Butterfield Overland Stage

On September 16, 1857, John Butterfield, a New Yorker, received a contract with the U.S. Post Office Department to establish reliable transportation between Missouri and San Francisco. As a young man he joined with Henry Wells and William Fargo to establish the American Express Company. Later, Wells and Fargo set up their own operations in California, separate from American Express. The California Route traversed from the south east part of the state through Los Angeles to the San Joaquin Valley. The Pacheo Pass Route brought the stages in to the coastal region joining El Camino Real in Gilroy and on to San Francisco. From September 14, 1858, Butterfield service was regular and reliable until January 1861, when the company livestock and equipment became the targets of southern sympathizers. March 6, 1861 was the last coach over the Butterfield Route.

Gilroy, California · United States