After twenty years of effort by the Heritage Trail Partners, and Arkansas Senator John Boozman, in December of 2022, the US Congress established this route as The Butterfield National Historic Trail. That historic decision brings up the task of determining exactly where that trail crossed Faulkner County. This book outlines the two year process the author followed to determine its exact route across Faulkner County. Between September, 1858 and March of 1861, passengers and mail carried by the Overland Mail Company departed Memphis twice a week. Passing through Des Arc, Arkansas they crossed Faulkner County about 520 times on their journey toward Fort Smith. At Fort Smith, after merging with the stagecoach from St. Louis, mail and passengers traveled day and night toward San Francisco.
After twenty years of effort by the Heritage Trail Partners, and Arkansas Senator John Boozman, in December of 2022, the US Congress established this route as The Butterfield National Historic Trail. That historic decision brings up the task of determining exactly where that trail crossed Faulkner County. This book outlines the two year process the author followed to determine its exact route across Faulkner County. Between September, 1858 and March of 1861, passengers and mail carried by the Overland Mail Company departed Memphis twice a week. Passing through Des Arc, Arkansas they crossed Faulkner County about 520 times on their journey toward Fort Smith. At Fort Smith, after merging with the stagecoach from St. Louis, mail and passengers traveled day and night toward San Francisco.
