From 1858 to 1861 John Butterfield operated the fastest and most reliable stagecoach route west via the Oxbow Route that bent from the central Mississippi River deep along the Mexican border and up California to San Francisco, before the Civil War put him out of business. The trip took 25 days (or less) and carried mail, passengers and freight. The current parks along that route are below.

• From St Louis: Gateway Arch
• Wilson’s Creek
• Pea Ridge
• Meeting the stage from Memphis at Fort Smith
• Either via Fort Davis (see photo) or Guadalupe Mtns
• Meeting at El Paso: Chamizal
• Fort Bowie
• Saguaro
• Casa Grande
• Santa Monica
• To San Francisco: Golden Gate

From 1860-1861, express mail was carried by young riders—including a young ‘Buffalo’ Bill Cody—who would stop only briefly to switch ponies along the way. That trip took 10 days along the pioneer trail, but the completion of the transcontinental telegraph line later in 1861 put them out of business. Due to the simple nature of the operation, almost all of the original trail and stations are gone, but a few remain. I’ve visited stops and roughly driven the length of the trail by EV, and I recommend the following sites to enthusiasts.

• Stable & Museum in St Joseph Missouri
• Hollenberg Station in Hanover Kansas
• Fort Kearney in Nebraska
• Scotts Bluff in Nebraska
• Fort Laramie in Wyoming
• Heritage Park in Salt Lake City Utah
• Wells Fargo Bank in Old Town Sacramento California