ᚱ
The route is prolific in interest to the naturalist, the mineralogist, and all who love to contemplate nature in her wildest varieties, and throughout the whole 2,700 miles the interest is not allowed to flag. I have found the deserts teeming with curious plants and animal life, the mountain passes prolific in the grandest scenery, and the fruitful valleys suggestive on an earthly paradise.
Waterman L. Ormsby, “The Butterfield Overland Mail” printed in the New York Herald, Thursday, 11 November 1858
The Butterfield Overland Mail Stagecoach Route was the first interstate system in the United States of America, and pivotal in our development as a coast-to-coast thriving economic powerhouse… it was the predecessor to the Pony Express, railways, and the interstate systems we all use today.
I first discovered the Butterfield in 2016 while living in the Middle East. I was researching trails to explore when I returned to the United States and came across this fascinating piece of American History. I began gathering sources and information on the trail, planning for an extended expedition of the publicly-accessible lands.
In April and May of 2018, I solo-traversed a large section of the trail (Divisions 2-4) from Southern California to Texas. It was an incredible journey full of challenges, unexpected turns, and extremely refreshing solitude.
I’m also proud to announce a thoroughly detailed hard-copy account of my travels and deep dive historical analysis of the trail and its significance on the American West and our world will be available internationally, coming soon…
I’ve created a Fourteen-Part film series documenting my adventure, paired with history, sights, sounds, and the wonderful people I met along my journey… enjoy!