Overland Trail and the Overland Stage

The Overland Stage travels for approximately 600 miles across the southern part of Wyoming from 1862 until 1867. Upon completion of the Transcontinental Railroad the need for the stage and the old trail was no longer needed and was abandoned. All of the links below are in the southeastern corner of Wyoming and are within a 45-mile radius of Laramie, Wyoming, where Aristatek, Inc. resides.

I have more personal knowledge of the Virginia Dale stage station; a man named Fred Maxwell purchased it sometime around the turn of the 20th century. It was Mr. Maxwell’s wish that local ranchers use the facility but ultimately the building and a small part of the land around it be given to the government as a Historical Landmark. The main stage building was used by all of the ranchers in the vicinity as a gathering place for parties, summer barbeques, holiday festivities and other activities. The local people contributed time, labor and money to keep the building in good repair and it was still being used for activities as late as the 1960’s. It saddens me that in the last 35 years, local dissention is blocking the restoration of this stage stop.


Stage stations on Overland trail, go to the bottom of the first page and you will see “A Clickable Map” link to maps of stage stops on the entire trail.

http://www.over-land.com/otrail.html 

Jules Beni & Jack Slade

http://www.over-land.com/julesbeni.html

Cherokee Park Dude Ranch

http://www.cherokeeparkranch.com/index2.html

Virginia Dale

http://www.over-land.com/virginia/vdale.html

http://www.over-land.com/virginia/plans.html

Tie Siding

http://www.over-land.com/tieside.html

Big Laramie

http://www.over-land.com/biglara.html

Mark Twain travel conditions

http://www.over-land.com/marktwain.html

Western stage stops

http://www.over-land.com/bigpond.html