Butterfield Overland National Historic Trail Through Arkansas' POPE & CONWAY Counties

A report of the author's four year search through Conway and Pope counties as he explored the disappearing route once taken by the Butterfield Overland Mail Company stagecoaches as they sped from Memphis to San Francisco.

Why, you may ask, is this search worthy of such an effort? From September of 1858 to March of 1861, Arkansas was a vital link in the longest stagecoach line in the world. The importance of this route is reflected in the January 2023 decision of the U. S. Congress and President Biden to declare this route "The Butterfield Overland National Historic Trail."

This National Historic Trail played a vital role as it drastically improved communication and transportation between California and the east coast.