“I’ve just had 24 days of Hell” – the first passenger’s review of America’s longest stagecoach

John Butterfield’s $1 Million Transcontinental Mail Enterprise

In 1857, Congress had a big dream: link East and West by mail in just 25 days. John Butterfield took the job for $600,000 a year.

His team spent over $1 million building 139 stations, buying 1,200 horses, and hiring 1,500 workers. On September 16, 1858, the first stage left Missouri.

Reporter Waterman Ormsby rode the entire 2,812-mile journey and later said, “I now know what Hell is like. ” Passengers paid $200 to travel non-stop with just two blankets and a canteen.

The historic route ran through Mesilla, New Mexico—the exact midpoint where you can still visit the last standing Butterfield station today.

Congress Told America It Needed Coast-to-Coast Mail Service

In March 1857, Congress asked Postmaster General Aaron Brown to find someone who could deliver mail from St. Louis to San Francisco in 25 days or less.

John Butterfield took on the job and won the six-year contract worth $600,000 per year. The government gave him just one year to create a working mail route across 2,800 miles of American wilderness.

This became the longest horse-drawn mail route in United States history.

Two Men on Mules Mapped America’s Most Ambitious Trail

In January 1858, John Butterfield’s son John Jr. and his partner Marquis Kenyon began finding the best path across the continent.

They spent months on muleback exploring the 2,812-mile route through mountains, deserts, and wilderness.

Their journey took them from Missouri through Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico Territory, Arizona Territory, and finally to California. They picked Mesilla in New Mexico Territory as the halfway point between St. Louis and San Francisco.

Butterfield Spent a Fortune Creating Roads Where None Existed

The company put over $1 million into building across the frontier. Workers built or fixed 139 stations about 20 miles apart along the entire route.

Crews dug wells in desert areas where water was scarce. Teams cleared mountain passes so stagecoaches could travel safely.

Each station needed corrals for horses and mules, sleeping areas for workers, and basic facilities for tired passengers.

An Army of People and Animals Made the Mail Move

Butterfield bought 1,200 horses and 600 mules to pull his stagecoaches across America. The company got 100 stagecoaches and wagons built just for the rough journey.

Around 1,500 people worked for the Butterfield Overland Mail Company.

Workers included station masters, superintendents, trail fixers, animal handlers, conductors, and drivers. Every station stored hay, grain, and supplies needed to keep things running through all seasons.

The First Coach Left Missouri with Great Fanfare

On September 16, 1858, at 8 am, the first westbound stagecoach pulled away from Tipton, Missouri. At the same time, the first eastbound coach left San Francisco.

Waterman Ormsby, a reporter from the New York Herald, was the only passenger who rode the entire westbound route.

Travelers paid $200 for a one-way ticket, which came with a 25-pound baggage limit, two blankets, and a canteen.

Passengers Endured a Non-Stop Journey Through Hell

The stagecoaches traveled constantly, day and night, stopping only briefly for meals and to change horses. Fresh teams took over every 10-15 miles at relay stations.

Passengers suffered through constant jolting, dust clouds, freezing nights, hot days, and almost no sleep for over three weeks.

John Butterfield told his workers: “Remember boys, nothing on God’s earth must stop the United States Mail. ” The coaches kept moving through rain, snow, and desert heat.

Mesilla Welcomed Exhausted Travelers Halfway Through Their Ordeal

Mesilla served as the key midpoint station between the coasts.

The town became the most important stop on the entire route, giving tired travelers their first real chance to recover after nearly two weeks of constant travel. Fresh crews of drivers and conductors took over at Mesilla.

Passengers got slightly better meals and lodging here than at smaller stations. The town grew because of its location, with businesses opening to serve Butterfield’s operation.

Desert Crossings Tested Human and Animal Endurance

The route crossed through America’s harshest desert terrain in what is now Arizona and Southern California. Summer temperatures often topped 100 degrees, making water the most valuable resource.

The company’s wells became lifelines where natural water didn’t exist. Stages traveled through Apache territory.

Dust storms could appear suddenly. Flash floods washed out roads during rainy seasons.

The Historic First Trip Beat the Government’s Deadline

Waterman Ormsby reached San Francisco after 23 days and 23 hours of nonstop travel. The eastbound coach arrived in St. Louis in 24 days, 18 hours, and 26 minutes. Both journeys finished under the 25-day limit set by the government.

When Ormsby finally stepped off the coach, he said: “Had I not just come out over the route, I would be perfectly willing to go back, but I now know what Hell is like. I’ve just had 24 days of it.”

Mail Coaches Ran Like Clockwork for Two and a Half Years

From September 1858 to March 1861, the Butterfield Overland Mail ran twice weekly in each direction. The service kept its schedule through blizzards, floods, breakdowns, and occasional hostile encounters.

Drivers became legends for their skill handling six-horse teams across dangerous terrain.

The route carried letters, newspapers, business documents, and government communications that connected the distant coasts.

The Civil War Forced Butterfield to Abandon His Southern Route

In March 1861, the outbreak of the Civil War made it impossible to continue using the southern route. Much of the trail ran through territory that would soon belong to the Confederacy.

The government transferred Butterfield’s contract to a northern route that stayed in Union territory. The original Butterfield Overland Mail had operated successfully for just 30 months.

Though short-lived, the service proved that regular overland mail delivery across the continent was possible.

The experience gained helped establish future transportation networks that would eventually include the transcontinental railroad.

Visiting Historic Old Mesilla Village, New Mexico

Historic Old Mesilla Village at 2410 Calle De San Albino was the exact midpoint of the 2,800-mile Butterfield Overland Mail route from 1858-1861.

You can explore Mesilla Plaza for free as a National Historic Landmark. Visit El Patio Cantina at 2171 Calle de Parian, which housed the original mail offices in 1858.

The Taylor-Mesilla Historic Site Reynolds Store Visitor Center offers free exhibits Wednesday-Sunday 8:30am-4pm about this historic stagecoach connection between East and West America.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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