Overland Trail

The Overland Trail, also referred to as the Overland Stage Line, played a vital role in the American West during the 19th century. While parts of the trail were used by explorers and trappers since the 1820s, its significance grew in the 1860s as an alternative route to the Oregon, California, and Mormon trails through central Wyoming. The Overland Stage Company used the trail for stagecoaches, transporting mail and passengers to Salt Lake City, Utah. Beginning in Atchison, Kansas, the trail passed through Colorado before looping back to southern Wyoming, ultimately reconnecting with the Oregon Trail at Fort Bridger. Its operation ceased in 1869 with the completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad, rendering stagecoach mail service unnecessary.