86R11883 CLE-D
By: Fallon S.C.R. No. 23
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The Butterfield Overland Trail, which crosses Texas
and seven other states, was used by the Butterfield Overland Mail to
transport mail and passengers from St. Louis and Memphis to San
Francisco from 1858 to 1861; and
WHEREAS, Covering a distance of nearly 3,000 miles, the
Butterfield Overland Mail was one of the longest mail routes using
horse-drawn stagecoaches in the history of the United States; and
WHEREAS, On September 21, 1858, the Butterfield Overland Mail
stagecoach made its first stop at the Diamond Station, just west of
Whitesboro; the well-documented mail route also included stops in
Sherman and El Paso; reflecting the sense of pride that Texans share
about the historic Butterfield Overland Trail, the City of
Whitesboro unveiled special signage in 2008 to commemorate the
150th anniversary of the Butterfield Overland Mail; and
WHEREAS, Today, Texans continue to use the Butterfield
Overland Trail recreationally; among the historic remnants and
artifacts for public use and enjoyment are historic Fort Belknap
and Fort Chadbourne, which served as stops on the Butterfield
Overland Mail, and a refurbished original Butterfield Overland Mail
stagecoach in Whitesboro; the stagecoaches were unique because of
the scenes on their doors, and no two coaches were alike; and
WHEREAS, The U.S. Department of the Interior has determined
that the Butterfield Overland Trail is eligible for designation as
a National Historic Trail because it meets all of the requirements
of the National Trails System Act and other requirements for
designation as a National Historic Trail, namely, that the trail be
nationally significant, have a well-documented route, and offer
significant potential for public recreational use; and
WHEREAS, A National Historic Trail may only be designated by
an Act of Congress, and congressional action to designate the
Butterfield Overland Trail as a National Historic Trail would help
to preserve and protect this historic route and its historic
remnants and artifacts for public use and enjoyment; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 86th Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby respectfully urge the Congress of the United States to
designate the Butterfield Overland Trail as a National Historic
Trail; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official
copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to
the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of
Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the
members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that
this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a
memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.