Charley Parkhurst was born Charlotte Parkhurst in Sharon, Vermont. Parkhurst ran away from the orphanage at age 12, adopted the name Charley, and assumed a masculine presentation. Seeking other opportunities in his late 30s Parkhurst left for California. Shortly after reaching California, Parkhurst lost the use of one eye after a kick from a horse, leading to his nickname of One Eyed Charley.
Parkhurst worked as a stagecoach driver. Among Parkhurst's routes in northern California were Stockton to Mariposa. He retired from driving some years later to Watsonville, California and died on December 18, 1879, due to tongue cancer. After Parkhurst died, neighbors came to the cabin to lay out the body for burial and discovered that his body appeared to be female.
