Butterfield Overland Mail in Texas

Butterfield Overland Mail

Type historic trail
Location New Mexico Territory near Anthony - Indian Territory near Sherman
Official name: Butterfield Overland Mail Corridor
Type U.S. historic district
Designated August 27, 2014
Reference no. 14000524[1]
Location Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Coordinates 31°53′36″N 104°48′57″W / 31.89333°N 104.81583°W / 31.89333; -104.81583
Area 2,401.3 acres (971.8 ha)[2]

In Texas, the Butterfield Overland Mail service created by Congress on March 3, 1857, operated until March 30, 1861. The route that was operated extended from San Francisco, California to Los Angeles, then across the Colorado Desert to Fort Yuma, then across New Mexico Territory via, Tucson and Mesilla, New Mexico to Franklin, Texas, midpoint on the route. The route through Texas followed first the northern route to the Pecos River and downstream to Horse Head Crossing. The route in West Texas was changed in 1859, in order to secure a better water supply on the route and to provide mail service to a more settled area, the stages between Franklin and the Pecos River followed the San Antonio-El Paso Road to Camp Stockton and then turned east to Horsehead Crossing. From Horsehead Crossing the route crossed Texas to the Red River and into Indian Territory. In 1860 the route was changed to another route from Jacksboro to Sherman via Decatur due to the building of a new toll bridge at Bridgeport, that avoided delays crossing the West Fork of the Trinity River when it was flooded. From Colberts Ferry the route went on to Fort Smith, then up across Arkansas and southwest Missouri to Tipton with the final leg by train to St. Louis. The Texas mail route was so long that the route there, like that in California, was divided into two divisions each under a superintendent.

5th Division Route

At first the 5th Division route left Franklin to run due east thirty miles to Hueco Tanks, thirty six miles to Cornudas de Los Alamos then east northeast fifty-six miles to Pinery Station. Subsequently stations were added between Hueco Tanks and Cornudas de Los Alamos at Ojos de los Alamos, and at Crow Springs between Cornudas de Los Alamos and Pinery. From Pinery, the route then ran twenty-four miles east to Delaware Springs Station, then forty miles down Delaware Creek nearly to its junction with the Pecos River, and across Pope's Crossing to Pope's Camp. It then ran sixty five miles down the east bank of the Pecos, to Emigrant Crossing Station and onward fifty-five miles to Horsehead Crossing. Sections of this route, including Pinery Station, are preserved as part of Guadalupe Mountains National Park, and have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In August 1859, the route in West Texas was changed in order to secure a better water supply on the route and to provide mail service to a more settled area, the stages between Franklin and the Pecos River followed the San Antonio-El Paso Road down the Rio Grande, passing through Ysleta 14 miles from Franklin, Socorro, San Elizario, Birchville Station, then 33 miles to Fort Quitman. Moving eastward away from the river at Fort Quitman, the route traveled 31 miles to Eagle Spring, 19 miles to Lobo and the Van Horns Wells, then a waterless 33 miles to Deadman's Hole, 18 miles to Barrel Springs, another 18 miles to Fort Davis. From Fort Davis Station the route proceeded down through Limpia Canyon to Limpia Station, Barrilla Springs, then 34 miles to Leon Springs and on to Camp Stockton. 45 miles east of Camp Stockton the route reached Horsehead Crossing where a ferry carried the coaches across the Pecos River to Horsehead Crossing Station.

From Horsehead Crossing the trail ran seventy waterless miles east northeast across the Llano Estacado to the headwaters of the Middle Concho River, then northward, about thirty miles through the vicinity of modern Carlsbad, to a camp or station;, then twenty-two miles to Grape Creek Station near the south line of present Coke County; to Fort Chadbourne in what is now Coke County.

6th Division Route

The 6th Division route ran from Fort Chadbourne, twelve miles to the north across Valley Creek to Station #1 then sixteen miles to Mountain Pass Station, then thirty miles, past the route of the Texas and Pacific Railway, a mile west of the site of present Tye, to Fort Phantom Hill, then twelve miles more to Smith's Station, twenty six miles to Clear Fork station, thirteen miles to Franz's Station and then twenty-two miles to Fort Belknap. From Fort Belknap the line turned eastward sixteen miles to Murphy's Station (near present Graham, Texas), then nineteen miles to Jacksboro, Texas, sixteen miles to Earhart's Station, twenty-four miles to Davidson's Station, then seventeen miles to Gainesville, Texas, fifteen miles to Diamond's station (one mile west of the site of present Whitesboro), fifteen miles to Sherman and across the Red River at Colbert's Ferry, eight miles below Preston, Texas to Indian Territory.

Stations [3]

4th Division

5th Division

Captain Pope's New Road from Franklin to Horse Head Crossing Station (1st route used, until August 1, 1859 when route was moved to the Lower Road.)

East Mountain at Hueco Tanks State Historic Site
Ruins at The Pinery in Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Lower Road, from Franklin to Horse Head Crossing Station (used from August 1, 1859)

Ysleta mission church
Presidio Chapel of San Elizario
Fort Davis National Historic Site
Grounds of frontier Fort Stockton

Main 5th Division Route

Horsehead Crossing along the Pecos River
Fort Chadbourne stage station

6th Division

Guard House at Fort Phantom Hill
Museum at Fort Belknap
Officers quarters in Jacksboro

See also

References

  1. ↑ Staff. "Butterfield Overland Mail Route Corridor, National Register of Historic Places Program". National Park Service. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
  2. ↑ "National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form: Butterfield Overland Mail Corridor" (PDF). Texas Historical Commission. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
  3. ↑ List of Stations from New York Times, October 14 1858, Itinerary of the Route
  4. ↑ A. C. Greene, 900 Miles on the Butterfield Trail, p.75
  5. ↑ Julia Cauble Smith, "POPE'S CAMP," Handbook of Texas Online (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/uzp03), accessed May 17, 2011. Published by the Texas State Historical Association
  6. ↑ "EAGLE SPRING," Handbook of Texas Online (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/rpe01), accessed May 17, 2011. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.
  7. ↑ Glen Sample Ely, The Texas Frontier and the Butterfield Overland Mail, 1858–1861, University of Oklahoma Press, Mar 4, 2016
  8. ↑ Ernest Wallace, "FORT STOCKTON," Handbook of Texas Online (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/qbf46), accessed May 17, 2011. Published by the Texas State Historical Association
  9. ↑ Glenn Justice, "HORSEHEAD CROSSING," Handbook of Texas Online (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/rih01), accessed May 17, 2011. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.
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