The Butterfield (or Southern) Overland Mail, which operated from September 15, 1858, until March 1, 1861, was a semiweekly mail and passenger stage service from St. Louis, Missouri, and Memphis, Tennessee, across northern Texas to San Francisco, California.
What was the purpose of the Butterfield Overland Mail Trail?
The history of the Butterfield Trail and the Emigrant Trail are intertwined. It was the purpose of awarding the contract to the Overland Mail Company, on September 16, 1857, not only for a land route to deliver mail from the East to the West coast, but to aid emigrant travel to settle the West.
What was the name of the overland mail route formed with John Butterfield and his business partners Henry Wells and William Fargo?
Known to most as the Butterfield Stage, this precursor to the Information Superhighway initiated communication across 2,000 miles forbidding desert and mountain wilderness, providing isolated Westerners with their first regular news and mail just prior to the Civil War. It was named for its owner, John Butterfield.
What route through New Mexico did the Butterfield Overland Mail Company follow?
John Butterfield’s line followed the so-called “oxbow route,” skirting the Rocky Mountains and heavy winter snows by traveling south through Texas, the New Mexico Territory, Fort Yuma, near present-day Yuma, Arizona, and Southern California, before rolling on to San Francisco. It bypassed San Diego.
Who started the Overland Mail Company?
Butterfield’s Overland Mail Company, also known as the Overland Stage Company, was the brainchild of John Butterfield.
Who opened the Butterfield Overland Trail?
In 1857 John Butterfield, a Missouri stage line operator, contracted with the U.S. Post Office Department to set up a southern route between St. Louis/Memphis and San Francisco. Specified by contract, the route extended 2,795 miles. Butterfield inaugurated the mail service in mid-September 1858.
How did John Butterfield and Overland company impact the stagecoach?
The Butterfield Overland Mail Company was the longest stagecoach line in the world. The line operated from 1858 to 1861 on the Southern Overland Trail and established an important connection between the new state of California and the government and economy of the contiguous eastern states.
Who owned the Overland Stage Line?
The Overland Trail was famously used by the Overland Stage Company owned by Ben Holladay to run mail and passengers to Salt Lake City, Utah, via stagecoaches in the early 1860s.
What is a celerity wagon?
The State “Celerity” Wagons were lightweight and less expensive. This was an extremely lightly-built stage with canvas sides & roof. Mud wagons, as they were called after the Civil War, had extremely wide wheels & iron tires & were used primarily in very bad weather, when the mail absolutely had to go thru.
What do you think the overland mail was?
noun U.S. History. a government mail service, started in 1848, for sending mail from the Mississippi to the Far West. (initial capital letters) a stagecoach line, established in 1858, linking Memphis, St.
When was the last stagecoach run?
The last American chapter in the use of the stage coaches took place between 1890 and about 1915. In the end, it was the motor bus, not the train, that caused the final disuse of these horse-drawn vehicles.
How did stagecoaches travel overnight?
On a starry night, a stagecoach pulled by six horses travels on a moonlit path through a mountainous range when the horses get spooked. … Before cars and planes were part of our everyday life, a trip on a stagecoach was an adventurous and challenging way to travel – at an average rate of only 5 miles per hour.
What company started the stagecoach from St. Louis to San Francisco?
Stagecoach Service from St. Louis to San Francisco
The Butterfield Overland Mail Co. operated from 1858 to 1861 under contract with the U.S. Postal Department, providing transportation of U.S. mail between St. Louis, Mo., and San Francisco, Calif. The route proposed by the Butterfield Mail Co.
Where was the Butterfield Stage route?
The Butterfield stages followed the old Southern Emigrant Trail with stops at Carrizo, Vallecito, San Felipe, Warner Springs, Oak Grove, Aguanga, Temecula and Lake Elsinore. The Butterfield stages lasted for less than three years.
What happened to the Overland Stage Company?
After John Butterfield stepped down as president of the Overland Stage Company in 1860, the morale and discipline of the employees declined. On March 12, 1861, Congress ordered the route permanently discontinued and the service transferred to the central section of the country via South Pass and Salt Lake City.
What were the accomplishments of John Butterfield?
Major Achievements
Butterfield was a business man that started his own express line and joined forces with other businessmen to create the American Express Company. In addition, he created the Overland mail company to aid in the communication between the mid-west and California.
Where can you overland in Texas?
- Barnwell Recreation Area.
- Bolivar Peninsula.
- Texas Hill Country Route.
- Black Gap Road.
- Mustang Island Beaches.
- River Road.
- Old Ore OHV Road.
Is the Oregon Trail the same as the Overland Trail?
The Overland Trail and Stagecoach Line was an alternate wagon route off the famous Oregon Trail. Pioneers crossed this area as they headed westward in the late 1800’s. The Overland Trail (also known as the Overland Stage Line) was a stagecoach and wagon trail in the American West during the 19th century.
Where does the Overland Trail start and end?
Where Was the Overland Trail? The Overland Trail went from Nebraska, as part of the Oregon Trail, and followed the south bank of the South Platte River past Julesburg, Colorado, and past Cache la Poudre river, and into Wyoming. The trail then went back to the Oregon Trail at Fort Bridger.
How fast did a stagecoach travel?
Up until the late 18th century, a stagecoach traveled at an average speed of about 5 miles per hour (8 km/h), with the average daily mileage covered being around 60 to 70 miles (97 to 113 km), but with improvements to the roads and the development of steel springs, the speed increased, so that by 1836 the scheduled …
What is a stagecoach driver?
Stagecoach drivers were among the most celebrated figures of the Old West. They commanded their horse-drawn wooden coaches, packed with passengers and freight, for dozens of miles a day along rough, rugged roads up and down the California coast.
What is a mud wagon?
Definition of mud wagon
: a stagecoach lighter and smaller than the Concord coach with flat sides and simpler joinery.
How much was a stagecoach ride?
All stagecoach riders paid a price in physical discomfort, lack of sleep, bad food and unfriendly elements. As far as fare went, short trips charged 10 to 15 cents per mile. The cost for the 2,812-mile journey from Tipton, Missouri, to San Francisco, California, was $200, and that didn’t cover the $1 meals.
How much did a stagecoach driver get paid?
Job Title | Salary |
---|---|
Truck Driver salaries – 2 salaries reported | $30/hr |
Intern salaries – 1 salaries reported | $15/hr |
Material Handler salaries – 1 salaries reported | $16/hr |
Sales Merchandiser salaries – 1 salaries reported | $17/hr |
What kind of horses pulled stagecoaches?
Draft horses weigh between 1,600 and 2,400 pounds, depending on the breed. Some of the common draft breeds used for carriage driving include the Percheron, Belgian, Clydesdale and Shire. Known as gentle giants, these huge horses also are bred for their good temperaments.
How did people stay warm in stagecoaches?
Sitting in open sleighs, carts, and carriages, people would tuck comforters, quilts, or blankets around them, and bring umbrellas to protect them from freezing rain.
How far could a stagecoach go before changing horses?
The Horses Pulling a Stage. Horses were changed out at each Stagecoach Stop, which were a minimum of 10 miles apart. But normally not more than 15 miles from the last stop. That meant a horse would pull the stagecoach for about a two or three hour shift.
How long did it take to cross the country by stagecoach?
Learn about the amazing feat of the Butterfield Overland Mail Stage. The stage operations, which began in 1858 between St. Louis and San Francisco, revolutionized mail and passenger service. Traveling 24 hours a day, the 2,800-mile trip took an unheard-of 25 days!
What is a trace on a stagecoach?
Traces – The side straps by which a horse pulls the stagecoach.
How many stagecoach lines were there?
The original fifteen routes were mostly between the more populated communities of Central, South, and East Texas. Many of these early routes were served by individuals on horseback. Early stage lines were short, such as the line from Houston to Harrisburg in 1837.
What is Wells Fargo stagecoach?
Wells Fargo’s stagecoach legend traces its roots to 1858, when Wells Fargo founders including William Fargo were board members for The Overland Mail Co., the nation’s first transcontinental stagecoach line. … stagecoaches twice a week on their routes between Tipton, Missouri, and San Francisco.