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 Source: List of Stations from New York Times, October 14 1858, Itinerary of the Route
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
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
Missouri Stations Harbin's Station Crouch's Station Smith's Station Ashmore's Station Springfield Evan's Station James H.M. 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 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
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.
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