Butterfield Overland Mail in Arkansas and Missouri

The Butterfield Overland Mail in Arkansas and Missouri was created by the United States Congress on March 3, 1857, and 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 then crossed Texas to the Red River and into Indian Territory to enter Arkansas at Fort Smith. Fort Smith was terminal where the secondary route that crossed Arkansas and across the Mississippi River to Memphis, Tennessee, met the main route that led northeast to Tipton with the final leg by train via the Pacific Railroad to St. Louis. The Arkansas and Missouri mail route was one division, the 8th under a superintendent.

Stations

^[1]

8th_Division

• Fort Smith

Fort Smith to Memphis Route

• Charleston, Arkansas
• Paris, Arkansas
• Stinnett's Station
• Dardanelle, Arkansas
• Norristown (Russellville, Arkansas)
• Pottsville Inn
• Hurricane Station
• Lewisburg (near present-day Morrilton, Arkansas)
• Plumer's Station (Plumerville, Arkansas)
• Cadron Station
• Atlanta (present-day Austin, Arkansas)
• Des Arc
• Madison, Arkansas
• Memphis, Tennessee

Main 8th_Division Route

Arkansas Stations

Butterfield Overland Mail Route near Greenland, Washington County, Arkansas, in March 2011

• Fort Smith
• Van Buren
• Woolsey's Station (also called Signal Hill)
• Brodie's Station (Lee Creek)
• Park's Station
• Fayetteville
• Fitzgerald's Station (near present-day Springdale, Arkansas)
• Callahan's Station (near present-day Rogers, Arkansas)
• Elkhorn Tavern in Pea Ridge National Battlefield

Butterfield Overland Mail Route at Elkhorn Tavern 1858-1861 Period on a modern topographical Map by Greg Wadley

Elkhorn Tavern on the Butterfield Overland Mail Route Garfield Arkansas

Elkhorn Tavern on the Telegraph Road and Butterfield Overland Mail Route

Butterfield Overland Mail Route Barry County 1858-1861 Period on a 1873 Campbells map by Greg Wadley

Butterfield Overland Mail Route 1858-1861 Period Stone and Christian Co. on a Campbells 1873 Map by Greg Wadley

Missouri Stations

• Harbin's Station
• Crouch's Station
• Smith's Station
• Ashmore's Station
• Springfield
• Evan's Station
• Smith's Station
• Bolivar
• Yoast's Station
• Quincy
• Bailey's Station
• Warsaw
• Burn's Station
• Mulholland's Station
• Schackleford's Station
• Tipton
• Pacific Railroad
• St. Louis

Missouri County Maps Continued

Butterfield Overland Mail Route 1858-1861 Period on a 1873 Campbells Map by Greg Wadley

Polk.Wiki.2.png Butterfield Overland Mail Route 1858-1861 Period on a 1873 Campbells Map by Greg Wadley

Butterfield Overland Mail Route 1858-1861 Period on a 1873 Campbells Map by Greg Wadley

Butterfield Overland Mail Route 1858-1861 Period on a 1873 Campbells Map by Greg Wadley

First section of the Butterfield Overland Mail Route on the Pacific Railroad 1858-1861 Period on a Campbells 1873 Map by Greg Wadley

See also

• Butterfield Overland Mail in California
  • Butterfield Overland Mail in Baja California
• Butterfield Overland Mail in New Mexico Territory
• Butterfield Overland Mail in Texas
• Butterfield Overland Mail in Indian Territory

Butterfield Overland Mail Route 1858-1861 Period on a 1873 Campbells Map by Greg Wadley

Map Creations Using Original Surveys from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), General Land Office (GLO) Records. USGS Historical Topo Map Explorer. Corrected with USDS 3DEP Elevation Program – LIDAR. Placed into 1873 Campbells New Atlas of Missouri. Butterfield Overland Mail Route commentary information from: The Butterfield Overland Mail 1857–1869 by Roscoe P. Conkling and Margaret B. Conkling. Missouri Historical Review April-1858.

References

1. List of Stations from New York Times, October 14 1858, Itinerary of the Route