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Within the year Wells Fargo established
its first office in San Francisco, soon followed by offices in
Sacramento, Monterey and San Diego, and within no time, in most every
mining camp in
California.
In its earliest days Wells Fargo did
not operate its own stagecoaches, rather, they sub-contracted with
those already in business. The company; however, staked its reputation
on protecting its cargo, and a Wells Fargo "shotgun messenger” sat
beside the driver, often protecting a treasure chest under his seat.
Later, Wells Fargo joined with a number
of partners to build the largest stagecoach empire in the world.
One of its earliest and most important
tasks included the transportation of gold from the Philadelphia mint,
a service Wells Fargo retained until a United States Mint was opened
in San Francisco in April, 1854. Another important task serviced by
Wells Fargo was mail delivery. Though post offices were first
established in
California in
1848, the public preferred the express companies, as they were cheaper
and faster than the U.S. Mail.
By 1855, mining activity had begun to
decline in
California
and several banks failed. However, Wells Fargo remained, soon to
become the dominant express and banking organization in the west. At
that time, they were the only company making large shipments of gold,
and continued to serve miners by delivering mail and supplies.
In 1857, Wells Fargo
joined several other express companies to form the Overland Mail
Company, which provided for regular twice-a-week mail service between
St. Louis and San Francisco.
Nicknamed the "Butterfield Line” after its
president, John Butterfield, it ran 2,757 miles through the Southwest
via El Paso, Tucson and
Los Angeles, before arriving in San Francisco.
The trek over deserts and mountains took about 25 days, stopping only
to change horses or for passengers to get food.
By the early 1860’s Wells Fargo had a monopoly
in
California on
the express business, sporting some 147 offices. Most of its stagecoaches
were Concords, manufactured in Concord, New Hampshire. Each carried
fifteen passengers, nine inside and six outside, including the driver and
a Wells Fargo messenger, and was drawn by six horses.
Inside each coach was a list of rules for
passengers. These included: |
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