900 MILES ON BUTTERFIELD TRAIL [Hardcover]

A. C. Greene (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1994

"Remember, boys, nothing on God's earth must stop the United States mail!" said John Butterfield to his drivers. Short as the life of the Southern Overland Mail turned out to be (1858 to 1861), the saga of the Butterfield Trail remains a high point in the westward movement. A. C. Greene offers a history and guide to retrace that historic and romantic Trail, which stretches 2800 miles from the Mississippi River to the Pacific coast.

"A fine mix of past and present to appeal to scholar and lay reader alike."-Robert M. Utley, author of The Lance and the Shield: The Life and Times of Sitting Bull

"A. C. Greene, writing in his colorful style, has brought the old trail to vivid life."-Dee Brown, author of Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee

"Greene has sensitively compiled a refreshing . . . survey of the longest stagecoach line in world history. His own travels . . . bring forth an exciting companion to anyone wishing to visit famous stations and stops along this vanished bastion of Americana."-Library Journal

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Greene (The Santa Claus Bank Robbery, Gulf Pub., 1986) has sensitively compiled a refreshing and currently relevant survey of the longest stagecoach line in world history. The writer's own recent travels over the varied miles of the trail are combined with recent scholarship to bring forth an exciting companion to anyone wishing to visit famous stations and stops along this vanished bastion of Americana. We experience the frustrations of attempting to connect with elusive points of interest as well as the satisfaction of standing at the very place that so many appointments and transactions of a bygone era were made. Besides the thorough coverage of the St. Louis-to-California route, this work gives special attention to the sections of the trail that pass through the wilds of Texas. Additional anecdotes and profiles conclude this most satisfying addition to a topic last covered by the The Butterfield Overland Mail (1947). Recommended for public library and college U.S. history collections.
Bruce Alan Hanson, Wayzata East J.H.S. Lib., Minn.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

A. C. GREENE, often called the dean of Texas letters, was the author of more than twenty books, including A Personal Country. He was a Fellow in the Texas State Historical Association and the Texas Institute of Letters. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 293 pages
• Publisher: University of North Texas Press; 1 edition (November 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0929398734
• ISBN-13: 978-0929398730
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,083,261 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars STYLE, VERVE AND A VALUABLE CONTRIBUTION TO WSTERN HISTORY, April 22, 2004

By 

Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: 900 MILES ON BUTTERFIELD TRAIL (Hardcover)

As the carrier of the United States Mail along a 2,000 mile route from Missouri to California during the years 1858-1861, John Butterfield's Overland Mail Service holds a dramatic and exciting spot in the saga of western history.

Some 700 of the miles covered by the Butterfield line ran through Texas, and it is to this area that Greene brings his practiced eye. Noting that relevant historical points have surfaced since other works concerning the line have been written, Greene and his wife, Judy, researched by driving the trail. In addition to impeccable documental investigation, the pair walked many miles to personally experience this valuable portion of Texas history.

The book's first three sections document the colorful history of the Butterfield line. Next, the route as seen today is profiled, including a guide for retracing it plus some brief essays concerning events that once occurred along those miles.

Closing pages are devoted to a sketch of Waterman Lily Ormsby, Jr., who in 1858 wrote of his thoughts as he rode on the first Butterfield Overland Mail coach going from Missouri to San Francisco.