Oak Grove Butterfield Stage Station

Overland Mail stagecoach stop in California

United States historic place

Significant dates

Oak Grove Butterfield Stage Station
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
California Historical Landmark No. 482
California Historical Landmark No. 502

Oak Grove Butterfield Stage Station
Show map of San Diego County, CaliforniaShow map of CaliforniaShow map of the United States
Location	Warner Springs area, San Diego County, California
Coordinates	33°23′23.02″N 116°47′38.75″W / 33.3897278°N 116.7940972°W / 33.3897278; -116.7940972
Built	1858
NRHP reference No.	66000222
CHISL No.	482
CHISL No.	502
Added to NRHP	October 15, 1966
Designated NHL	November 5, 1961

Oak Grove Butterfield Stage Station is a stage station in the western foothills of the Laguna Mountains, in northern San Diego County, California. It is located on State Route 79, 13 miles (21 km) northwest of Warner Springs and Warner's Ranch. The station was built on the site of Camp Wright, an 1860s Civil War outpost.

Camp Wright

During the American Civil War, Camp Wright was a Union Army outpost in the Pacific coast theater of the American Civil War. It was established to protect the route to Fort Yuma on the Colorado River, and intercept secessionist sympathizers traveling to the east to join the Confederate Army. A detachment of California Volunteer cavalry and infantry first established Camp Wright at Warner's Ranch near Warner Springs, in October 1861. The cold and windy conditions in the higher altitude of the exposed San Jose Valley caused the commander to change its site to the more sheltered Oak Grove location in November.

At about the same time, the Dan Showalter party of secessionists were attempting to avoid the post and make their way across the desert to join the Confederate Army in Texas. They were pursued from Temecula by a 1st Regiment California Volunteer Cavalry patrol from Camp Wright, intercepted in the hills west of the San Jose Valley (site of Warner's Ranch) with the support of a 1st California Infantry detachment from the camp, and captured without shots being fired November 20–29, 1861. After being imprisoned at Fort Yuma, Showalter and the others were released upon swearing loyalty to the Union. They later made their way to the Confederacy.

For a short time in March 1862 Camp Wright was the headquarters of the 5th Regiment California Volunteer Infantry before it moved on. Used for the rest of the war as a transit camp for troops moving along the road to and from New Mexico Territory and Arizona Territory, the camp was abandoned in 1866.

The Oak Grove Butterfield Stage Station, in operation between 1858 and 1860, is the only surviving station of the Butterfield Overland Mail stagecoach line across the Western United States. The adobe building the stagecoach station used was built in 1858, and on the former site of Camp Wright (1861–1862). It was a stop between Los Angeles and Fort Yuma on the San Francisco to St. Louis route. It is a well-preserved one-story adobe building among California oak woodlands.

Historic Landmarks

The site of Camp Wright was registered as a California Historical Landmark in 1950.

The Oak Grove Butterfield Stage Station on its site was registered as a separate California Historical Landmark in 1952. The Oak Grove station was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1961. The location of another nearby station at Warner's Ranch is also a National Historic Landmark.

References

^ "Camp Wright". Office of Historic Preservation, California State Parks. Retrieved October 13, 2012.
^ "Oak Grove". Office of Historic Preservation, California State Parks. Retrieved October 13, 2012.
"National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
^ "Oak Grove Butterfield Stage Station". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on November 14, 2007. Retrieved November 18, 2007.
Warner Spring Ranch Resort.com: History— John Warner Archived June 6, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
Colonel Herbert M. Hart, USMC (retired), Historic California Posts: Camp Wright from Pioneer Forts of the Far West, published in 1965, The California State Military Museum
Bill Virden, THE AFFAIR AT MINTER'S RANCH, The Journal of San Diego History, SAN DIEGO HISTORICAL SOCIETY QUARTERLY, April 1961, Volume 7, Number 2 Archived 2011-06-04 at the Wayback Machine
Records of California men in the war of the rebellion 1861 to 1867, By California. Adjutant General's Office, SACRAMENTO: State Office, J. D. Young, Supt. State Printing. 1890. p.672
Patricia Heintzelman and Charles Snell (1975) National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Oak Grove Butterfield Station, National Park Service and Accompanying three photos, exterior, from 1954, 1975 and undated.

External links

v t e Butterfield Overland Mail 2nd Division Stations
Los Angeles – Located 12 miles southeast of Cahuenga Station in the pueblo of Los Angeles. The 2nd Division headquarters was in a brick building, consisting of an office, blacksmith shop, stables and sheds. Monte – Located 13 miles east of Los Angeles. Rancho San Jose – Located 12 miles east of Monte in present-day Pomona. Rancho Santa Ana del Chino – Located 12 miles southeast of Rancho San Jose. Temescal Station – Located 20 miles southeast of Rancho Santa Ana del Chino. Laguna Grande Station – Located 10 miles southeast of Temescal Station, near present-day Lake Elsinore. Alamos or Willow Springs Station – a later station, 11 miles south of Laguna Grande Station. Temecula Station – Located 21 miles southeast of Laguna Grande Station. Tejungo Station – Located 14 miles east of Temecula Station, near Aguanga Oak Grove Stage Station – Located 12 miles southeast of Tejungo Station. Warner's Ranch – Located 10 miles southeast of Oak Grove Station. San Felipe Station – Located 10 miles southeast of Warner's Ranch, northwest of nearby Scissors Crossing. Vallecito Station – Located 18 miles southeast of San Felipe Station. Palm Spring Station – Located 9 miles southeast of Vallecito Station at Palm Spring. Carrizo Creek Station – Located 9 miles east southeast of Palm Spring Station. Sackett's Wells – a later station, located 171⁄2 miles east southeast of Carrizo Creek Station, 15 miles west northwest of Indian Wells. Indian Wells Station – Located 32 miles southeast of Carisso Creek, near present day Heber, no water except at station. New River Station – a later station, located 15 miles southeast of Indian Wells Station, in Baja California, 14 miles west of Alamo Mocho Station, in present day Mexicali. Alamo Mocho Station – Located south of the Mexican border in Baja California, 38 miles east of Indian Wells Station, no water except at station. Gardner's Wells Station – a later station, located south of the Mexican border in Baja California, 9 miles east of Alamo Mocho and 9 miles west of Seven Wells. Salt or Seven Wells – a later well, located south of the Mexican border in Baja California, 18 miles east of Alamo Mucho. Cooke's Wells Station – Located south of the Mexican border in Baja California, 22 miles east of Alamo Mocho Station, no water except at station. Pilot Knob Station – Located 18 miles east of Cooke's Wells. Fort Yuma Station – Located 10 miles east of Pilot Knob Station. Source: "List of Butterfield Overland Mail Stations "Itinerary of the Route"" (PDF). New York Times. October 14, 1858.

Butterfield Overland Mail 2nd Division Stations

Los Angeles – Located 12 miles southeast of Cahuenga Station in the pueblo of Los Angeles. The 2nd Division headquarters was in a brick building, consisting of an office, blacksmith shop, stables and sheds.
Monte – Located 13 miles east of Los Angeles.
Rancho San Jose – Located 12 miles east of Monte in present-day Pomona.
Rancho Santa Ana del Chino – Located 12 miles southeast of Rancho San Jose.
Temescal Station – Located 20 miles southeast of Rancho Santa Ana del Chino.
Laguna Grande Station – Located 10 miles southeast of Temescal Station, near present-day Lake Elsinore.
Alamos or Willow Springs Station – a later station, 11 miles south of Laguna Grande Station.
Temecula Station – Located 21 miles southeast of Laguna Grande Station.
Tejungo Station – Located 14 miles east of Temecula Station, near Aguanga
Oak Grove Stage Station – Located 12 miles southeast of Tejungo Station.
Warner's Ranch – Located 10 miles southeast of Oak Grove Station.
San Felipe Station – Located 10 miles southeast of Warner's Ranch, northwest of nearby Scissors Crossing.
Vallecito Station – Located 18 miles southeast of San Felipe Station.
Palm Spring Station – Located 9 miles southeast of Vallecito Station at Palm Spring.
Carrizo Creek Station – Located 9 miles east southeast of Palm Spring Station.
Sackett's Wells – a later station, located 171⁄2 miles east southeast of Carrizo Creek Station, 15 miles west northwest of Indian Wells.
Indian Wells Station – Located 32 miles southeast of Carisso Creek, near present day Heber, no water except at station.
New River Station – a later station, located 15 miles southeast of Indian Wells Station, in Baja California, 14 miles west of Alamo Mocho Station, in present day Mexicali.
Alamo Mocho Station – Located south of the Mexican border in Baja California, 38 miles east of Indian Wells Station, no water except at station.
Gardner's Wells Station – a later station, located south of the Mexican border in Baja California, 9 miles east of Alamo Mocho and 9 miles west of Seven Wells.
Salt or Seven Wells – a later well, located south of the Mexican border in Baja California, 18 miles east of Alamo Mucho.
Cooke's Wells Station – Located south of the Mexican border in Baja California, 22 miles east of Alamo Mocho Station, no water except at station.
Pilot Knob Station – Located 18 miles east of Cooke's Wells.
Fort Yuma Station – Located 10 miles east of Pilot Knob Station.

Source: "List of Butterfield Overland Mail Stations "Itinerary of the Route"" (PDF). New York Times. October 14, 1858.

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