On the Road: Fayetteville, in Search of Butterfield

By Debbie Stock

Fayetteville, AR- Breezing along the fast-moving Interstate 40, it took Terry and me three hours to drive from Little Rock to Fayetteville, in a hurry and on a mission. Arriving at our destination, we looked at each other and winked, "There's always time for food."  

Two healthy heifers (I say that jokingly, as Terry is writing a book about a cattle round-up,) quickly spotted one of the best looking restaurants on Dickson Street, Bordinos; we saddled in to try some tasty salads, pasta and soup.  The chef came out and asked how we liked it, so I asked her where the delicious greens came from. "California," she replied. I just came from there, and was hoping to find some authentic Arkansas fixins'.

The meal was tasty, nevertheless, and the restaurant worth checking out. Modern décor, a huge bar and an intimate atmosphere make it an escape from the busy world of this college town.  

It gave me time to re-group, and allowed us both to meet up with our connection, a local expert on Butterfield. We shook hands with the city's former mayor, Carolyn, and hopped aboard her modern-day stagecoach, an SUV.

One of the most knowledgeable people in Fayetteville and champion for this Butterfield cause, she quickly got to the point. Butterfield isn't like butterscotch candy, Mrs. Butterworth's syrup, or a field of yellow buttercups.

I learned that Butterfield was a man (John Butterfield,) who founded American Express, but also launched Butterfield Overland Mail Co. From 1858 to 1861 John's company operated Butterfield Overland Stage mail service between St. Louis and San Francisco. The service was short-lived  but important in connecting the West during the growth of the U.S.  My tour guide, Carolyn, was part of an effort to pin down its exact route.

She stopped her "stagecoach" next to a housing tract, an old barn, a wooded grove with a stream and several other local spots that were  part of the trail on its historic route through Arkansas.

At Fitzgerald's Station in Springdale, AR, the old barn used for the stage line still stands as one of the very few original buildings in existence along the stage route today.

Our brains were swirling as Terry and I discovered this was only the beginning of our journey, learning about the amazing history of this Ozarks region. 

Back in the saddle, our stagecoach driver headed for Pea Ridge National Military Park to see one of the most intact Civil War battlefields in the United States and learn about the most pivotal Civil War battle west of the Mississippi River.

Later in the day we returned to Fayetteville where we checked into our rooms at the Inn at Carnall Hall on the University of Arkansas campus. This super-cool 1905 women's dorm has been transformed into a luxury hotel, while retaining beautiful wooden floors, view windows and so much more!