The Overland Stage and Telegraph Lines

The Overland Stage and Telegraph Lines

Sweetwater Station, about fifty miles southwest from Platte Bridge Station, or Fort Caspar, as it in time was called, the first station after leaving the North Platte. A telegraph station two miles east of Independence Rock.

Independence Rock, Wyoming. A noted landmark composed of almost one solid rock one mile around its base. Father De Smet, in 1852, called this "The Register of the Desert," for even by this time the faces of the rock were filled with names that had been carved indelibly on its surface. Many of them, made even before the '60's, may be traced today.

Independence Rock, Wyoming, courtesy Kansas State Historical Society.

Three Crossings Station, one hundred and twenty miles southwest of Fort Caspar; a telegraph station. It received this name from the fact that, on account of the bends in the river within a few rods, it was necessary to ford the Sweetwater three times. It was at this part of the route that Indians were encountered, and the road-agents made their headquarters in the mountains near here. It was at this station, in 1866, Buffalo Bill (William F. Cody) while driving an overland express, was attacked by several hundred Sioux.The experiences of this raid, Colonel Cody presented in a realistic manner in the early days of his Wild West Show.

St. Mary's Station, also called Rocky Ridge Station; about three hundred miles from Fort Laramie; twelve miles below the old town of Lewiston, and eighteen miles from the old mining camp of South Pass City. This never became a station on account of its distance from the Trail. It was located over ten miles north of the Oregon Trail.

South Pass Station, or Burnt Fort; nine hundred and forty-seven miles from Independence and half-way to Fort Vancouver. At this point the emigrants had great rejoicings, for then they were half over their long and dangerous journey. The wide rift of the Rocky Mountains at this point made the trail not only possible, but very easy of passage.

Pacific Springs Station, fourteen miles further to the west. Here, for the first time, the emigrants tasted the waters that flowed towards the Pacific Ocean.

Fort Bridger; in 1834 a small inferior trading post; built in a substantial way in 1843 by Jim Bridger; occupied by the United States Military forces from June 10, 1858, to October 6, 1890.

Fort Hall, one thousand, two hundred and eighty-eight miles from the starting point, built July, 1834, by Nathaniel J. Wyeth and his fifty men. The first important station on the waters that fed the Columbia River. Fort abandoned in 1855." A road to California branched to the southwest from this fort, called the California Trail, which, after the finding of gold at Sacramento, became as much a thoroughfare as the road to Oregon.

Fort Vancouver, 1860.

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Fort Boise, built by the Hudson Bay Company on the Snake River, eight miles below the mouth of the Boise.

Fort Vancouver, the end of the original Oregon Trail, two thousand and twenty miles from Independence, one hundred and forty-four miles from the mouth of the Columbia, and one hundred and four miles from the site of old Astoria.

By the South Platte Route, the following were some of the more important military, stage, and telegraph stations:

Julesburg, two hundred miles from Fort Kearny, one hundred and ninety-seven miles from Denver, one hundred and eighty-four miles from Fort Laramie and four hundred and fifty-six miles from Fort Atchison, on the south side of the South Platte River, near where
Lodge Pole Creek enters the river.

Fort Sedgwick, five miles west of Julesburg, named for Major-General John Sedgwick, also called Fort Rankin, established in the fall of 1864. This fort was the beginning of the Bozeman Trail, a road that caused Indian wars and most hostile feeling and demonstration against the whites.

Lodge Pole Creek Crossing; about thirty-three miles from Julesburg; a telegraph station. The trail and telegraph line were on the south side of this stream for about thirty miles, when both turned to the northwest, leaving the stream, going directly to Chimney Rock on the Oregon Trail, and on to Fort Laramie.

Camp Walbach, directly west of the crossing at the head of Lodge Pole Creek; established to guard and protect the emigrants through Cheyenne Pass, a dangerous spot on this new trail. Established as a military post September 20, 1858; abandoned, April 19, 1859. Named for General J. B. Walbach, who said at the time the camp was constructed: "This was the route which should have been adopted when the road was changed from the Sweetwater and South Pass in 1862," meaning changing from the Oregon Trail to the Overland Route. After going through Cheyenne Pass, the emigrants were soon on the Laramie Plains, where this trail connected and became a part of the Overland Stage Route from the south. This road was never a mail route, but strictly and exclusively one for emigrants, who were driven from the Oregon Trail, unless in caravans, by the hostility of the Indians. From the plains the next station was Fort Halleck.

Latham, first known as "Cherokee City", was a mail and stage station at the junction of the Denver and California stage lines, one hundred and thirty-five miles west of Julesburg on the South Platte route, along the south side of the South Platte. The direct route from Latham to the Pacific was west to La Porte; the indirect route went southwest to Denver. From Latham thirty-five miles east of La Porte and sixty-one miles from Denver, and northwest from Denver went the Overland Stage Route to Virginia Dale, Fort Halleck, and then directly west to Utah. Jack Slade also known as Joe Slade and occasionally called Alf Slade, figured quite prominently at this station, for it is here that he is alleged to have cut off the ears of "Old Jules" Beni, from whom the station was named, and wore them for a watch charm, because Jules had, on one occasion over a quarrel, filled Slade with shot.

Camp Collins, also called Fort Collins, named for Colonel Wm. O. Collins, north of Denver, along the Cache La Poudre River. This section of the Overland Route was also called the Cache La Poudre Road.

Virginia Dale Station; forty miles north of Camp Collins; both a stage and telegraph station, just south of the Colorado-Wyoming boundary line, established in 1862; abandoned in 1867, when the Union Pacific Railroad was constructed. From here, not only did the road run to the northwest over the Laramie Plains to Fort Halleck, but struck off to the northeast to Camp Walbach and on to Fort Laramie. This station was known far and wide, largely for the holdups in the neighborhood and the depredations of Indians and desperadoes. Horace Greeley and Mark Twain stopped at this station in its earliest days on their way to the West. Jack Slade (Joseph A. Slade) was division agent at this station. The old station house yet stands, scarred by many a bullet in the days of dangerous travel.

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