25:
1151:. In May 1861, this company was given a new contract for the year ending June 30, 1862, to operate a mail service over the entire route from San Antonio via Camp Stockton, to Tucson and points in California. An attempt was made to fulfil the contract, beginning April 1, but with the development of the Civil War, and Apache attacks on the stations and coaches of the line resulting from the
1273:
1127:
Company began operating their stageline over the road, and using the station sites pioneered by Birch and Woods from El Paso, Texas, to Warner's Ranch, California. The San
Antonio–San Diego Line was not absorbed by the Butterfield line but on December 1, 1858, the portion of the route between El Paso
1110:
On July 9, 1857, 17 days after Birch concluded his contract, the first mail left San
Antonio and was carried on horseback, arriving at San Diego from San Antonio in 53 days. The second mail, which left San Antonio July 24, was sent by coach and arrived in San Diego 38 days later. The average rate of
1114:
Following the death of Birch at sea before the first mail reached its destination, his contract was transferred to George H. Giddings and R. E. Doyle. Woods was retained as superintendent with company headquarters in New York. Only about 40 trips were ever made over the entire route before the
272:, the dividing point on the route, where the eastbound and westbound mails met and turned back. Here was erected an adobe house and corral. During the company's existence it employed 65 men in all capacities, and owned 50 coaches and 400 mules.
224:
in San
Francisco. On the first mail run, they were setting up the line as the mule trains and coaches journeyed west from San Antonio. Superintendent Woods prepared a self-contained outfit for this journey across the unsettled country of Texas,
259:
Water holes were set up at 30 mi (48 km) intervals but many were unmanned and actual stations sometimes were separated by as much as 100 mi (160 km). These first stations were at most a brush corral and a
1247:
San
Antonio-San Diego Mail Line Stations and Mileage between them, derived from the newspaper article by a traveler to the Gadsden Purchase printed in the Sacramento Daily Union, 11 January 1858, p.4, A TRIP TO THE GADSDEN
1155:, the contractors were compelled to give up. The eastern portion of the line was curtailed June 30, 1861. The end came when the Camp Stockton to Tucson part of the line was discontinued August 2, 1861.
1276:, Shows Southern Immigrant Trail from Fort Yuma across the desert in Baja California to Southern California, with location of coach route between Carrizo Creek, Vallecito to San Diego, circa 1854.
149:. Birch was awarded the first contract for overland service on the "Southern Route", designated Route 8076. This contract required a semi-monthly service in four-horse coaches, scheduled to leave
1139:
which was put on a weekly basis. Between Camp
Stockton and El Paso it was put on a weekly basis. The service was thus improved to a weekly basis all the way from New Orleans to San Francisco.
264:
to house the keeper, while most were merely camping places at springs or stream crossings; camps would be made where the coaches stopped for the night. Only the three at San
Antonio,
1147:
After the final suspension of the
Butterfield Overland mail, March 12, 1861, the San Antonio and San Diego Mail Line reorganized and merged its interests under the title of the
42:
1304:
1299:
1128:
and Fort Yuma was cut from the service because it duplicated the service of the
Butterfield Butterfield Overland. The service from San Antonio to El Paso and from
995:
1294:
1324:
1319:
1257:
The Texas
Almanac for 1859, Richardson & Company, Galvezton, 1858, pp. 139-150 OVERLAND MAIL ROUTE BETWEEN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, AND SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA.
1274:
R.S. Williamson, General Map of
Explorations and Surveys in California, A.O.P. Nicholson, Washington, 1861, from davidrumsey.com accessed September 29, 2013
1135:
During 1860, the west end of the route from Fort Yuma to San Diego was ended, leaving nothing but the 367 mi (591 km) portion from San Antonio to
1309:
1084:
964:
89:
1194:
Beth Schneider, "GIDDINGS, GEORGE HENRY," Handbook of Texas Online , accessed November 30, 2013. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.
1091:
61:
988:
492:
485:
68:
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75:
194:
580:
108:
57:
415:
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46:
1016:
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146:
142:
1268:
1207:
Celebrating the West on the Move, 150th Anniversary of the Arrival of the Overland Mail, San Antonio-San Diego Mail Line
373:
884:
268:
and San Diego had substantial buildings. The largest and most important station between El Paso and San Diego was at
82:
1289:
1063:
815:
35:
1124:
1009:
1269:
California stations of the San Antonio to San Diego Mail route map.pdf from parks.ca.gov, accessed Nov. 14, 2013
177:. Then one would take the San Antonio and San Diego Line 1,476 mi (2,375 km) from San Antonio via the
780:
380:
178:
950:
631:
478:
209:
1077:
927:
854:
839:
787:
466:, and second crossing Pedro or Devil's River, 16.39 mi (26.38 km) / 75.35 mi (121.26 km)
269:
186:
205:
912:
898:
731:
669:
617:
596:
173:. There one transferred to a daily line of four-horse mail coaches traveling 140 mi (230 km) to
972:
221:
134:
905:
610:
1136:
773:
759:
551:
433:
247:(which was the military use for the same type of vehicle at that time), rather than the better known
226:
217:
603:
565:
957:
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877:
738:
708:
693:
408:
230:
213:
182:
1002:
943:
870:
516:
422:
306:
248:
174:
752:
1234:
accessed November 12, 2013), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History,
1227:
558:
1070:
1023:
639:
447:
392:
317:
1174:
846:
530:
170:
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1132:
to San Diego was upgraded from semi-monthly to weekly trips and its subsidy was increased.
1215:
794:
387:
327:
1231:
677:
662:
500:
454:
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808:
801:
745:
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440:
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334:
198:
1204:
276:
Table of distances from one station or watering-place to another from starting point
655:
572:
523:
366:
341:
310:
169:, one could take a five-times-a-week mail steamer to 540 mi (870 km) to
891:
766:
537:
462:
355:
294:
234:
166:
150:
141:, in operation between 1857 and 1861. It was created, organized and financed by
24:
348:
320:
299:
244:
138:
130:
157:
on the ninth and the 24th of each month, with 30 days allowed for each trip.
1129:
1031:
190:
154:
1184:, San Diego Historical Society Quarterly, Spring 1969, Volume 15, Number 2
216:. 87 watering places and stage stations were organized by Superintendent
265:
823:
1101:, 20 mi (32 km). 125 mi (201 km) total distance
1043:
San Antonio to San Diego total, 1,475.76 mi (2,375.01 km)
261:
584:, 18.86 mi (30.35 km) / 157.99 mi (254.26 km)
976:, 32.24 mi (51.89 km) / 95.12 mi (153.08 km)
396:, 7.13 mi (11.47 km) / 123.34 mi (198.50 km)
1111:
travel over the route was about 40 mi (64 km) a day.
681:, 14.14 mi (22.76 km) / 47.49 mi (76.43 km)
233:
with almost no existing infrastructure. The vehicles used were
1235:
18:
1238:; crediting Texas State Historical Association, Denton, Texas
643:, 35 mi (56 km) / 150.99 mi (242.99 km)
504:, 3 mi (4.8 km) / 96.94 mi (156.01 km)
193:. Once on the Pacific Coast the passenger could board a
1048:
Stagecoach Road from Carrizo Creek Station to San Diego
1232:
http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth123765/
931:, 16 mi (26 km) / 190 mi (310 km)
1177:
The Jackass Mail—San Antonio and San Diego Mail Line
1035:, 5 mi (8.0 km) / 85 mi (137 km)
858:, 29 mi (47 km) / 99 mi (159 km)
827:, 8 mi (13 km) / 305 mi (491 km)
204:
To accomplish this Birch entered a partnership with
712:, 6 mi (9.7 km) / 50 mi (80 km)
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
1209:, Old Town San Diego State Historic Park website
894:, 1st crossing of Gila, 15 mi (24 km)
8:
1106:Record of the San Antonio-to-San Diego route
1228:Table of distances from Texas Almanac, 1859
1119:Supplanted by the Butterfield Overland Mail
212:that already ran over half of the route to
873:, across Jornada, 40 mi (64 km)
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
1170:
1168:
255:Stations, water stops and camping places
1305:Historic trails and roads in New Mexico
1300:Historic trails and roads in California
1164:
1092:Rancho Santa Maria de Los Peñasquitos
1059:to Vallecito, 18 mi (29 km)
7:
1295:Historic trails and roads in Arizona
1205:Victor Walsh, State Park Historian,
47:adding citations to reliable sources
1320:Postal history of the United States
1230:, Book, ca. 1859; digital images, (
195:California Steam Navigation Company
1310:Historic trails and roads in Texas
479:Head of San Pedro or Devil's River
14:
222:Adams & Company of California
58:"San Antonio–San Diego Mail Line"
1182:The Journal of San Diego History
23:
1325:San Antonio–San Diego Mail Line
967:, 20.94 mi (33.70 km)
960:, 21.94 mi (35.31 km)
634:, 31.42 mi (50.57 km)
627:, 19.74 mi (31.77 km)
620:, 32.83 mi (52.83 km)
613:, 13.58 mi (21.85 km)
540:, 16.26 mi (26.17 km)
533:, 32.26 mi (51.92 km)
495:, 30.44 mi (48.99 km)
450:, 15.73 mi (25.31 km)
436:, 10.22 mi (16.45 km)
425:, 12.61 mi (20.29 km)
383:, 15.23 mi (24.51 km)
376:, 10.27 mi (16.53 km)
323:, 25.28 mi (40.68 km)
123:San Antonio–San Diego Mail Line
34:needs additional citations for
1069:Rancho Valle de San Felipe to
606:, 8.42 mi (13.55 km)
561:, 8.88 mi (14.29 km)
547:, 8.58 mi (13.81 km)
418:, 8.86 mi (14.26 km)
369:, 9.04 mi (14.55 km)
362:", 6.08 mi (9.78 km)
351:, 8.46 mi (13.62 km)
330:, 8.38 mi (13.49 km)
302:, 6.53 mi (10.51 km)
1:
665:, 5.45 mi (8.77 km)
658:, 24.8 mi (39.9 km)
554:, 19.4 mi (31.2 km)
519:, 4.29 mi (6.90 km)
481:, 19.5 mi (31.4 km)
443:, 2.54 mi (4.09 km)
337:, 3.94 mi (6.34 km)
16:Stagecoach and mail operation
1218:, accessed December 14, 2010
786:Dragoon Springs to mouth of
637:First camp on Rio Grande to
133:and mail operation from the
129:, was the earliest overland
1236:http://texashistory.unt.edu
1123:On September 20, 1858, the
672:, 3.1 mi (5.0 km)
181:and then continue north to
1341:
1064:Rancho Valle de San Felipe
793:Mouth of Quercos canon to
727:, 65 mi (105 km)
1149:Overland Mail Corporation
1143:Overland Mail Corporation
1125:Butterfield Overland Mail
1094:, 16 mi (26 km)
1087:, 28 mi (45 km)
1080:, 24 mi (39 km)
1073:, 10 mi (16 km)
1066:, 18 mi (29 km)
1026:, 16 mi (26 km)
1019:, 14 mi (23 km)
998:, 18 mi (29 km)
991:, 18 mi (29 km)
953:, 13 mi (21 km)
922:, 24 mi (39 km)
915:, 20 mi (32 km)
908:, 32 mi (51 km)
901:, 25 mi (40 km)
880:, 10 mi (16 km)
849:, 35 mi (56 km)
842:, 35 mi (56 km)
818:, 20 mi (32 km)
811:, 13 mi (21 km)
804:, 20 mi (32 km)
797:, 6 mi (9.7 km)
790:, 18 mi (29 km)
783:, 26 mi (42 km)
769:, 23 mi (37 km)
762:, 18 mi (29 km)
755:, 34 mi (55 km)
748:, 10 mi (16 km)
741:, 17 mi (27 km)
734:, 18 mi (29 km)
703:, 22 mi (35 km)
696:, 22 mi (35 km)
599:, 10 mi (16 km)
575:, 32 mi (51 km)
568:, 11 mi (18 km)
526:, 6 mi (9.7 km)
488:, 44 mi (71 km)
457:, 2 mi (3.2 km)
344:, 5 mi (8.0 km)
313:, 18 mi (29 km)
165:Birch envisioned that at
1315:San Antonio–El Paso Road
1012:, 7 mi (11 km)
1005:, 7 mi (11 km)
946:, 7 mi (11 km)
904:2nd crossing of Gila to
887:, 8 mi (13 km)
847:First camp on Gila River
776:, 9 mi (14 km)
632:First camp on Rio Grande
411:, 7 mi (11 km)
210:San Antonio-El Paso Mail
179:San Antonio-El Paso Road
147:California Stage Company
1115:service was curtailed.
779:Dos Cabesas Springs to
760:Rio Saur or San Domingo
270:Maricopa Wells, Arizona
187:Southern Emigrant Trail
1097:Rancho Peñasquitos to
911:Peterman's station to
852:First camp on Gila to
821:Mission San Xavier to
1057:Carrizo Creek Station
453:California Spring to
135:Eastern United States
1001:Lassator's ranch to
899:2nd crossing of Gila
890:Murderer's Grave to
623:Van Horn's Wells to
550:Escondido Spring to
543:Arroyo Escondido to
536:Leaving of Pecos to
354:Rio Frio to Head of
227:New Mexico Territory
125:, also known as the
43:improve this article
1015:Williams' ranch to
840:Pico Chico mountain
774:Dos Cabesas Springs
557:Comanche Spring to
231:Southern California
1214:2011-07-14 at the
1008:Julian's ranch to
906:Peterman's Station
816:Mission San Xavier
795:San Pedro crossing
772:Apache Springs to
616:Deadman's Hole to
609:Barrel Springs to
602:Point of Rocks to
571:Hackberry pond to
522:Pecos Crossing to
498:Live Oak creek to
491:Howard Springs to
439:First Crossing to
423:San Felipe Springs
421:Maverick Creek to
347:Camanche creek to
333:Ranchero creek to
249:Concord stagecoach
206:George H. Giddings
175:San Antonio, Texas
1290:American frontier
1175:Basil C. Pearce,
1076:Warners Ranch to
1024:Mission San Diego
925:Little Corral to
918:Antelope Peak to
897:Oatman's Flat to
883:Ten-mile camp to
814:Cienega Creek to
730:Cook's Spring to
706:Fort Fillmore to
661:San Eleazario to
630:Eagle Springs to
484:Head of river to
460:Willow Spring to
448:California Spring
446:Painted Caves to
340:Sabinal creek to
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996:Lassator's ranch
970:Indian Wells to
956:Cook's Wells to
885:Murderer's Grave
618:Van Horn's Wells
578:Limpia creek to
552:Comanche Springs
545:Escondido Spring
538:Arroyo Escondido
531:Leaving of Pecos
529:Pecos Spring to
432:of San Pedro or
414:Piedra Pinto to
379:Turkey Creek to
171:Indianola, Texas
145:the head of the
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963:Alamo Mucho to
781:Dragoon Springs
751:Ojo de Ynez to
744:Ojo La Vaca to
737:Rio Mimbres to
388:Las Moras River
316:Castroville to
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867:Maricopa Wells
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513:Fort Lancaster
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486:Howard Springs
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428:San Felipe to
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416:Maverick Creek
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305:Leon river to
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243:, also called
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189:from there to
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143:James E. Birch
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913:Antelope Peak
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892:Oatman's Flat
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878:Ten-mile camp
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60: –
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54:Find sources:
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32:This article
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965:Indian Wells
951:Cook's Wells
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765:Rio Saur to
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573:Limpia Creek
524:Pecos Spring
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409:Piedra Pinto
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374:Turkey Creek
367:Nueces River
311:Medina River
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127:Jackass Mail
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99:January 2011
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41:Please help
36:verification
33:
1085:San Pasqual
1029:Mission to
1017:Ames' ranch
958:Alamo Mucho
876:Tezotal to
807:Cienega to
746:Ojo de Ynez
739:Ojo La Vaca
732:Rio Mimbres
675:Isletta to
668:Socorro to
475:Fort Hudson
463:Fort Hudson
405:Fort Clarke
393:Fort Clarke
356:Leona River
326:D'Hanis to
307:Castroville
295:San Antonio
167:New Orleans
151:San Antonio
1284:Categories
1159:References
1078:San Ysabel
944:Pilot Knob
753:Peloncilla
721:La Mesilla
709:La Mesilla
694:Cottonwood
652:Birchville
640:Birchville
593:Fort Davis
581:Fort Davis
372:Nueces to
365:Uvalde to
321:Seco River
300:Leon river
245:ambulances
240:mud wagons
214:La Mesilla
197:vessel to
161:Foundation
139:California
131:stagecoach
69:newspapers
1130:Fort Yuma
1099:San Diego
1032:San Diego
989:Vallecito
940:Fort Yuma
928:Fort Yuma
559:Leon Hole
381:Elm Creek
309:, on the
208:, of the
191:San Diego
155:San Diego
1248:PURCHASE
1212:Archived
1052:Source:
349:Rio Frio
280:Source:
871:Tezotal
802:Cienega
690:El Paso
678:El Paso
670:Isletta
663:Socorro
318:D'Hanis
266:El Paso
183:Mesilla
83:scholar
836:Tucson
824:Tucson
360:Uvalde
85:
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262:jacal
90:JSTOR
76:books
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286:bold
229:and
153:and
121:The
62:news
987:to
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358:, "
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238:or
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45:by
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