how far apart were stagecoach relay stations how far apart were stagecoach relay stations

The Pony Express was an American express mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders. Stage is the space between the places known as stations or stopsknown to Europeans as posts or relays. A large pot of mustard containing an iron spoon which had partially succumbed to the attack of the vinegar always decorated the center of the tableThe butter was canned, and the milk was condensed.The inventors of canned food and bottled products deserve a place of honor in the annals of our country, for without their products, the settlement of the West would have been a far worse task. "Don't linger too long on the pewter wash basin at the station. Abbot Downing Company employed leather strap braces under their stagecoaches which gave a swinging motion instead of the jolting up and down of a spring suspension. Wells Fargo ordered the factory's largest stagecoach model capable of seating nine passengers inside reinforced with extra iron hardware for use on rough western roads and painted bright red with yellow wheels and running gear. Strings of coaching inns provided passengers with overnight accommodation as well as fresh horses. In London in the 1830s the three largest coach masters provided 80 per cent of the horses for the 342 services each week. The Painful Truth About Stagecoach Travel In The Old West. (This station was better known locally after the Civil War as "Carriage Point."). Though the Pony Express is often credited with being the first fast mail service from the Missouri River to the Pacific Coast, the Overland Mail Company began a twice-weekly mail service in September 1858. There were 139 relay stations and forts, 1800 head of stock, and 250 Concord and Celerity Overland Stage Coaches used by the 800 men that Butterfield employed. Pony stations were generally located between 5 to 20 miles apart. Stage stations were built every 15-20 miles. 12, T. 5 N., R. 19 E.), 1 miles east of Wilburton on the section line road at Lutle, Off U. S. Highway 270, Pusley's Station (Secs. Over the years, the New Hampshire-based company manufactured over 40 types of carriages and wagons, earning a reputation that their coaches rarely broke down; instead, they just wore out. The coaches weighed more than a ton and cost between $1500 and $1800. Stagecoach Stations on the old Butterfield Overland Mail that ran from Tipton, Missouri to San Francisco between 1858 and 1861 left a lot to be desired. In the twinkling of an eye, one prisoner was out of the coach, had grabbed the sheriff, and relieved him of his guns. Stagecoaches, post chaises, private vehicles, individual riders and the like followed the already long-established system for messengers, couriers and letter-carriers. But I wish the circumstances that led me to that decision never existed. Other owners would take more enthusiastic suitably-dressed passengers and indulge in competitive driving. 15, 5. The trio assumed control of the route July 1, 1874, which was one year after the establishment of the business by Tisdale and Parker, of Lawrence, Kansas. The riders were frequent targets for robbers, and the system was inefficient. 5:10 PM - The Marcus King Band. The stagecoach was required to work six times a week (except for the Shabbat) and to carry free of charge the mails and medicines of the Rehovot pharmacy. The feed problem at each station required long hours of toil by men hardened to all conditions of weather and living. Theodore Cardwell Barker, Dorian Gerhold. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Two men in Concord, New Hampshire, developed what became a popular solution. 6 How far apart were stagecoach relay stations? Once when Henry Todd drove his stage out of Wellington, Kansas to Fort Reno, a sheriff, with two men charged with horse stealing, was among the passengers. With the three men, the officers rode on to Wellington. In 1863, Hailey ran the first saddle train from Walla Walla to the Boise Basin, a distance of 285 miles, to service miners moving into the Boise area for the new gold rush. Cowhide was nailed on the stringers, but during the first winter, coyotes ate the leather off the rails. It operated from April 3, 1860, to October 26, 1861, between Missouri and California.It was operated by the Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company.. During its 18 months of operation, the Pony Express reduced the time for messages to travel between the east and west US coast to . Though there were numerous lines throughout the Old West, some figure into history more prominently than others, most notably John Butterfields Overland Mail Company, Wells Fargo & Co., and the Holladay Overland Mail and Express Company. Though stagecoach travel for passengers was uncomfortable, it was often the only means of travel and was safer than traveling alone. The stagecoach was a closed four-wheeled vehicle drawn by horses or hard-going mules. The license holders paid a special tax for this right and could employ subcontractors and hired wagons. You can't change your ticket but you can request a refund and buy a new one. The first mail coaches appeared in the later 18th century carrying passengers and the mails, replacing the earlier post riders on the main roads. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Until well into the 19th century an overland traveller anxious to reach a destination as fast as possible depended on animals. Creeping through the valley, crawling oer the hill, Splashing through the branches, rumbling oer the mill, Putting nervous gentlemen in a towering rage. A stage stationor relay station, also known as a staging post, a posting station, or a stage stop, is a place where exhausted horses could be replaced by fresh animals, since a long journey was much faster without delays when horses needed rest. They were rich in little save dirt. Home stations (usually the older stage stations) had horses, plus housed the riders between their trips. Here 90 replacement horses were staged at the stop in the below coral. In the end, the introduction of the automobile led to the end of the stagecoach in the early 1900s. [6] The first recorded stagecoach route in Britain started in 1610 and ran from Edinburgh to Leith. Stagecoach History: Stage Lines to California - CA State Parks The earth sufficed for the floors. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. 30-31, T. 8 S., R. 8 E. ) about 3 miles south of Colbert, Bryan County, and just below the old highway bridge across Red River. The diligence from Le Havre to Paris was described by a fastidious English visitor of 1803 with a thoroughness that distinguished it from its English contemporary, the stage coach. 8 How long were stagecoaches used? It was in 1875 that the elder Todd was acting as general manager of the Southwestern Stage Coach Company, which had its headquarters in Caldwell, Kansas, and its terminal at Henrietta, Texas. The Stagecoach: A Photo Essay on Western Travel Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Coachmen carried letters, packages, and money, often transacting business or delivering messages for their customers. Describing a journey he took in 1861, in his 1872 book, Roughing It, Mark Twain wrote that the Concord stage's ride was like "a cradle on wheels". Pony stations were generally located between 5 to 20 miles apart. 9-10, T. 1 S., R 13 E.) about 3 miles southwest of Wesley, Atoka County, Geary's Station (Sec. Ah, the Old West, before the invention and common use of things like deodorant, mouthwash, shampoo, and without frequent (let alone daily) access to things like showers, bathtubs, or perhaps even a wash basin. Every stagecoach route in Texas stretched along a series of stopping points where drivers could hitch on a fresh team in 10 minutes and be on their way again. The trip took just over three weeks, and the stagecoach averaged approximately six miles per hour. Ran every day of the year from 1866 until 1910. The speed of travel remained constant until the mid-18th century. [3] Post-horses would be hired from a postmaster at a post house. [9], Even more dramatic improvements were made by John Palmer at the British Post Office. "Don't swear, nor lop over on your neighbor when sleeping. Ticket Refunds and Cancellations | Stagecoach Bus Concords, by far the most popular model, fit nine in the passenger compartment and as many can hold on up top. This was followed by a steady proliferation of other routes around the island. Robberies were not uncommon, but they weren't the norm, either. How far did stagecoaches go before changing horses? Postal and postage follow from this. Some stagecoaches remained in use for commercial or recreational purposes. . For most of human history, this was the fastest way to transport people and parcels over land. Designed by the Abbot Downing Company, the coach utilized leather strap braces underneath, giving them a swinging motion instead of a spring suspension, which jostled passengers up and down. 12:30 PM - Amethyst Kiah. The stagecoaches belonged to private owners, and the wagoners were mostly hired, although sometimes the wagoner was also the owner of the wagon. Stock feed was hauled from Wichita by wagon, as no part of the country then had ever been touched by the plow. The stages stopped forty minutes at the home stations and about five minutes at the other stations, time enough to change horses or teams" (Donaldson). Q. Organised long-distance land travel became known as staging or posting. Books were lying about, and in a corner one could perhaps see a parlor organ, one of those sobbing melodeons" (Donaldson). Each service crossed more than 2,800 miles from San Francisco, California, to Missouri and was required to be completed in 25 days or less. Stagecoach Stations - True West Magazine Pony Express Route by William Henry Jackson, 1860, Division One St. Joseph, Missouri to Fort Kearny, Nebraska, Division Two Fort Kearny, Nebraska to Horseshoe Creek, Wyoming, Division Three Horseshoe Creek, Wyoming to Salt Lake City, Utah, Division Four- Salt Lake City, Utah to Roberts Creek, Nevada, Division Five Roberts Creek, Nevada to San Francisco, California, The original Pony Express Stables in St. Joseph, Missouri, now serves as a museum. Three months later, by messenger, the returned the mules they had "borrowed.". How far apart were stagecoach relay stations? "Drive off with your wagon." By 1836 the scheduled coach left London at 19:30, travelled through the night (without lights) and arrived in Liverpool at 16:50 the next day, a distance of about 220 miles (350km), doubling the overall average speed to about 10 miles per hour (16km/h), including stops to change horses.[5]. 24, t. 6 N., R. 21 E.) at east end of the Narrows, about 3 miles northeast of Red Oak, Latimer County. William Shakespeare's first plays were performed at coaching inns such as The George Inn, Southwark. At one time, more than 150 stations were situated between Kansas and California. Lighter faster and better-bred horses were used as the road surfaces smoothed and heavy mud-slogging could be forgotten. The cost of this private travel was at least twice that of travel by stagecoach but by the 1830s there were as many travelled by post or by hired two-wheeled gig (particularly commercial travellers) as by stagecoach.[12]. Passengers were also allowed to ride on top. The terrain and its effect on horse travel determined the number and the distance between stations. Very similar in design to stagecoaches their vehicles were lighter and sportier. c. 1900, The Duc de Rovigo gives the following account of Napoleon's arrangements for his journeys:. Steamboats on the Columbia River were eventually replaced by railroads. February 10, 1927-Logan County News-Henry A. Todd, one of those brave and daring men who came to the Indian country when both it and he were young, died in 1913 at the age of 67 years. If you have anything to take in a bottle, pass it around; a man who drinks by himself in such a case is lost to all human feeling. In those days, before the era of railroads and the age of miracles, the company's operations ranked as probably the greatest chain of transportation operating throughout the West. The first mail coaches appeared in the later 18th century carrying passengers and the mails, replacing the earlier post riders on the main roads. Shakespeare's first plays were performed at coaching inns such as The George Inn, Southwark. Stage passengers could be victims, but usually thieves were after money or gold being transported, especially by stages operated by Wells, Fargo. The body of the carriage rests upon large thongs of leather, fastened to heavy blocks of wood, instead of springs, and the whole is drawn by seven horses.[18]. His first though was the United States mail. The Stagecoach, Glamour and Utility. The meals were uniformly bad and one dollar each. Over all, clay was spread smoothly. Bathe your feet before starting in cold water, and wear loose overshoes and gloves two sizes too large. What was the station called on a stagecoach? The Pony Express operation was divided into five operating divisions. The buildings were erected by standing small longs on end, using clay to fill in the interstices, which made a strong, durable wall. To secure his mules from horse thieves, the driver placed a farm wagon across the front entrance of the stable, with instructions to two of the company's employees to sleep in the wagon bed. They built their first Concord stagecoach in 1827 employing long leather straps under their stagecoaches which gave a swinging motion.[20]. . Alexander Majors stated that home stations were located approximately 65-100 miles apart. A stagecoach is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. 5 miles, 60 miles, or 200 miles. 1, T. 3 S., R 9 #), 10 miles south and west of Atoka, Atoka County, and about 4 miles south of present bridge (west end) across Clary Boggy River. 2:40 PM - Charley Crockett. In 1877, the Omaha Herald published suggestions to stagecoach travelers providing practical ideas to make the journey as comfortable as possible. "The 'home' stations were houses built of logs and usually occupied by families. Individually mounted riders are subject to their personal endurance limits. Where the rail network did not reach, the diligence was not fully superseded until the arrival of the autobus. A Cobb & Co (Australia) proprietor arrived in New Zealand on 4 October 1861, thus beginning Cobb & Co. (New Zealand) stagecoach operation. But normally not more than 15 miles from the last stop. Don't grease your hair before starting or dust will stick there in sufficient quantities to make a respectable "tater patch." Beginning in the 18th century crude wagons began to be used to carry passengers between cities and towns, first within New England in 1744, then between New York and Philadelphia in 1756. 24-25, T. 4 N., R 17 E ) about 3 miles southwest of Higgins, in Latimer County. [4] Unless a return hire was anticipated a postilion of a spent team was responsible for returning them to the originating post house. And so, they were left dangling in the air to pay the penalty of the daring life led by the frontier outlaw. His patent lasted 14 years delaying development because Elliott allowed no others to license and use his patent. Each driver's division was 50 miles long. This arrangement allowed the mail to speed across the country in record time. From: Six Horses by Captain William Banning & George Hugh Banning, 1928. ut neurology residents. These early day coaches served Mobeetie, one of the first of the Texas Panhandle towns. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. "Don't imagine for a moment you are going on a picnic; expect annoyance, discomfort, and some hardships. The stagecoach was a closed four-wheeled vehicle drawn by horses or hard-going mules. Despite what the movies might tell us, all in all, it was a miserable, messed up way to travel. By 1866, the company operated 18 to 20 first class steamboats, one of which, the Okanogan, earned back its entire cost on its first voyage. Such relays date back nearly 4,000 years and were used widely in ancient Babylonia, Persia, China . How the US Post Office Has Delivered the Mail Through the Decades - History Stagecoach arrives at Ely, Nevada on Railroad Day - September 1906 It took over 4 days and 27 stage stops just to cross Southern Arizona. Through years of experience on the frontier, he had learned that it was useless to try to get the better of an outlaw; so instead of meting them with their own weapons, he submitted courteously, and in this instance, treated them so amicably that they gave him back his watch and $14 in money. But as True West Magazine tells us, passengers were often packed together in ways that made good friends of total strangers, whether they wanted to be or not. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. In June 1864, they moved their operations from Walla Walla to Umatilla to run stagecoach operations from there to the Boise Basin. Donec gravida mi a condimentum rutrum. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Stagecoach Festival 2023 Historical Markers, Interpretive Signs | Page 116 | Adventure Rider Even as the nation's network of iron and steel rails grew larger and more comprehensive, stagecoach connections to small and isolated communities continued to supplement passenger trains well into the second decade of . Or daily changes of clothing. . At this speed stagecoaches could compete with canal boats, but they were rendered obsolete in Europe wherever the rail network expanded in the 19th century. They took businessmen about their business which could now be conducted in person without agents. How far apart were stage relay stations? This road went over mountains, through deserts, and along dugways, often hundreds of feet above the bottom of canyons" (Waite). Some are based on location or station master names, distances from or to, etc. Later, he conducted a hotel there. If it had not been for the long stretches when the horses had to walk, enabling most of us to get out and "foot it" as a relaxation, it seems as if we could never have survived the trip. A swing station only provided fresh horses. Part of this was due to greatly improved roading see Turnpike trusts and part to improved vehicles. That meant a horse would pull the stagecoach for about a two or three hour shift. All of those things should be remembered when the romance of stagecoach travel comes to a grinding halt and reality rears up. The more numerous swing stations, generally run by a few bachelor stock tenders, were smaller and usually consisted of little more than a small cabin and a barn or corral. It was advertised with the following announcement - "However incredible it may appear, this coach will actually (barring accidents) arrive in London in four days and a half after leaving Manchester." The yard of ale drinking glass is associated by legend with stagecoach drivers, though it was mainly used for drinking feats and special toasts.[2][3]. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Stage travel was one way to get from Point A to Point B or even Q in the Old West stage companies hired drivers, guards, and set up waystations along the route for changes in horses and brief rest periods, perhaps even a meal. [7] By the mid 17th century, a basic stagecoach infrastructure had been put in place. A stagecoach is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. Travel by stagecoach in the west's early days was described by Thomas Donaldson in his 1941 book, Idaho of Yesterday. The steamer Tenino on a single trip from Cielo to Lewiston in May, 1862, collected $18,000 for freight, fares, meals, and berths. There were no overnight stops and the stage traveled at what was then breakneck speeds - for 24 hours a day. Stagecoaches and mail coaches were known in continental Europe as diligences and postcoaches. To be a driver for the Overland Stage Line was an exciting job, and the company employed a number of individuals who later helped to form the legends of the West, including Buffalo Bill Cody (1846-1917) and Wild Bill Hickock (1837-1876). BOX 236 POLLOCK PINES, CA 95726. Charles Todd, a son of Henry Todd, owns a grocery at Calumet, Oklahoma. Medieval couriers were caballari postarus or riders of the posts. Goods and people bound for Eastern Washington were carried by steamship from San Francisco to Portland, then transported up the Columbia River by steamboat to various cities along the river, from where they were taken farther inland by stagecoach or freight wagon. iv. Stagecoaches carried small parcels like samples and patterns and bundles of bank notes. [11] The London-York route was advertised in 1698: At first travel by coach was regarded as effeminate for a man. On November 1, 1866, Holladay sold his entire operation to Wells Fargo because he saw that the construction of the transcontinental railroad by Union Pacific was shortening his route across Nebraska. "Never attempt to fire a gun or pistol while on the road, it may frighten the team; and the careless handling and cocking of the weapon makes nervous people nervous. They also provided horses to other travellers.[6]. Once they had attracted passengers they arranged partnerships with the others along their route and after deducting wages and hire of vehicles divided surplus takings according to the work done by their horses. This new line connected the Pacific Northwest to the rest of the country by railroad. Food was available for travelers, but conditions were sparse and the quality of the food so questionable that travelers described it with passion many years afterward. Spinsters fair and forty, maids in youthful charms, Suddenly are cast into their neighbors arms; Children shoot like squirrels darting through a cage- Isnt it delightful, riding in a stage? [10], Steel springs had been used in suspensions for vehicles since 1695. While railways started being constructed in Palestine in the last years of the 19th Century, stagecoaches were still a major means of public transport until the outbreak of The First World War, and in peripheral areas were still used in the early years of British Mandatory rule. The average distance between them was about 160 miles. An owner's financial success depended on finding the right horses and suitable feed for them at a good price. The Pony Express Trail route went through a number of changes over time, to adjust to ground conditions, seasonal weather or other circumstances. Many interesting incidents connected with his father's life in the early days are fresh in the merchant's memory. The average distance between them was about 160 miles. By Grace Raymond Hebard and Earl Alonzo Brininstool 1922, with additional edits/information by Legends Of America. It was a similar style of passenger conveyance to the Berline coach. Stagecoach - Wikipedia Horse Relays | AMNH It is always a mystery to the passenger how many can be wedged into and on top of a stagecoach. The English visitor noted the small, sturdy Norman horses "running away with our cumbrous machine, at the rate of six or seven miles an hour". People's Histories include personal memoirs and reminiscences, letters and other historical documents, interviews and oral histories, reprints from historical and current publications, original essays, commentary and interpretation, and expressions of personal opinion, many of which have been submitted by our visitors. Though stagecoach travel for passengers was uncomfortable, it was often the only means of travel and was certainly safer than traveling alone. "Never ride in cold weather with tight boots or shoes, nor close fitting gloves. Coachmen carried letters, packages and money, often transacting business or delivering messages for their customers. A simple stage supposedly held up to nine adult passengers, but that was if everyone's legs and knees were intertwined. Their most profitable contracts were with U.S. Mail and were hotly contested. They only appeared in summer.[17]. Photo by Kathy Alexander. When the coach halted at Spring Creek for the customary watering of the mules, one of the prisoners slipped a shackle. Spent horses were replaced with fresh horses at stage stations, posts, or relays. [2] Sometimes, to be sure of return of the same horses, with a postilion as passenger. [8], The first route started in 1610 and ran from Edinburgh to Leith. With the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869, transcontinental stage-coaching ended. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Until the late 18th century, stagecoaches traveled at an average speed of about 5 miles per hour (8km/h), with the average daily mileage traversed approximately 60 to 70 miles (97 to 113km),[4]. The riders mounted fresh horses at each post on their route and then rode on. 7-8, T. 5 S., R 9 #.) Long-haul stages tended to run 24-hours-a-day, but some stage stops featured overnight accommodations. Still later steam vessels and some canal boats could provide stagecoach speeds at much lower prices. After the 2018 season, I walked away for family reasons. What happens to atoms during chemical reaction? However, lodging was often no more than a dirt floor. Horses were changed out at each Stagecoach Stop, which were a minimum of 10 miles apart. Mmoires du Duc de Rovigo, vol. [16], The development of railways in the 1830s spelled the end for stagecoaches and mail coaches. This highway passes through Pampa, Texas, one of the busy marts of the new Panhandle oil field towns, and passes on towards New Mexico. The stages kept on day and night, and so of course, the drivers had both daylight and darkness. Better suspension allowed coaches to travel faster and remain safe. Byways & Historic Trails Great Drives in America, Soldiers and Officers in American History, Easy Travel Organization Tips You Will Love, Bidwell-Bartleson Party Blazing the California Trail. If the below map does not display for you please click this Link, NATIONAL PONY EXPRESS ASSOCIATION P.O. The business of running stagecoaches or the act of journeying in them was known as staging. "When the driver asks you to get off and walk, do it without grumbling. How far apart were stagecoach stops? . Commonly used before steam-powered rail transport was available, a stagecoach made long scheduled trips using stage stations or posts where the stagecoach's horses would be replaced by fresh horses.