nearly a decade, she served as a backup driver on the 45‑mile Lakeport–Ukiah line. Stage lines depended on reliable substitutes, and Delia’s repeated service proved her skill and endurance. She managed teams of horses, navigated treacherous grades, and upheld the punctuality demanded by Wells Fargo and the U.S. Postal Service.

Marriage, Family, and Later Life

In the 1880s, Delia married and moved south, raising three children. Yet her connection to stage driving never faded. In 1934, when the Pioneer Stage Drivers of California Association was founded in Carpinteria, she was elected vice president, a rare honor for a woman in a fraternity of old drivers.

By her seventies, Delia was living in San Dimas, tending a ten‑acre orange grove. She remained active and independent until her death on May 15, 1949, at the age of 87.

Delia Haskett Rawson’s story is more than a frontier anecdote; it is a testament to resilience and courage. While other women, such as Mary Fields in Montana, became legendary mail carriers, Delia’s distinction lies in her role as a stagecoach driver in California’s commercial mail system.

Her life bridges two eras: the dusty trails of Wells Fargo’s stage lines and the citrus groves of modern Southern California. She carried the mail, steered the stage, and later helped preserve the memory of those who drove before the age of railroads and highways.