W W W. D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A . C O M
87
Many lines competed, until 1866, when Wells, Fargo merged with
several other western lines: Pioneer, Overland, Holladay, and Stage.
is gave them control of four thousand miles of main routes.
If the December, 1966 Virginia City, Montana newspaper story
didn't exaggerate, Wells, Fargo was in a good position to effect
the merger. In the previous year it had carried two million four
hundred thousand letters, and brought $49 million in bullion from
Pacific coast mining regions to the mint in San Francisco.
ough the company continues to this day, its monopoly on
main stage routes ended just three years later with the completion
of the transcontinental railroad at Promentory Summit, Utah,
on May 10, 1869.
Stage travel continued into the early 1900s on many secondary
routes and stage robberies continued as well. e coaches held
up remarkably well, being built to withstand bad roads, fast travel
and harsh weather. e Concord Coach, in particular, was highly
valued. In recent years, one beautifully restored Concord Coach
was auctioned for over a quarter of a million dollars.
More valuable is the legacy of tales of stagecoach days. e wit
and wisdom of the drivers, the often naïve observations of the pas-
sengers and the iconic gentlemanly robber provide a wealth of lore.
One old stage driver gets the last word: Visited on his deathbed
by a fellow driver, he breathed out, "Jim, I'm on the downhill and
I can't find the brake."
Big Sky Realty
1/3 horiz
A WHOLE DAY'S RIDE WITHOUT EATING,
OVER THE MOUNTAINS, IS THE BEST APPETIZER IN THE WORLD.
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Lesli Colis, REALTOR
®
Sales Agent
Cell (406) 600-7707
lesli.colis@gmail.com
