Military installations along the route of the Overland Mail Company, from east to west, during the period in which the route was being run: Fort Smith, Arkansas – 1817-1871 Fort Washita, near Colbert’s Ferry, Indian Territory – 1843-1858 Fort Belknap, Texas – 1851-1859 Camp Cooper, Texas, near Fort Griffin – 1856-1861 Fort Phantom Hill, Texas … More Forts on and near the Route
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
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 