Butterfield, John

American businessman

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July 21, 2026

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John Butterfield was an American businessman who established the Butterfield Overland Mail Company. This company was awarded a U.S. government contract in 1858 to deliver mail to the Pacific coast. The route, known as the Butterfield (or Oxbow) Route, ran from St. Louis, Missouri, south through Arkansas, Texas, and New Mexico Territory (including El Paso and Tucson), then west to Yuma, Arizona, and finally to Los Angeles and San Francisco, California. This stagecoach service aimed for a 25-day delivery schedule over approximately 2,700 miles. The service was disrupted and ultimately abandoned with the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861.12

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William George Fargo
…& Company—under its vice president, John Butterfield, the largest stockholder in American Express—concentrated on the east. Butterfield constantly feuded with Fargo; the two directors united only to fight rivals and establish affiliates such as Wells, Fargo & Co., United States Express Company, and National Express Company in new territories. Under…
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…& Company—under its vice president, John Butterfield, the largest stockholder in American Express—concentrated on the east. Butterfield constantly feuded with Fargo; the two directors united only to fight rivals and establish affiliates such as Wells, Fargo & Co., United States Express Company, and National Express Company in new territories. Under…
Read More