Most
know that U.S. 50 through Nevada parallels portions of the historic Pony
Express trail (and the old Lincoln Highway), but less well known is the fact
that the route also parallels what was known as the Overland Mail and Stage Line.
Fortunately,
a few reminders of this equally important transportation link—which operated
from about 1861 to 1869—have survived the passing of time, including the ruins
of several stone corrals and some foundations.
Before
the completion of the transcontinental railroad, the Overland Stage served as
the nation’s primary commercial cross-country transportation system. While it
wasn't cheap to go from St. Joseph, Missouri to San Francisco—more than $200 a
passenger—the journey attracted plenty of takers, including a young Samuel
Clemens (Mark Twain).
In
“Roughing It,” Twain, who seems to have enjoyed the experience, describes his
carriage as “a great swinging and swaying stage, of the most sumptuous
description—an imposing cradle on wheels.
“We
sat on the back seat inside. About all of the rest of the coach was full of
mailbags—for we had three days' delayed mails with us. Almost touching our
knees, a perpendicular wall of mail matter rose up to the roof.”
The
Overland Stage was developed parallel to the Pony Express Route, which had also
begun operating in 1861. While the two shared some stations, the stage line
constructed additional facilities between Pony Express stations because its
heavier stages required more frequent changes in horses.
In
1862 or 1863, the Overland revised the western portion of the trip across
Nevada, requiring the construction of new stations. These changes came just as
the Pony Express was discontinued and the transcontinental telegraph was
completed.
Despite
its hefty prices, the Overland was not a financial success. Money woes plagued
the stage line during most of its existence, even after it became part of the
Wells Fargo and Company in 1866.
Additionally,
the line wasn't particularly efficient. Attacks by tribes angry about the
intrusion of the stages on their lands interfered with regular service and
resulted in considerable delays and loss of mail and other cargo (not to
mention a few lives).
According
to one history book, mail actually had a better chance of getting delivered to
San Francisco by boat than via the stage.
Weather
also proved a serious problem, with the stage line resorting to sleighs to get
over the Sierra range in the winter months.
Of
course, the stage line was always perceived as a temporary measure while the
West awaited the coming of the Iron Horse. For a time, the two worked in
tandem; mail was carried part of the way via train, then transported by stage
between the not-quite-connected railroad.
But
on May 10, 1869, the last rail was driven at Promontory Point, Utah, and the
stage line quietly disappeared.
Today,
among the best and most accessible places to find the remains of the Overland’s
system of stations are at Rock Creek (near Cold Springs on U.S. 50, halfway
between Fallon and Austin) and at New Pass (25 miles west of Austin).
The
Rock Creek site, located adjacent to the highway and designated by an
historical marker, dates to about 1862. Stagecoach drivers could find fresh
horses, crude accommodations, a blacksmith shop and wagon repair services here.
The
site, surrounded by a high fence, is little more than stone rubble, stacked
higher at the corners, in a vaguely rectangular pattern. If you look closely,
you can still make out door passages and places for windows.
About
a half-mile north are more stone walls, also surrounded by a fence, which are
all that remains of a telegraph repeater and maintenance station. This
facility, also built in the early 1860s, was part of the Overland
Telegraph-Pacific Telegraph Company's transcontinental line, built in 1861
between Omaha, Nebraska and Sacramento. This structure was abandoned in August
1869.
About
a mile and half east of the Rock Creek site is the location of the Cold Springs
Pony Express Station. These substantial rock ruins, which can only be reached
on foot, are considered to be among the best-preserved Pony Express ruins in
Nevada.
At
New Pass, you can find slightly more substantial rock walls, also protected by
a wire fence. Apparently, the roof of this native stone structure, now long
gone, consisted of bundles of stacked willow twigs.
The
historic marker notes that a nearby spring proved inadequate for the station's
use, so water was brought in from a ranch a mile away. This site also once
included a small hotel and store, which served local miners.
Other
Overland Stage buildings still intact include: a crude, wooden Ruby Valley Pony
Express cabin, which was moved to the Northeastern Nevada Museum in Elko in
1976; the restored Bucklands Station building at Fort Churchill State Park; the
International Hotel in Austin; and Friday's Station (now a private home) at
South Lake Tahoe.
