Fletcher and Donley Stage Station
Canadian, Hemphill County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(Site 3 miles northwest) A rest stop in the 1870s and 80s on military and stage line. Serviced wagon trains, buffalo hide caravans, and cattle herds. Was also mail pick-up station. Former buffalo hunter-scout Ed Fletcher ran the station. His partners were Jimmie Donley (the head cook) and Tobe Robinson. All had been Indian fighters. Station consisted of a log cabin with a sod roof (where springtime flowers grew) and 2 other buildings. A brush arbor shaded cabin door and a pump stood nearby. First election in the area that became Hemphill County was held here in 1882. (1970)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In the 1870s and '80s, this stop northwest of present-day Canadian offered rest and mail service to wagon trains, buffalo-hide caravans, and cattle herds crossing the Panhandle. Run by former buffalo hunter-scout Ed Fletcher and his partners — all seasoned frontiersmen — the station was a sod-roofed log cabin flanked by a brush arbor and a pump. The area's first election was held here in 1882, on ground that would soon become Hemphill County.
Why it matters
Waystations like this were the thin lifeline of transportation and communication that made the open Panhandle passable and, eventually, settled.
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Related people
- · Ed Fletcher
- · Jimmie Donley
- · Tobe Robinson
Themes & tags
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