Butterfield Overland Stage Line Crossing
Forestburg, Montague County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This is the crossing used by the Southern Overland Mail Line connecting St. Louis and San Francisco with semi-weekly stage and mail service 1858-1861; The length of the route, 2795 miles, and the superior service maintained made this a pioneer enterprise of first magnitude.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
For a few dramatic years before the Civil War, the Butterfield Overland Mail carried passengers and letters an astonishing 2,795 miles between St. Louis and San Francisco, twice weekly, and this Montague County ford was one of its crossings. Running from 1858 to 1861, the line was a marvel of coordinated logistics across a still-wild continent — until secession and war forced its northern reroute.
Why it matters
The Butterfield route was the first regular overland link binding the far West to the eastern states, a forerunner of the transcontinental railroad and a symbol of a nation stretching to the Pacific.
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Related events
- · Butterfield Overland Mail
Themes & tags
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