Not-So-Luxury Transportation of the 1850s
Would you want to experience travel from San Francisco to Springfield, Missouri, on a stagecoach in 1860? After my research for Clara’s Courage, I might forgo the adventure. Modern cinematography of that time period tends to give us a romanticized image of stagecoach travel.
For travelers departing San Francisco for the Oklahoma Territory during the winter months, the Butterfield Stage Line was the only one of the three primary stage routes that dipped southward enough to avoid blizzards and Rocky Mountain crossings. Because it prioritized mail over passengers, the accommodations were far from luxurious. Unlike the Overland Stage Company that traversed the country further north, the Butterfield Line did not have coach houses along the route, for the stage kept going day and night. Instead, the only stops were at way stations every two hours or so to change horses. That fifteen-minute window gave passengers just enough time to stretch their legs, visit the outhouse, or purchase a light meal.
The twenty-eight-day trip was partitioned into nine divisions. The First Division from San Francisco to Los Angeles most often used the Concord coach, the design we envision when we think of a stagecoach. (The Overland Stage Line and Wells Fargo Company used the Concord.) Los Angeles was a primary hub, and the town even had one choice for overnight accommodations. The Bella Union Hotel in 1858 was a single-story building that housed the courthouse, a tavern, a mercantile, and the printing press for the Los Angeles Star. Along the north side of the building ran a series of six-by-nine-foot spaces nicknamed “dog kennels.” These rooms had a short door, walls, dirt floors, and a canvas roof. No bed. No washstand. Just walls and a muddy floor. Trip Advisor rating: zero stars.
From Los Angeles, the Butterfield vehicle switched from the Concord coach to the Celerity wagon. The latter was commissioned by John Butterfield to be lighter and faster than the Concord. The result resembled a flat-bottomed buckboard wagon with rectangular vertical framing, a canvas roof and windows, and a boot (trunk) for the luggage. Think of it as a cross between a coach and a Conestoga wagon. Some of these had an extra bench in the middle and could carry up to twelve passengers if their legs dove-tailed for the journey. The only concession for comfort was that the back of the seats could be laid flat for sleeping. Next to strangers. Bouncing along rutted roads. Lying on unpadded wood. Doesn’t that sound like fun?
The Butterfield trail skirted the border of Mexico and the Gadsden Purchase (now southern Arizona and New Mexico) before heading across Texas to Fort Smith, Arkansas. The route traversed desert, Comanche land (one of the more war-like tribes of the day), and low mountains. Dotted along the way were a few military forts, the Butterfield’s primary resource for a blacksmith, physician, and protection against attacks. Once the stage reached Fort Smith, Arkansas (the next major hub), travelers heading to Oklahoma Territory (also called “Indian Territory”) would secure their own transportation and head west to Fort Gibson and pick up the Shawnee Trail (known as the “Texas Road”) heading north. This final stretch was a welcome respite for travelers, for the road was well-maintained and sported several coach houses (single night boardinghouses) along the route through the Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations.
The primary setting of Clara’s Courage and the Rugged Cross Ranch series is the fictional town of Prairie Hills in northeast Oklahoma, but circumstances beyond Josiah Collins’ and Clara McClintock’s control send them on the journey described above. How do they get to San Francisco in the first place? That’s a story worth telling.
Meet Josiah and Clara in Clara’s Courage, a faith-filled story complete with an awkward meet-cute, a marriage of convenience, and a sweet western romance. Check out the description below, and preorder Clara’s Courage to have it automatically delivered to your Kindle on release day ~ September 22, 2026. Preorder pricing will only last for a limited time.
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Have you ever visited a museum with a stagecoach? Was it a Concord coach or a Celerity wagon? Do you have a favorite novel, movie, or television show that features stagecoaches? My favorite would be the Hallmark series When Calls the Heart inspired by Janette Oke’s novel.
Anyone who comments below will be entered into the drawing for an autographed copy of Clara’s Courage. Be sure to chime in! I’d love to meet you!
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Clara’s Courage
A PRICELESS RING, A PERILOUS JOURNEY, AND A PROMISE THAT COULD CHANGE EVERYTHING
She vanished without a trace. He never stopped believing she was alive.
Three years after an awkward first meeting, Clara McClintock’s unexpected visit to the Rugged Cross Ranch forges a friendship with Josiah Collins that whispers the promise of something more. Receiving permission from her father to become her suitor, Josiah courts Clara via letters until she disappears with no clues leading to her whereabouts. One by one, the people in Josiah’s life succumb to the belief that Clara has perished, but Josiah never surrenders hope.
Far from home, Clara finds herself trapped with no hope of freedom or a future with the man she was beginning to love, yet she determines to hold onto her faith–a faith tested when a promise made to a dying young woman places her in the crosshairs of a dangerous man.
When an unexpected reunion brings Josiah and Clara together, their journey across the frontier is fraught with danger as a relentless pursuer closes in. With every mile testing their growing love and their faith, Clara must find the courage to trust God’s providence when the path before them seems impossible.
Sometimes the longest road home is the one that leads straight to the heart.
Clara’s Courage on Amazon
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A Selah Award Bronze Medalist, Christian Author Award Winner, Will Rogers Medallion Award Gold Medal Winner, and bestselling author of historical Christian fiction, Jill Dewhurst writes novels that seamlessly weave a page-turning story with the truth of God’s unconditional love. With her varied experience as an RN, a musician, and a homeschool mom, Jill creatively weaves a part of herself into each story. When not writing, she enjoys playing her flute and thanking God for the hubby who lassoed her heart for keeps. Publishing her Rugged Cross Ranch series has been a dream come true.