Butterfield Overland Mail in Arkansas and Missouri
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 [1]
8th_Division
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)
Missouri Stations
- Harbin's Station
- Crouch's Station
- Smith's Station
- Ashmore's Station
- Springfield
- Evan's Station
- 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
