Exploring Stage Coach Stops of the Old West: A California Road Trip | Journey With Murphy
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- Опубликовано: 10 сен 2024
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On this journey, I explore six different stage coach stops located along the former Butterfield Overland Stage Route. From roadside historical markers, preserved structures from the Old West, to abandoned 1850s stage coach stations, you’ll see it all!
The Butterfield Overland Stage Coach Route was a 2,800 mile path that connected St. Louis, MO, to San Francisco, CA. Though it was only used from 1858 until 1861 in its official capacity, that approximate pathway had been used for many years before and after (it incorporated many former Native American trails).
Join me as I drive through the deserts and hill country of Southern California exploring multiple Old West Stage Coach Stops!
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I am fascinated by the people who ran these stops.A couple was preferred, the wife to cook the meals for those who stopped and the husband to care for the horses or usually mules who had to be changed out, as you say, at least every 20 miles. So many of these stops were attacked by the local tribes, and often burned down! it's amazing so many still exist. Most military outpost had stage stops and in those, the cooks received government rations to feed the visitors. Ranchers really had no choice but to provide food and lodging as that was sort of the code of the west that visitors would be provided for. I am interested in any accounts of these folks, the meals served, etc. Often travelers were appalled by the food, and the bed bugs, and the nasty conditions, so a well-kept stop was a big deal.
I was never really into Western stuff at all and then by coincidence I ended up reading a whole bunch of westerns. Now I'm very interested. More in this stuff than the fake stories. Smoke Jensen is cool but I liked the details more. Some authors do investigation.
Yeah everything here is such great pioneer history.
I’ve heard the guys made a good living flipping those mules 😅
I’m always amazed how they just survived at all - in the summer desert or the freezing snow.
My great, great, great grandfather was a teamster based in Dodge City, Kansas during this time period. I'm not sure if he drove this route, but he did do some work for Butterfield. Later, when Dodge City's population grew, he and my grandmother owned a boarding house/saloon. The family later sold out and bought a ranch in Pittsburgh, Kansas. My grandfather and great uncle sold the ranch in the 1950s and Pops opened a steak house in Lake Ozark, Missouri. Pops served in the US Navy during WWII and passed away in 1996.
Really interesting about your great grandfather. I am interested in George Rath, buffalo hide king of Dodge (his hide yard was next to the "long Branch Saloon). Also the Lamberts who ran the stop at the first Fort Lyon(1862-66) on the way to Denver or Santa Fe. Wish I could ask your g.g. about them!
Fascinating to know that history about your great, great, great grandfather, very interesting story. Thanks for sharing. 😃
@@williambent9636 You can access the census from back then and get tons of information. I highly recommend it. It's all online and searchable.
@@julieshepherd5989 Thank you. I wish I had some photos of them.
25 years ago, my soon to be bride and I took a Memorial Day road trip from Lakeside, CA to Palm Springs. Since part of our route was through that area, we stopped at Oak Grove stage stop. Then there was no iron fence between the road and structure. The stage building was occupied then and there was a yard sale out front of antique bottles and glassware. A very lovely young lady emerged from the building and graced us with her hospitality. We figured she was part of a caretaker family that lived there. Don't know when they vacated and the fence was put up. Haven't been by there since.
Thank you for sharing that! Very neat experience you had. I’m not sure when the fence went up either- it looks like it does occasionally open to visitors and maintains its ability to interpret history, but was unfortunately closed the day I went by.
Watching from India.when it comes to US, Everyone shows LA, NY, Vegas etc. But nowadays people hardly have interest in concrete jungles , crowded streets & jam-packed roads . Real gold lies in old countryside.
Well said 👍👏
Yes and the old countryside is gradually dying. Many small towns here the main employer-industry long ago moved away. The only jobs are mostly local, state, federal government related. A convivence store whose main products are gasoline and beer. And maybe a repair shop. The young move away ASAP. The older stay put because they dont have the money to move to a bigger city.
It’s nice to see young people like yourself that’s interested in the history of the old west
Glad to hear that! I’ve always loved western history and hope to explore much more!
I love this video! I love American history too! 1958 was about 110 years before I was born. I drove x-country from NY to CA with a friend so I can't imagine what it was like riding in a Stagecoach with no AC on unpaved roads and danger everywhere. I'm guessing the Trans-continental railroad was a giant technological leap forward. Near the town of Julian is also a marker for the Pony Express, which I have actually been to!
I meant 1858! Whoops!
@@jaminova_1969 Thank you for the clarification. I was so concerned about your negative age!
watching from hangtown califonia the heart of the motherlode
@eddieeldorado-qw2nb
That would be Sonora Calif❤😊.
Howdy neighbor. from Oakdale.
Watching from Rail Road Flat, Calif. Great video!
Just discovered your channel! Just popped up on my phone. Native 65 year old Californian, totally enjoyed this. Ive always enjoyed long road trips accross our beautiful country, and stopping at interesting places and historical markers and such. So yeah, Im hooked now! subbed, and you did a great job here and I could feel how you were moved by everything around you. And thats a good thing! Take care and be well. 😊
I appreciate you watching and following along! 😃
that was cool thanks, I grow up on the Butterfield stage stop, we have timber from the stage stop repurpose in our home , crazy looking up at that timber ceiling, great respect for all those rugged people
That’s a really neat connection to the history of the area, thanks for sharing! 👍🏼
Thank you so much for this video, I never get enough of old west history.
Thank you for sharing these historic places, loved the scenery and watching ❤
That was totally awesome, ,the last stop u could see the stage coach pulling up , a hombre wirh hes hat tilled smoking 🚬 inthe door way howy there ,oh if those wall cold talk , what tails they would tell .
Ty 👍,just have to say prevention of the old West fix the hole in the roof & leave it as it is th ambience of this place is a piurein it self ,the sites of these places are unknown to many & many are in rapid decline, if you are oneof the ones that hike & adventure out to the hills & deserts of the hills of Golden California also known as the Athens Motherlode County, cause it is !🫏
Enjoyed your video very much. Thanks for the history lesson.
Rebuilt Vallecito Stage Station in 1934 ? I didn't know that. They must've used square nails in the reconstruction. Amazing!
Excellent historical program on stagecoach stops. My favorite subject! Thank you very much!
Thank you very much! I have always been fascinated with stagecoach stops myself 👍🏼
Fun! Part of my journey with Korean War Marine husband was in mountains above Palm Springs at stage stop where he spent some off-school time with an Uncle. My personal favorite is Agua Caliente West of Gila Bend, AZ. The waters are long gone to alfalfa, but there is a "cool" remnant of a spa that was also a Butterfield stop.
Very fascinating! Thanks for sharing- quite a unique history throughout the American southwest!
Good information love watching the history of this kind of stuff keep up the great work
Looking forward to more videos Murphy. Just subscribed.
Awesome, thanks for watching and subscribing! 👍🏼
Thanks for braving the elements to take us on this journey! Too bad about the last coach stop. Hopefully someone can convince a historical group to restore it to its glory.
Haha of course! Thanks for the comment. I agree- as cool as it was to explore the abandoned station (and eerie), it would be cool to see it restored.
Quite interesting. Couldn't imagine being bounced around in a stagecoach. ♥️👍
Many of the old towns in the Gold Country are about 18 miles apart because they were on the old Wells Fargo route and that was the distance between stage stops
Very interesting- I suppose they all knew the general endurance of a stage coach and where to place stops/towns. Thanks for sharing!
@@JourneyWithMurphy- It probably was more for the benefit of the horses, & their need for rest, water, etc. Just imagine the toll it took on the teams of horses having to pull such a heavy load in that heat, & sometimes they were also fleeing highwaymen or indian renegades. Horsepower beats manpower, but there are limits to both!!
u deserve so much more recognition, u should defo collab with some more known creators with similar content
Thank you, I appreciate you saying that. That is not a bad idea, I’d enjoy doing a collab!
Some people got very sick and even died from stagecoach rides.
It was a tough way to travel, that’s for sure.
Appreciate your videos. I cant get around like I used to, and your videos help me get outdoors.
Thank you for dropping by, I’m happy to share my travels!
My sister and her husband owned land that has remnants of the Butterfield stage stop We live in Oklahoma,southeast Oklahoma.Theyve had people stop by that were tracing the stage line stops.Really cool👍🇺🇸
I MISS THOSE OLD WESTERN MOVIES!!!!!
A New York City Businessman, what a shocker.
A local map of the areas of interest would be helpful in future videos.
As I listen, I think about my life and connections with the past. Thank you for the memories.
Thank you for posting about these interesting every day monuments to our Westward bound history. Do you ever post showing the trails and roads taken by the stages?
In my “western history of Temecula” video I do walk/discuss a small portion of the trail. But looking to discover and explore original stretches that aren’t just paved roads like what I saw on this trip.
Amazing video.
Thank you so
Much
local pronunciation is AH-Juan-Ga…nice video.
Good to know, thanks! 👍🏼
We are able to correct our American history only when we can tell it correctly, leaving the old European biases behind. There's so much to do. All of these basics are great for us to stay up with, thanks. I'm glad you can get out and see things. I really enjoy it too.
GBU
Outstanding video with so much history. I'm super happy to see a young person keep the American challenge of the past alive. Thank you for your wonderful work 🥰
Thank you so very much! I appreciate you taking the time to watch 👍🏼
@@JourneyWithMurphy You are welcome and I look forward to your next trip down Memory Lane 😃
Great video! Abundant info, great pics. Great narration. You were meant to do this😎
Glad you enjoyed it! Appreciate the kind words 👍🏼
Hope you've made the trip from Kingman AZ through Oatman, on to Needles CA. My grandparents made that trip in 1936 with everything they owned strapped to a 23 Mod T. When the forward trany bands began to slip pulling steep grades, nothing to do but turn around, and go in reverse till they cooled. Roads very narrow, no guards. Grandma would get out, and go around a bend, as she couldn't bear to watch the turn arounds!
One day I hope to do that! Really fascinating story about your family, thanks for sharing 👍🏼
I am interested in the old west all the time I live in Arizona and have hung out at a stage stop between Florence and Tucson a few times, somebody fenced the remaining of the building off too keep others out in an attempt to restore it, I think that is awesome but found out money was short, I have not been back I two years now and I think I'll take a drive soon, I o ly live about 7 miles from it...keep up what you do in the stores of history...
That’s very interesting! I appreciate you watching the video. Keep exploring! 👍🏼
My great grandfather drove cattle longhorns from Indianole Texas to Kansas and other northern states. He died in his 30s this life was hard on people they died young compared to us. His saddle rifle was down to me and Winchester 38/40 model 1892 it has the scares from riding through the brush on the right side of it.
Thanks for sharing that, quite a fascinating but rugged lifestyle.
Love old west history!, I have a small replica of a Wells Fargo stagecoach, its so interesting. Thanks for sharing this amazing journey. 😀🐴🐎🐴
Very cool! Glad you enjoyed it 😃
gday m8. hell i did not know i ran this stage stop one hundred and fifty years ago.
Thank you for a wonderful video! ❤.. I posted a bit of my family history below. This video was really special to me. 😊
Thank you! I appreciate you sharing that family history too, how neat!
Even with all of the "You Know, You Know, You Know's" it was still pretty interesting - Thanks.
😂 thanks- you can take the guy out of the Midwest but you can’t take the Midwest outta the guy.
@@JourneyWithMurphythat okay. You are doing a great thing. So enjoy the history you shared. Loved the commentary! Thank you for your walk back into time for us to enjoy. YOU KNOW. 😂😂 ❤
Great vid Murphy - Thank you!
I grew up in Hemet in the 70-80s. I heard a lot about the old days (1800s), especially riverside county a.d idlewild. You can still see the old stage coach route that went up the mountain. And plenty of other era gone by things.
Interesting! Lots of history out this way, just gotta search it out sometimes.
Someone recommended the book “Roughing It” by Mark Twain, and I’m sure there are others!
Thanks Murphy...like going behind the scenes of an old Western however real. Saved me some gas. I've explored some in New Mexico deserts and Oregon too. Neat to see what folks were thinking about in those days. Makes me wanta write another song! Mucho Gracias.
Hey, thanks for watching! I’d love to explore more of New Mexico and Arizona. You should write that song!
Hey Murphy. Thanks for the video, and occupying space in my mind for a bit. Travel safe!
love the old west im from texas
Very cool, fun adventure and great music
Hello 👋 my outdoors friend, greetings from Northern California. I just came across your channel and enjoyed the content. Thank you for sharing this informative video. The best of good things for you. Keep up your great work. Stay safe out there. 😊
your really good at this. Keep em coming
Thanks, will do!
Thank you!
Watching this from England! I grew up watching westerns from 1956 onwards! My mum loved cowboys and indians. Watching westerns like Bonanza,High chaparal The virginian was in my blood, the thing is I have never been to America but have visited an indian reservation in Canada ;0) - this is so interesting, and makes me remember my mum! Cheers!
Very cool, thank you for watching!! 👍🏼
Okay, your journey stoped, don’t forget Wolf valley in Temecula where the Buttterfileld stage c continued North.
Of course! I hope to do a second episode continuing north on the trail 👍🏼
Very cool vid. Such a pretty landscape. Love the old stagecoach stops. Even tho that old stage route only lasted 3 years it was still a chapter in our western expansion. Very interesting too that it was before the civil war
Thanks for watching! It is quite a beautiful landscape, with a variety of plant life and wildlife most don’t realize. I saw about half a dozen road runners too! Haha
I enjoyed your video Murphy! I also do CA History videos, all in my area of LA, SFV, Sylmar north to Kern River. Very thorough, enjoyed the Kumeyaay, the Warner Ranch House, your referring to the old west, I think of that all the time! I've done some videos of Lopez Station which was a stage stop in Granada Hills. It's currently under the the Van Norman Dam! CHEERS!
Thank you, I appreciate you watching. Always great to meet someone else who explores our history, especially out in CA!
I READ THAT MARK TWAIN WENT ON THIS ROUTE ONCE AND WROTE ABOUT HIS TRIP!!!
Given that Twain took the route through Nicaragua to come west, he might have indeed traveled in this very stage route to reach his destination. Might be a future video tour from Murphy, should he want to take the risk. I understand there are monuments there to the American Westward Ho movement.
Make sure you have enough coolant in your radiator
Life was short in them days.
So true!
this is an amazing and awesome video thanks for sharin this
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great video!! As a Californio, we always called Aguanga “ah-wahn-ga” the a’s are pronounced as “ah” as a doctor would have you say, or as the a in Awesome (like your video)
Thank you for watching! I appreciate the clarification, I am not 100% sure in the pronunciation sometime and try to research what I can before hand. Thanks again! 👍🏼
What an amazing time that must have been my dad used to take me to a place that burned down years ago and the plaque was even taken it was out in Leona valley across the street from a golf course looked like the one you were in back in the 80s before it was burned
In the day's before Buc'ees and Flying J to name a few.
The "White Lady" is the Old West, Anglo-Saxon version of the Mexican, "LaRosa Loca".
There is a very interesting book by Mark Twain describing a trip by stagecoach from MO to NV. Any
body interested in how the whole thing worked should read the book Roughing It by Mark Twain.
Thanks for the recommendation!
RUclips algorithm just brought your channel. Very interesting. Subscribed! 👍
Awesome! Glad you were able to watch the video, thank you for the support! 👍🏼
There use to be an old Stagecoach stop in the California desert. It might have been " Butterfield" it was Adobe.
Very interesting! It makes me wonder what else could be out there.
Awesome 😊
Very cool video👍
Thank you 👍
@@JourneyWithMurphy Your welcome☺️
Stage stations were like modern rest areas?
Ive always wondered how did people really travel "back in the old west days"? Did most people actually travel from town to town? Walk, horseback, stagecoach/wagon, or train?
Ive heard horses that are healthy (watered, fed, rested) and the terrain is flat can cover 20-30 miles a day without killing the horse.
Also that many towns are about 20-35 miles apart because that is about how far a person could travel in one day.
Were there trails or did you just head "that-a-way"? If the town was further or they were slow did they just camp right off the road? Just like today, it would seem dangerous to pull off the road and take a nap.
San Antonio to San Diego just sounds good lol
What a great way to start my morning! Thanks for another great video 🙌
Glad to hear that! Appreciate the support! 👊🏼
I’ve also wondered that in Western movies someone robs a bank, escapes from jail. A posse is assembled. They ride ASAP. The person on the run has a jumpstart. The posse will need to double time to catch up. The posse cant radio ahead. The old west was a big empty place. Reaching an average size town the outlaw blends in. What are the chances the outlaw gets away.
St George Cooke was Jeb Stuarts father in law.
Nice journey!
Thanks a lot!
While introducing the Vallecitos Stage Station, you mentioned the Jackass Mail Trail so I thought I would add a few more details about this stage stop. Mail (and a few occasional travelers) bound for the town of San Diego would leave the stage line at Vallecitos and travel on to San Diego on mules and horses...hence the name, Jackass Mail Trail. The journey would proceed over the Cuyamaca Mountains to the Descanso station, about a 14 mile trip. From this point, the pack train would proceed the next day down to San Diego. The Descanso Station essentially is gone today, but the little mountain community of Descanso, nestled in those Cuyamaca Mountains still exists. U.S. Mail bound for San Diego, packed on mules, took this route from the stage line.
Very neat! Thanks for sharing those details!
I grew up watching newly- made Westerns on TV back in the 50s and 60s. lol The southern route probably got popular after the shocking story of the Donner Party (1846-47) became widely known. Between 1846 and 1848 the Mexican-American War was fought so by 1858, USians could legitimately travel the Southern route without getting permission from Mexico. Then there was the Gold Rush in 1949. Considering that in 1887 Alonzo Horton paid $25/acre for downtown San Diego land, a $200 stagecoach ride from St Louis to San Francisco sounds insanely expensive! I wonder how many people heading West were doing so to avoid the Civil War that was raging between 1861 and 1865? 13:35 When you say "Julienne" are you referring to Julian? Btw - Aguanga is pronounced aWANga. [Awáanga] in the Luiseno language and it means "Dog place". Finally... why did the Butterfield Stage route end? I think it was because of the Civil War starting in 1861 and the construction of the first transcontinental railroad in the US which began in 1863 and was finally completed in 1869.
Thanks for watching (yes, Julian). From my research it didn’t last long because between the start of American Civil War, the wider use of telegraph lines, and ironically, a more direct route to the north, the Butterfield stage line went out of use.
The *intercontinental chose the Donner Pass pass through the Sierra's. Ironically. And dang I missed the 1949 gold rush by a dozen years, lol. I make the same mistakes all the time on these phones. If up to it I try and proofread.
The last Stagecoach building they really need to put a few dollars into that for a new roof and fix up what needs to be and keep it as historical building.
Agreed- I think that would be an awesome community project.
@JourneyWithMurphy keep up the historical videos. You did a good job.
Respectfully, California has 175,000 people, men, women and children, living on the streets in the cold nights and rain. Pitiful human beings laying, sleeping, on the sidewalks of Downtown LA. It’s a complete travesty that was easily predicted in 1985. So I thinks we should address that first.
What I think is they need to get off the drugs and go to work, Is exactly what's caused the beautiful state of California to turn ugly. I was born and raised there, and I just recently left because of all the problems. Until you address those problems, nothing's going to change.
One of MANY inequities!! NO one is likely to put any money into something that isn't "revenue-producing!!" After all, MANY of the indian reservations surrounding these old stage lines DO NOT HAVE ELECTRICITY OR RUNNING WATER!!
Cool is a fav word u use. cool
cool information. new subscriber.
Thanks for the sub!
Thank you. South Wales, UK
Welcome! Thanks for watching! 👍🏼
Stupid people in the past wanted the land but never thought the water wasn't there
Ask yourself who had the train first that sent the people to continue the ways
Are you coming north? My neighbor lives in what purports to be the Juniper Flats/Nuevo station. An old dam, pipes, and concrete creek bottom may be from the Butterfield stage or from a subsequent cattle ranch.
Have you talked to Bill Brooker?
That is the water may have been on our property.
Great video Murph. Just gave you a sub. Jim
Thanks Jim! I appreciate your support 👍🏼
Great story. Does anybody know id there is a book written about this part of the history of the west?
Mark Twain “Roughing It”
that was really interesting. what road is that? i use to live out west, miss it so much, the west is still wild, you better be aware to survive. you can dry up in the daylight and freeze at night in the desert. but my question, what road, oh yeah, i want more of these video's. thank you.
My journey began on the Great Southern Overland Stage Route, then went down the San Felipe Road, and finished on the 79. Hope this helps!
You do need water out there?
What is the relationship of the Overland Stage Trail and the Pony Express?
Great question! The Butterfield Overland preceded the Pony Express; however, the Pony Express was ultimately a more direct and faster route for mail, which cut straight across from Missouri to California. In fact, this route is likely one contributing factor as to why the Butterfield’s existence was so short. When the first transcontinental telegraph came out in late 1861, the Pony Express also became virtually obsolete.
Good Video Kiddo .
You're lucky that you didn't get carjacked kid. These places may be interesting. The video sure was. They can be a bit dangerous though. Even in this day and age.
D8d you ever ride in an authentic Stage Couch? As late as the early 70s, you could ride on a real coach at Knot's Berry farm. A real coach and four horse. Bone brusing and teeth rattling.
It’s funny you mention that, because we did actually ride the old school stage coach at Knott’s Berry Farm last year!
@JourneyWithMurphy Glad to see that they still run it after all these years. That's one of the original features I believe.
There was no admission fee years ago. I lived 2 miles from there many years ago.
@@michaelcase8574very neat! Yes it is a cool connection to the past, I hope they always keep it running.
Does it talk about people crossing our borders through there?
I managed the Warner Ranch in 97,98,99. The cow ranch. Is there anyway we could chat?
Very interesting indeed. Didn't the Butterfield Stage trail also go through Temecula?
Thank you! It sure did go through Temecula! I have a short video about that spot actually.
Are there no Historical Societies that would raise funds to revamp the structures?
That is a good question!
Dollar general replace the stage station
Can you go inside the Vallecito building?
I believe when the campground is open, the building is accessible on occasion. But it unfortunately was closed when I visited this time around.
I wonder why it didn’t last longer than three years?
I didn’t really get into it in this video, but between the start of American Civil War, the wider use of telegraph lines, and ironically, a more direct route to the north, the Butterfield stage line went out of use.
@@JourneyWithMurphy What killed them in Colorado was the railroad. I live along an old route, along the Santa Fe Trail, and the stage stops lasted even into the early 1870s, dying as soon as the tracks reached them, and the little settlements that sprang up around them. Buffalo soldiers often were the protectors of the mail and sometimes rode along, as infantry soldiers had to walk these trails. The Pony Express was another short lived user of these routes and the riders cut the times needed to deliver the mail even more. also freighters needed stops.
Trains?
The american spirit.... Tell that to the first nations.
Why do idiots always vandalize stuff?