John Butterfield (stagecoach operator) facts for kids

John Butterfield.

John Butterfield (1801–1869) was a transportation pioneer in the mid-19th century in the American Northwest and Southwest. He founded many companies, including American Express which is still in operation today. The Butterfield Overland Mail Company was the longest stagecoach line in the world. The line operated from 1858 to 1861 on the Southern Overland Trail and established an important connection between the new state of California and the government and economy of the contiguous eastern states.

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  In 1958 the U.S. Post Office issued a commemorative stamp, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Overland Mail stage line express.