Butterfield Overland Stage
1857-1861
Yuma, AZ and Los Angeles, CA. It was sometimes called the Oxbow Route due to its unusual shape. The route ran so far south for political reasons and the Butterfield Company ran into a great deal of opposition in Congress over the US Mail contract where implications were made that they were somehow stealing from taxpayers by making the route longer than it needed to be. These complaints ignored the “ice free” nature of the southern route and the advantages of having mail delivery in Yuma and LA.
The Butterfield Ranch is now an RV Park. Huh, I guess things haven't changed much after all.
As it was, the Butterfield Stage advertized an average speed of about 4 1/2 miles per hour and covered entire trip in approximately twenty five days. This speed would make the journey hard, but not too bad, mostly just tedious. The catch was that the company did not figure in the time needed to change teams, catch ferries, and the like. Consequently, drivers were instructed to hurry along just as fast as they could safely go, even if they were ahead of schedule; making the trip a bumpy, jolting nightmare.
The walk is the only thing left of the original building.
The arguments in Congress against the route became academic with the succession of Texas, even before the outbreak of the Civil War. The Butterfield route was canceled by Congress on June 30, 1861. At the same time a new route the Central Overland California Route was established cutting 600 miles of the journey. The Oxbow Route ended up being a Godsend for the California Column as it marched from Los Angeles to Texas, army contracted ahead with Butterfield to provide forage for the animals at the stage stops. A small skirmish was fought at Stanwix Station (Gila River) when the advanced guard of the column surprised a Confederate raiding party that had been sent to burn the forage. A couple of Union men were wounded but the Confederates escaped unharmed.
The Vellecito Stage Station is now a County Park.
While the Butterfield Ranch and the Vallecito Stations are the most visited, there is another one deeper out in the desert, the Carrizo Station. It must have been the first station after crossing the Salton Sink, the present day Imperial Valley. They would have needed to stop at the first available water. It's quite a journey out to the old site and a high clearance 4 wheel drive is an absolute must. YOU DO NOT WANT TO WALK OUT! The site is shown on the Anza Borrego Park Map and the map shows the roads to get there. That's what I followed. I was told that the station sat near the lone tree on the banks of the creek. It really is the only tree in sight.
The County has rebuilt the old stage station. There was a Mountain Man Meeting when I visited.
About ten miles east of Vellecito County Park.
This is NOT the road I followed to the stage station. It would probably work but I don't know for sure.
On the way in the road follows along through the bottom of a creek bed, full of water, for a couple of miles when it exits the creek there are these old cattle pens.
The lone tree that marks the site can be seen in the distance.
Approaching the site the road snakes around a bit.
There at last.
Park near the old correl.
I never said it was a big creek.
Any fresh water this deep in the desert is a valuable commodity.
The view is fabulous. I wonder if the station managers considered their jobsite a lonely, hardship duty or loved the place.
Driving back to civilization I saw a street sign up ahead on a hill. I couldn’t stop laughing when I got close enough to read it. Later I talked to a friend that had been to Hollywood recently and commented that the Hollywood and Vine street sign was missing. It’s sitting up on a hill in the Anza Borrego State Park.
Borrego Springs, CA
Updated Wednesday, February 08, 2012 10:53 PM
Clear | 63°F | High: 79°F
Low: 51°F
Wind: 5 mph
Humidity: 27%
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Thursday
81° / 49° | 
Friday
80° / 48° |
Saturday
69° / 52° |
Sunday
70° / 45° |
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Other Stage Stops and sites: There are other sites, most of these are major stops, but from what I've seen there was a stop every thirty miles or so. That would make sense, a team of horses couldn't be pushed much further than that. I will up date the list as I learn of more stations. If you know of a station not on this list please Contact me.
St. Louis MO or Memphis, TN (Origin)
P.R.R. Terminus
Springfield
Fayetteville
Fort Smith, AR
The Elkhorn Tavern at Pea Ridge, AR.
Big Cabin Creek, OK
where the Texas Road crossed Cabin Creek.
Sherman, TX
Fort Belknap
Fort Cadbourn
El Paso
Pinery Station
Soldiers Farewell
Apache Pass, AZ
Tucson
Stanwix Station (Gila River)
Fort Yuma, AZ
Carrizo, CA
Vellecito
Warner Ranch
San Bernardino, CA
Los Angles
Ft. Tejon
Los Banos
San Fransisco
I include this because it is working out that I am photographing much of the route while following other events. Other sites along the route are listed at the bottom of the page. The pictures on this page are setup following the trail from west to east.
Next: The Confederate State of Arizona