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Stagecoach - Part One
Stagelines, Stagecoaches and Stage Robberies of the Old West

by R. Michael Wilson

The Stagecoach was an icon of the old west. It played a key role in opening the western frontier to settlement before trains made their
way west of the Mississippi River. Wagons could take months to
make the trip west, but stagecoaches made it to San Francisco
in less than a month.

What is a “Stage?”

Wasn’t a stage a vehicle? Sometimes terms become misused through repeated use, and this was the case with the term STAGE. Originally “stage” was a measure of distance. Coaches traveled from one place to another in “stages” of about 12-15 miles, and at each end of a “stage” was a station. A STAGE LINE consisted of as many “stages” as it took to get from the point of origination to the destination. There were two types of stations: the SWING station and the HOME station. At a SWING station the horses would be changed, and at a HOME station the horses would also be changed but the traveler could have a meal, perhaps spend the night, and might find a saloon, a store, and a livery. Sometimes other businesses were built up around a home station.

Locating a station on a route depended on finding necessities, and if they were not available they would have to be hauled in by wagon. These necessities included GRASS for the stock; WATER for the stock, farm animals, personnel and travelers; GAME to feed the personnel and travelers; and WOOD for heating, cooking, and building. In addition, stations stocked grain for the stock, and various spare parts and other items for repair or replacement such as king pins, harness, grease, horse shoes and nails, wheels or wheel parts, and the tools needed to keep coaches in good repair and the horses shoed. The horses changed out at a station one day might be used the following day, or if there were sufficient horses at a station they might sit out one or two trips before they returned to the previous station. Teams often went from one station to another and returned to the previous station for years, and came to know every detail of that small piece of roadway.

Stagecoaches traveled at the approximate rate of 8 miles per hour, so the time between stations generally was less than a two hour ride, and between home stations about a 6 or 7 hour ride.

What is a “stage” coach?

A stagecoach was any FOUR WHEELED VEHICLE pulled by HORSES or MULES. A stagecoach would carry passengers, express, mails, and freight, though on any trip the “coach” might be empty. To qualify as being a “stagecoach” the vehicle had to be a PUBLIC CONVEYANCE, run on an ESTABLISHED ROUTE, and on a REGULAR SCHEDULE; and even if empty it had to make the trip as it had to run on schedule, and there might be a full load on the return run. Stagecoach vehicles included spring wagons or dead axle wagons, surplus army ambulances, celerity coaches or mud wagons, and of course the deluxe concord coach. The mud wagon (known also as the celerity wagon) was used in the mountains and on soft roadways, if there were passengers, as they were lighter and the wheels were three inches wide, as opposed to Concord’s two-inch wheels. Selection of the type of vehicle might be determined by availability, the terrain – such as mud or soft sand, and the load to be carried IN EACH direction.

The size of a team depended on a variety of circumstances. First it was determined by the type of vehicle used and the terrain to be covered; the weather and the load, both in going from and in returning to the head office. In the mountains or on the desert a six-up might be employed, while in level country on good roads a four-up might suffice, or where there was a light load a buckboard or other wagon might be used with a two horse team, as this often did the job. However, if there was bad weather or bad road conditions, the number of animals in a team might be increased or, if already a six-up, would be driven at a slower pace.

Stagecoach Series
Stagecoaches Part 1
Stagecoaches Part 2
Stagecoaches Part 3
Stagecoaches Part 4
Stagecoaches Part 5
Stagecoaches Part 6

Click Here to Listen

Big Blend Radio Interview

R. Michael Wilson
discusses
Stagecoach
History!

R. Michael Wilson - Robert Michael Wilson, a retired law enforcement officer, has turned his expertise to examining stories and incidences that occurred during the "old west" time period. He has a penchant for the truth, making sure that what he writes is factual--at the same time, he has the knack of bringing the old west characters to life. Author of numerous western history non-fiction books, he has written numerous articles for various publications, and appeared on the History Channel's production 'Massacres' as an old west consultant.

Stay in Yuma, AZ

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Eat & Drink in Yuma, AZ

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