900 Miles on the Butterfield Trail

308 Pages·1994·16.836 MB·English

by  A. C. Greene

c:7vIiles on the Butterfield 'Trail
900
A. C. GREENE
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Views in Texas • A Place Called Dallas
Elephants in Your Mailbox (with Roger Horchow)
The 50 Best Books on Texas· The Highland Park Woman
Dallas USA· A Town Called Cedar Springs • Texas Sketches
It's Been Fun • Taking Heart
cJ\!Iiles on the Butterfield Trail
900
A.C.GREENE
University of North Texas Press
Denton, Texas
©1994 University of North Texas Press
All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3
Permissions:
University of North Texas Press
P.O. Box 311336
Denton, TX 76203-1336
The paper used in this book meets the minimum requirements of the American
National Standard for Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials,
z39.48.1984. Binding materials have been chosen for durability.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Greene, A.C., 1923-2002
900 miles on the Butterfield Trail I by A.C. Greene
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index
ISBN-13: 978-1-57441-213-0 (pbk.: alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 1-57441-213-2 (pbk.: alk. paper)
E-ISBN 978-1-57441-493-6
1. Butterfield Overland Trail. 2. Coaching-West (D.S.)-History.
3. Overland journeys to the Pacific. 4. West (D.S.)-Description and
Travel. I. Title
F593.G8145 1994
917.804'2-dc20
94-20107
CIP
DESIGN BYW. THOMAS TAYLOR
ILLUSTRATIONS BYTERESAAVINI
The maps are from Roscoe and Margaret B. Conkling,
1he Butterfield Overland Mail 1857-1869. 3 Volumes. 1947,
The Arthur H. Clark Co., Glendale, California,
and are used by permission.
Publication of this book was made possible in part by
support from the Summerlee Foundation.
This electronic book made possible by the support of the Vick Family Foundation.
'Dedicatory
For Bob Green - Brother, not of flesh but of spirit.

Table of Contents
A New Look
PART I John Butterfield's "gamble worth making" Begins-
From St. Louis to the Red River 7
PART II The Long &- Dangerous Days-The First Overland
Mail Trip &- Stations Along the Route 33
PART III New Routes-Up the Pecos, via the Guadalupes;
Crossing at Horsehead: to El Paso via Fort Stockton,
Fort Davis and the Rio Grande 93
PART IV Modern Travelers on the Butterfield Trail-
The Past Is Not Past: The Trail's Still Dawn There 129
PART V Crossroads 215
An Inspector's Report
The Great Gainesville Hanging of 1862
Other Mail Lines
Later Tragedies: Warren Wagon Train Massacre,
Elm Creek Raid, Turtle Hole
Faithful Old Dog "Shep" at Crow Springs
Bloys Camp Meeting
John Russell Bartlett
Death at Quitman Pass
Tragedy at Apache Pass
Rights and Wrongs of the Butterfield Trail
The Butterfield Stations in Los Angeles
PART VI Epilogue-The Dream Ends, But Legends Abide 261
Bibliography 273
Index 28]

Acknowledgments
There are several persons who were most helpful in adding in
formation for this book or were generous in spending time and
effort on behalf of my wife and me. Lloyd A. Siewers, of Minnesota,
President of the Butterfield Overland Mail Society, provided new
material which was put to good use. Paul R. Thompson, Ranger-in
Charge of the Fort Bowie National Historic Site (Apache Pass),
furnished insights that greatly enhanced our appreciation of that
lovely, remote place, and Ranger Richard McCamant, of Guadalupe
National Park, where the Butterfield Pinery station was located, first
told me of the BOM Society. In addition to Jackie and John Means,
whose hospitality is detailed in the story, we also thank Jim Morrow,
manager of the Fort Chadbourne Ranch, and Cliff Teinert, manager
of the Reynolds Long X Ranch. Cliff not only put up Jerrie and Fred
Smith, Nancy and Bob Green and Judy and me for the night, he en
tertained us with voice and guitar. Don Koch, manager of the Kent
Mercantile Co. that lonely (and welcome) oasis far out on Interstate
10, showed us the wagon and coach rebuilding project he and Cliff
Teinert are undertaking there. Betty and Charlie Dean, at the Dou
ble V Ranch in New Mexico, made our modern Butterfield travel
ers welcome, fed us heartily and bedded us down beautifully. And
Joe Peacock, of Bronte, steered Don Franks's report on "Head of
Concho" my way. Our thanks to each and every one.