Terry Ommen is Visalia’s preeminent historian, and each year he selects a topic in local history to discuss in the monthly forum, “Tulare County Voices at 210.” This year’s subject is “The Butterfield Overland Stage: Tulare County’s Link to the Outside World.”
The forum is at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 10 at 210 W. Center Ave. It is free and open to the public. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
We caught up with Terry for a Q@A in advance of the forum.
TC Voices: How did you decide on this topic for this year’s forum?
Ommen: I have been fascinated by the famous stage line for many years. It operated for such a short time but was such an important transportation and communication system. The 2,900-mile route was considered the longest stage line in the world. The stage passed through much of the county and really helped put our county on the map and in the public eye. Visalia especially was highlighted by the stage as the friendliest town along the route.
TC Voices: So many of the technological advances of the 19th century — steam travel, telegraph, rail travel — were made possible by innovations that preceded them. What paved the way for the Butterfield Stage Line?
Ommen: Tulare County just got lucky to be part of the Butterfield route. The county was a huge area, right in the middle of the state, so it just happened to be in the right place at the right time. When the Butterfield route began in 1858 Visalia was the only town on the route within Tulare County.
TC Voices: How did Visalia develop as a result of the stage stopping here?
Ommen: Visalia’s population did not grow much as a result of the stage line. The town had a population of about 500 when the stage made its debut and maybe about 600 when the last stage came through. But the town gained national status, and the new mode of transportation option was helpful. News sources that the stage brought (newspapers and stage drivers and passengers) were very helpful to the city.
TC Voices: Was the twice weekly arrival of the stage a special event in Visalia?
Ommen: Yes.The excitement of the arrival of two eastbound stages per week and another two westbound coaches a week was a big deal for the city. Stages brought mail, passengers and newspapers from other communities. For the first year of the stage operation there were no local (Visalia or Tulare County) newspapers other than those dropped off from other communities along the route.
TC Voices: Can you envision Visalia’s history had there been no stage stop?
Ommen: Even though the stage line only operated for about 2 1/2 years, it ushered right behind it other technology like, Newspaper (1859) telegraph (1860) and train travel (1872). Visalia history and county history would have been much less interesting without the stage.
TC Voices: Where can you find evidence of the stage now in Tulare County?
Ommen: Several historical markers are the only evidence of the stage. However a big span of State Route 65 between Porterville and Lindsay followed the Butterfield route. The most elaborate marker is the one on East Main Street in Visalia. Where that marker stands is about where the Butterfield stage stopped upon arriving in Visalia. In some of the South Tulare County foothills, at Butterfield changing station sites, the route of the Butterfield can be identified.
TC Voices: What other happenings in our history have captured your interest recently?
Ommen: The biggest for me right now is the possibility of converting the closed/vacant Depot restaurant building into a Cultural Center/Museum. It has people in the community talking.
TC Voices: Do historic developments such as the Butterfield Overland Stage Line carry lessons for us in modern-day Visalia?
Ommen: I think so. It points out the strong desire for people to keep improving their lot in life. For example, seeing newspapers arriving from other communities made people question why they did not have a newspaper. Next thing, Visalia had a newspaper
TC Voices: What other local historic topics do you find interesting?
Ommen: History involving rodeo, Visalia Saddle, notable outlaws, notable lawmen, lost treasure, Kaweah Colony, railroads of Tulare County, to name a few.
One interesting bit of data is that the two oldest communities in the valley as a whole were Stockton and Visalia according to Rodney Homer’s book on the history of Porterville. Not sure if his book is still out there as he got himself into some trouble after its publication.
The marker on Main St. is near the Visit Visalia office at 112 E Main St. The office also has maps of the Visalia Then and Now walking tour of historic buildings.