On March 3, 1857, Congress authorized the U.S. postmaster general, Aaron Brown, to contract for transportation of the U.S. mail from the Mississippi River to the west coast. At the time, U.S. mail going west was transported by steamship or clipper across the Gulf of Mexico to the Isthmus of Panama, where it was freighted … More Proposal for Overland Mail Delivery
East to West Ninth Division — St. Louis, Mo., to Tipton Eighth Division — Tipton to Fort Smith, Ark., and Memphis, Tenn., to Fort Smith Seventh Division — Fort Smith to Colbert’s Ferry, Okla. Sixth Division — Colbert’s Ferry to Fort Chadbourne, Texas Fifth Division — Fort Chadbourne to Franklin (El Paso), Texas Fourth Division … More Divisions and Stations of the Route
From St. Louis to Tipton, the mail was carried by the Pacific Railroad. Tipton Shackleford’s Station Mulholland’s Station Burn’s Station Warsaw Bailey’s Station Quincy Yoast’s Station Bolivar Smith’s Station Evan’s Station Springfield Ashmore’s Station Smith’s Station Crouch’s Station Harbin’s Station
Northwestern Route Callahan’s Station (near present-day Rogers) Fitzgerald’s Station (near present-day Springdale) Fayetteville Park’s Station Brodie’s Station (Lee Creek) Woolsey’s Station (also called Signal Hill) Van Buren Fort Smith Memphis Route Memphis, Tenn. Madison, Ark. Des Arc Atlanta (present-day Austin) Cadron Plumer’s Station (Plummerville) Lewisburg (near present-day Morrilton) Hurricane Pottsville Inn Norristown (Russellville) Dardanelle Stinnett’s … More Arkansas Stations
Watson’s Station (Skullyville) Trahern’s Station Holloway’s Station (Brazil Station) Riddle’s Station Pusley’s Station Blackburn’s Station Waddell’s Station Geary’s Station Boggy Depot Blue River Station Fisher’s Station Colbert’s Ferry
Preston’s Station Sherman Diamond’s Station Gainesville Davidson’s Station Connolly’s Station Earheart’s Station Jacksboro Murphy’s Station Fort Belknap Franz’s Station Clear Fork Station Smith’s Station Fort Phantom Hill Station Mountain Pass Station (Abercrombie Pass) Valley Creek Station Fort Chadbourne Colorado River Station Grape Creek Station Camp Johnston Head of Concho Station Llano Estacado Mustang Waterholes Initial … More Texas Stations
Frontera (Cottonwoods Station) Fort Fillmore Mesilla Picacho Station Rough and Ready Station Goodsight Peak Station Fort Cummings Cooke’s Spring Murphy’s Station Cow Spring Station Soldier’s Farewell Station near Deming Station near Lordsburg Stein’s Pass Station
San Simon Stage Station Apache Pass Stage Station Ewell’s Stage Station Dragoon Springs Stage Station San Pedro River Stage Station Seneca-Cienega Stage Station Tucson Stage Station Piointer Mountain Stage Station Picacho Stage Station Blue Water Stage Station Oneida Stage Station Sacaton Stage Station Casa Blanca Stage Station Maricopa Wells Stage Station Desert Stage Station Gila … More Arizona Stations
Fort Yuma Pilot Knob Station Mountain Springs Station Cooke’s Wells Station (present-day Mexico) Gardener’s Wells Station (present-day Mexico) Alamo Mocho Station (present-day Mexico) Monument Station Indian Wells Station Sackett’s Wells Carrizo Creek Station Palm Spring Vallecito Station Box Canyon Blair Valley San Felipe Warner’s Ranch Oak Grove Station Aguanga Station Temecula Station Laguna Grande Murrieta … More California Stations
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. became known as the “Oxbow Route” because of its shape on a map, starting in St. Louis … More Stagecoach service from St. Louis to San Francisco
Butterfield Overland Mail Route 