Gotham’s Only Licensed Woman Cabby

[ndembowski]

I was reading Mary E. Kane’s “Yesterday in Riverdale and Spuyten Duyvil” and came across this:

There was . . . a “lady taxi-driver”, Mrs. Celia Parry, who was once written up in the papers as the city’s first female driver.  During World War I she assumed the dress of a soldier, and her customers affectionately referred to her as “General Foch”.  Robbed once by a ruffian of something like $20.00, she came to and said cheerfully, “If the darned fool had looked in my stocking, he’d have got $150.00!”

The below clipping is from the 4/14/1917 South New Berlin Bee.

[COGGINSS]

A fun historical tidbit!

[Thomas Casey]

I wonder how the Author,  Mary E. Kane’s  in  “Yesterday in Riverdale and Spuyten Duyvil”  knew of this story.  The only similar link I could find was a Bronx woman with the same name was divorced from Julius Miert on Oct 30th 1914

[ndembowski]

Mary Kane’s book (or booklet) “Yesterday in Riverdale and Spuyten Duyvil” was published in 1947–not that long after the newspaper story about the cabby.  So it may not have been such obscure knowledge.  The book was “prepared for the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Riverdale Library” and was copyrighted by the Riverdale Library and Neighborhood Association.  I bet the author was the librarian there.

[Peter Ostrander]

The Riverdale library and Neighborhood Assoc is the present day Riverdale Neighborhood House. It was founded in 1872 by Grace Dodge as a lending library for workers. Next year 2022 will celebrate 150 years.

[spabob]

Has anyone scanned the booklet? Are copies available?

[ndembowski]

It was copyrighted in 1947 so I think that means it is still protected but I am not sure.  However, I could probably scan a few pages and post them.

It is pretty scarce but occasionally pops up on book selling websites.

[Author]

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