The Overland Stage - Utah Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

We found a series of plaques when we visited the Sons of Utah Pioneers Headquarters building. The plaques are all outside on the north balcony.

This particular plaque remembers The Overland Stage calling it "America’s Greatest Historical Relay."

One entry in a diary kept by Mr. Damus Barnes, dated 1866, states: "It is not a pleasant, but it is certainly an interesting, trip. Coaches will be overloaded, it will rain, the dust will drive, baggage will be left to the storm, passengers will get sick, a gentleman of gallantry well (sic) get angry, the drivers will swear, the sensitive will shrink, rations will give out, potatoes become worth a gold dollar, and not to be had at that, the water brackish, the whiskey abominable, and the dirt almost unendurable."

Marker Name: The Overland Stage Marker Type: City Addtional Information: Full Text of the plaque: THE OVERLAND STAGE America's Greatest Historical Relay "It is not a pleasant, but it is certainly an interesting, trip. Coaches will be overloaded, it will rain, the dust will drive, baggage will be left to the storm, passengers will get sick, a gentleman of gallantry well (sic) get angry, the drivers will swear, the sensitive will shrink, rations will give out, potatoes become worth a gold dollar, and not to be had at that, the water brackish, the whiskey abominable, and the dirt almost unendurable."...Damus Barnes' diary dated 1866. (and) The original overland stage trip, St. Joseph, Missouri, to Salt Lake City, took 21 days to complete. In 1860, W. H. Russell of Pony Express fame joined Hockaday & Liggett as a business partner, bringing modern innovations to the stage coach company. He placed relay stations every ten-twelve miles, with fresh horses or mules at each station. He assigned new drivers every 80 miles, and cut the travel time to ten days. He also had stage coaches leaving daily, traveling in either direction. The coaches followed the Platt River to Carney, then to Julesburg, where it crossed the river; from there to Fort Laramie, to Fort Bridger, and through Echo Canyon to Parley's Canyon with station stops at Wanship, Silver Creek (Kimball's Junction), Mt. Dell and at the mouth of Parley's Canyon (in front of you and just to the left). Later this station was called Dudler's Tavern, and was owned by the Shear (Schaer) family. The "old line" stage coach was a swinging, swaying vehicle hung on thoroughbraces (multiple leather straps) instead of springs, drawn by six mules or six strong horses. The drivers covered the same route in either direction, and knew the road so well they could travel at high noon, or during the dark of night without hesitation. The coaches carried express packages and mail in addition to passengers. Each passenger was allowed 25 pounds of luggage. The mail was sent for 10 cents a letter (compared to the later cost of $5.00 for a one-half ounce of the Pony Express). In March of 1862, the Stage Coach line was purchased by Ben Holliday, a Salt Lake Valley resident. He had served as a courier for Col. Doniphan, and when he was only 28 years old, was a Wagon Master, bringing 50 wagons into Salt Lake City. For this he received sincere congratulations from Brigham Young. As a new owner, Holiday extended the Stage Coach routes into many small towns and mining camps, still using the coach road through Parley's Canyon as the main route. At the pinnacle of his career, he had five thousand miles of Stage Coach line in operation, extending from the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean, and into Idaho, Montana, and Oregon. He employed 15,000 men, and had 20,000 wagons or coaches, and 150,000 animals in his company. In November 1866, a "Grand Consolidation" took place and Holiday merged with Wells Fargo, the essence of his company being placed at 2.4 million. MAP OF STAGE ROUTE, PICTURE OF STAGE COACH & HORSES Canyon Rim - Heritage Chapter SUP, Dedicated August 21, 1986 County: Salt Lake City: Salt Lake Group Responsible for Placement: Sons of Utah Pioneers Date Dedicated: August 11, 1986 Marker Number: None Web link(s) for additional information: http://history.utah.gov/apps/markers/detailed_results.php?markerid=2458

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