Stagecoach Stand, C. S. A.
Clarksville, Red River County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Across the street from this site, and facing the County Courthouse which was later (1885) torn down, the Donoho Hotel and stage stand operated during the Civil War, 1861-65. Travel in those years was heavy. Soldiers arriving in Texas from Arkansas, Indian Territory or elsewhere would catch the stage here for home. Many called by to give news to the Clarksville "Standard," one of fewer than 20 Texas papers to be published throughout the war. The "Standard's" emphasis on personal news from camps was valued by soldiers' families. Stagecoach passengers for Marshall left at 4 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, going by Daingerfield and Jefferson, where steamer connections could be made. Railroad and stage connections were made at Marshall, 42 hours after the coach left here. The stage to Waco every second day went by Paris, Bonham, McKinney, Dallas, Waxahachie and Hillsboro, arriving in 4 days, 14 hours. Connections made in Waco included Henderson, Hempstead, Nacogdoches and San Antonio. 31 stage lines in Confederate Texas hauled mail, soldiers, civilians. 26 made connections with railroads or steamships, expediting travel.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
During the Civil War the Donoho Hotel and stage stand operated across from the old Clarksville courthouse, a busy hub as soldiers arriving from Arkansas, Indian Territory, and beyond caught coaches for home. Many stopped to share news with the Clarksville "Standard," one of fewer than twenty Texas papers to publish throughout the war and prized by families for its personal notes from the camps. From here stagecoaches ran on grueling schedules to Marshall, Waco, and beyond, part of the 31 stage lines that kept Confederate Texas connected to mail, rail, and steamboat routes.
Why it matters
The stand shows how a network of stagecoaches and small-town newspapers held the Confederate home front together, carrying soldiers, mail, and news across a wartime Texas.
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