Receive a link to the newest casa grande dispatch eedition in your inbox. The trail had various branches, including along the republican. Butterfield stagebutterfield overland dispatch original not in kansas butterfield stage route. May 18, 2015 smoky hill trail and butterfield overland dispatch segment, 522 golf course road, chapman, dickinson county. Since the owner is a farmer, he occassionally runs cows through the area, so be wary of presents left behind. Butterfield overland dispatch santa fe trail research. The smoky hill trail then followed the smoky hill river across kansas and. However, david butterfield was determined that it could be profitable. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. This area is rich in fossils from the cretaceous sea which covered this land over 60 million years ago.
David butterfield established butterfields overland dispatch in 1865 from atchinsonfort leavenworth to denver. Drivers guide to the butterfield overland mail route. At monument there is a military post, so we considered our case a safe one. Later it was main route of the butterfield overland despatch stage and freight line. Butterfield overland mail route the first transcontinental. The butterfield overland dispatch and it also marked the opening at the smoky hill trail the most direct route from the missouri river to the rockies prior to butterfield the effort uh goods went either on the santa fe trail and then north to the denver area or over the oregon trail or at least part of it.
The smoothtalking businessman soon obtained capital for the butterfield overland despatch and the first stage left atchison on june 4, 1865, arriving in denver on september 23rd. Butterfield was born in maine but was fascinated with the west. Kansas historic trails, old west kansas ks santa fe. Authored by journalist kirby sanders and published by heritage trail partners, the drivers guide to the butterfield overland mail route follows the route through missouri, arkansas, and oklahoma. On the afternoon of september 28,1858, the conductor of the first westbound butterfield overland mail coach sounded his bugle to announce the coachs arrival at the pinery. The bod essentially followed the smoky hill trail along the smoky hill river. David butterfields overland despatch, in direct competition of holladay overland mail and express company. The raynesford papers biography of howard raynesford with many notes including the butterfield dispatch. These special edition revolvers were limited production special edition 1 of 500. Smoky hill trail and butterfield overland dispatch segment, 522 golf course road, chapman, dickinson county. The overland mail contract was transferred in march 1861 to the central trail because of the civil war.
The first butterfield overland dispatch bod coach left atchison, kansas on monday, september 11th, 1865 and arrived in denver on monday, september 23rd, 1865. Today, monument rocks can be found on a dusty trail, 25 miles south of i70 and oakley, kansas, and a few miles east of southbound highway 83. The overland trail also known as the overland stage line was a stagecoach and wagon trail in the american west during the 19th century. Historical marker pages containing butterfield overland. The butterfield overland dispatch and it also marked the opening at the smoky hill trail the most direct route from the missouri river to the rockies prior to butterfield the effort uh goods went either on the santa fe trail and then north to the denver area or over the oregon trail or. Butterfields stages were confiscated by the confederates in texas. Butterfield s overland dispatch established 1865 by david a.
The pistol is blued and case color finished with smooth wood grips and comes with a spare cylinder in the box. Eight kansas sites nominated for national register of. Eighteen stages were transferred to the central trail by the overland mail company on the southern trail. While portions of the route had been used by explorers and trappers since the 1820s, the overland trail was most heavily used in the 1860s as an alternative route to the oregon, california, and mormon trails through central wyoming. The butterfield overland despatch, or smoky hill trail. The land is privately owned, but anyone is welcome to visit the rocks in the daytime. A rustic retreat for the nature lover, history buff, hunter, or fishing enthusiast.
The full map above shows stations and a few other points of interest. But in 1865 david butterfield saw the smoky hill trail as an opportunity to create a thriving business. Butterfield in 1865, the stage line ran from atchison, kansas to denver, colorado. The rocks for short were originally used as a landmark by the butterfield overland dispatch trail, a pony expresstype mail route. After the civil war he moved to atchison, kansas, where he began to solicit financial backing to bring his dream to.
Jere grew up with family stories and has been researching the smoky hill trail and the bod for most. Eventually, ben holliday who now owned the mail route, bought out the butterfield overland dispatch route, bod. This book is a comprehensive account of the butterfield trail in texas. Butterfield overland despatch trail ruts chapman ks. Originally the bod was established to run freight on and then later transported passengers. The trail primarily followed the smoky hill river from junction city, ks to the high plains of colorado and then on to the front range of the rocky mountains. Mapping and marking the butterfield overland despatch trail locations of b o d stage stations. Nov 03, 2016 butterfield s overland dispatch 1865 memorial by smoky hill trail associates october 2015 text on reverse of marker butterfield s overland dispatch established 1865 by david a. Butterfields first supply wagons left atchison in june 1865 and his first. Ely, glen sample, the texas frontier and the butterfield overland mail, 18581861, university of oklahoma press, 2016.
May 28, 2018 this is a different person than john butterfield who established the mail route to denver. Chisholm cattle trail to abilene 18671871 ellsworth cattle trail 18721874 cattle trail to dodge city 18751885 cannon ball stage coach road 1876c. Butterfield overland mail wikimili, the free encyclopedia. Butterfield overland despatch staging on the smoky hill. Journey to denver via the butterfield overland dispatch.
To locate and document the condition of the bod butterfield overland despatch markers set by howard c. The museum is located in russell springs, kansas and was previously the logan county courthouse. Smoky hill trail and butterfield overland despatch kansapedia. Butterfield overland despatch staging on the smoky hill trail. Use the icon on the upper left to open the list of stations by state. The smoky hill trail began in 1859, and ran from atchison, kansas to denver. Butterfield overland dispatch station location names. Butterfield established a stage line, the butterfield overland dispatch, to carry freight and passengers from atchison, kansas to denver, colorado. Each station is marked with a bod marker and the notch on the top of the marker indicated the direction of the trail from that point. The butterfield overland dispatch was organized by col. The first real travel over the smoky hill trail was in june 1865 a freight train to denver. Nps pepc map of the entire butterfield overland trail.
Fort fletcher following the civil war immigrants went west in search of new homes or quick riches in the. Butterfield overland mail the handbook of texas online. Salina was the westernmost post on the smoky hill trail in 1860. Butterfields overland dispatch 1865 text on reverse of marker. Every confirmed stage stop along the line has been located and pinpointed to specific. In the 1865, the chalk formations of monument rocks, was a stop on the butterfield overland dispatch stage route from fort riley to denver. Butterfield, a pioneer of colorado, but then a resident of atchison, began preliminaries for inaugurating a gigantic freighting business between the missouri river and the rocky mountains and the territories beyond. Butterfield overland despatch marker just south of the turn into the bluffton area on hwy. Butterfield overland mail officially the overland mail company was a stagecoach service in the united states operating from 1858 to 1861. Continue your hike following the wash to the immediate south tracking the 4wd trail. Was one of the stage relay stations on the butterfield overland dispatch trail, or as it is known today the b. The butterfield overland despatch or smoky hill trail.
Today, monument rocks can be found on a dusty trail, 25 miles south of i70 and oakley, kansas, and. Butterfield overland dispatch welcome to the wakeeney travel blog. Commonly seen as dispatch, the proper spelling for this is despatch. Butterfield overland mail company stagecoaches and stage. The butterfield overland despatch special edition 1865 revolver is a cut down 1860 army colt revolver with a 5 barrel. Lee creek at campground c, highway 74 above the visitor center and the picnic area south of the visitor center. Smoky hill trail associationbutterfields overland despatch.
Monument rocks, the butterfield overland dispatch, and the. The smoky hill trail then followed the smoky hill river across kansas and into the high plains of eastern colorado and on to the front range of the rocky mountains terminating in denver, colorado. Every confirmed stage stop along the line has been located and pinpointed to specific latitude and longitude. The road original began as a military trail and eventually connected travelers between. The first edition sold out in short order and butterfield trail enthusiasts who did not already own one found it difficult to obtain a copy even at inflated prices. The butterfield overland despatch was a mail and freight service operating across the great plains of america in the 1860s. Butterfield s first supply wagons left atchison in june 1865 and his first.
Butterfield overland despatchsmoky hill trail 18651870 possible auto tour route from kanopolis, ks to cheyenne wells, co mark eberle, hays, kansas original posting. Mapping and marking the butterfield overland dispatch. Butterfields overland dispatch 1865 memorial by smoky hill trail associates october 2015 text on reverse of marker butterfields overland dispatch established 1865 by david a. We enjoyed watching the stagecoaches journey along the butterfield overland despatch route yesterday from russell springs to fort wallace, and taking in the other festivities as well. Butterfields overland dispatch established 1865 by david a. Around kansas butterfield overland dispatch marker nov.
Butterfield s overland dispatch 1865 text on reverse of marker. Fremont, reached bents fort, near the site of the present city of las. Map showing lines of the great overland stage route. The butterfield overland mail stage line guadalupe. After the civil war he moved to atchison, kansas, where he began to solicit financial backing to bring his dream to reality. Butterfield overland despatchsmoky hill trail 18651870.
Aug 19, 2015 in the 1865, the chalk formations of monument rocks, was a stop on the butterfield overland dispatch stage route from fort riley to denver. There were 40 stations along the way, 16 of these were home stations that supplied meals. Located in trego county on the butterfield overland despatch trail near the smoky hill river and smokey valley scenic byway. Louis, missouri, and memphis, tennessee, to san francisco, california. Congress first began to consider the butterfield overland trail as a national historic trail in july 2006, when rep.
We, that is the butterfield overland dispatch coach, containing general brewster and several passengers, left chalk bluff station with an escort of cavalry on the 23rd, arriving without adventure at monument station the same evening. Stations on the trail smoky hill trail association. Ruts from the butterfield overland dispatch trail can be found a few hundred yards north of castle rock. Aptly titled the butterfield trail and overland mail company in arizona 18581861, the book covers in great detail the worlds longest stage route and the first governmentsanctioned road connecting the east to the west. It began as a route to the colorado gold fields and later was the the main route for butterfield s overland despatch. Thirteen images made at the time of butterfields service are used for this report. National trails system butterfield overland trail special resource study document list document contents. This book is a comprehensive account of the butterfield trail in new mexico. It began as a route to the colorado gold fields and later was the the main route for butterfields overland despatch. A list of historical markers or monuments about historical marker pages containing butterfield overland. Map of the entire butterfield overland trail this map displays the entire route of the mail route from st.
David butterfield established butterfield s overland dispatch in 1865 from atchinsonfort leavenworth to denver. Company has been basically covered in my 2011 book the butterfield trail and overland mail company in arizona, 18581861, this comprehensive report is prepared as an aid to historians. Butterfield overland dispatch marker in western kansas. The smoky hill trail before writing about more donors of the pioneer monument and am writing about what the monument celebrated, the end of the smoky hill trail. George hacklers the butterfield trail in new mexico is now available in a second printing. The butterfield overland despatch, developed by david a. Mail from two eastern termini, memphis, tennessee, and st. Soon, the 600 miles route fell victim to indians and the railroad. Hackler, george, the butterfield trail in new mexico, yucca enterprises, 2005. Julian fitch in june, 1865 while he was surveying the trail for david overlands company.
The butterfield or southern overland mail, which operated from september 15, 1858, until march 1, 1861, was a semiweekly mail and passenger stage service from st. Ktwus sunflower journeys butterfield overland despatch. There is another blm trail box making it an option to end your hike at this juncture. Beginning in 1859, the smoky hill trail ran from atchison, ks, on the missouri river, west to denver, co. Mapping and marking the butterfield overland despatch trail in november of 1958 the butterfield route was mapped, but in over 90 years since the trail was first surveyed, the smoky hill river changed its course, partially obliterating the trail. Aug 01, 2012 the full map above shows stations and a few other points of interest. The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, horses, and backpacking and is accessible yearround. Smoky hill trail and butterfield overland despatch.
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