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BUTTERFIELD OVERLAND STAGE AND TIPTON CENTENNIAL
1958
TIPTON, MO
Purpose: to celebrate 100th anniversary of
Butterfield Overland Stage, which carried mail and passengers from Tipton,
MO, then rail's end, to San Francisco; celebration included Tipton's own
centennial.
Organization: Tipton Centennial Committee
organized locally; financed by private contributions, sale of medals,
souvenir programs and many centennial novelties. No direct governmental
subsidies but U.S. Post Office Department and Missouri Pacific Railroad
cooperated per Comments below.
Dates, Attendance: Sept. 13-20, 1958; attendance
over 50,000.
Comment: It was on Sept. 16, 1858, for first
time that old Pacific R. R., predecessor of present Missouri Pacific,
brought mail from St. Louis and East to Tipton for handling to San Francisco
via Butterfield Overland Stage. This 1958 week-long celebration included
usual parades, ball, crowning of "Miss Centennial" and professionally staged
pageant, "Tipton Overland Stage Days." With U.S. Government
and Missouri Pacific cooperating, highlight was reenactment on Sept. 16 of
transfer of mail from St. Louis train to "stagecoach" and departure of
latter via old mail route to San Francisco. U.S. Post Office Department
rebuilt mail bus for that purpose, designated same "H PO-1" (Highway Post
Office No. 1); agreed to 24 overnight or "corral" stops en route;
accompanied by Butterfield Stage, bus picked up mail in 200 towns, arrived
San Francisco Oct. 10, 1958.
Medals: Official Medals authorized and sponsored
by Centennial Committee; designed by G. L. Zimmerman; sold by S. T.
Zimmerman. Issue limited to 1,000 oxidized Silver-plate and 2,500 "golden"
Bronze; sold for $1.25 and $1, respectively.
 
Photos courtesy of John Dean
Obv. Tipton, Missouri / 1858 / "From Train
to Stage" / September 13-20 / 1958 / Centennial
Rev. Across center "Where the West Began";
above is an early model train proceeding l.; above Pacific Railroad
(MOPAC); below center line is a stagecoach proceeding l., below
Butterfield Overland Stage
HK-513 Silver-plate, oxidized. 33mm.
HK-514 Bronze.
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