Skullyville, I.T. and the Butterfield Overland Mail Route
By the spring of 1849, thousands of gold prospectors had made
their way across the country in one of the largest gold rushes in American
history. As more people flooded into the west, a more efficient means of
communication had to be developed. In 1857, the Butterfield Overland Mail Route was
established.
The Butterfield
Overland Mail Route was a stagecoach route that
served as the main conduit for U.S.
mail services. Originating in Memphis, Tennessee and St. Louis, Missouri, the two main trails converged at Fort Smith, Arkansas.
From Fort Smith, the Butterfield Overland Mail Route continued
through Indian Territory, New
Mexico, and Arizona, ending in San Francisco, California.
Once the trail entered Indian Territory, it
generally followed the already established California Trail.
Skullyville was the first stop in Indian
Territory on the Butterfield Overland Mail route. Located east of
town, the Butterfield station was the residence of Choctaw governor Tandy
Walker. This station became known as the Choctaw Agency-Walker Station (and was
later owned by the Ainsworth family).
Historically, Skullyville always
served as a gateway to the far west for both Indian and white migrants. In
1838, a large number of Chickasaw Indians passed through the town on their way
to new western homes in Indian Territory.
Around 1848, a few Seminole groups used the Fort Smith-Boggy Depot road that
passed through Skullyville. Large numbers of
forty-niners used the same road on their way to California during the 1850’s. As this road
was already established, it was a natural choice for the Butterfield Overland Mail Route.
During this time, Indian Territory
was still known as part of the Wild West. Criminals and outlaws frequently traveled
throughout Indian Territory. Because of this,
wagons traveling over the Butterfield Overland Mail route typically hired
several guards to protect the wagons valuable contents.
(Credits: Historic Oklahoma:
Gold, Choctaws, and Covered Wagons; the Story of Old Skullyville
By Urbane Chaos)
!['Skullyville, I.T. and the Butterfield Overland Mail Route
By the spring of 1849, thousands of gold prospectors had made their way across the country in one of the largest gold rushes in American history. As more people flooded into the west, a more efficient means of communication had to be developed. In 1857, the Butterfield Overland Mail Route was established.
The Butterfield Overland Mail Route was a stagecoach route that served as the main conduit for U.S. mail services. Originating in Memphis, Tennessee and St. Louis, Missouri, the two main trails converged at Fort Smith, Arkansas. From Fort Smith, the Butterfield Overland Mail Route continued through Indian Territory, New Mexico, and Arizona, ending in San Francisco, California. Once the trail entered Indian Territory, it generally followed the already established California Trail.
Skullyville was the first stop in Indian Territory on the Butterfield Overland Mail route. Located east of town, the Butterfield station was the residence of Choctaw governor Tandy Walker. This station became known as the Choctaw Agency-Walker Station (and was later owned by the Ainsworth family).
Historically, Skullyville always served as a gateway to the far west for both Indian and white migrants. In 1838, a large number of Chickasaw Indians passed through the town on their way to new western homes in Indian Territory. Around 1848, a few Seminole groups used the Fort Smith-Boggy Depot road that passed through Skullyville. Large numbers of forty-niners used the same road on their way to California during the 1850’s. As this road was already established, it was a natural choice for the Butterfield Overland Mail Route.
During this time, Indian Territory was still known as part of the Wild West. Criminals and outlaws frequently traveled throughout Indian Territory. Because of this, wagons traveling over the Butterfield Overland Mail route typically hired several guards to protect the wagons valuable contents.
(Credits: Historic Oklahoma: Gold, Choctaws, and Covered Wagons; the Story of Old Skullyville By Urbane Chaos)'](Skullyville_files/image001.jpg)