Garfield County News | 1955-02-24 | Page 14 | Stage Lines Stayed in Green River Long after the Railroads Arrived

Stage Lines Stayed in Green River Long After the Railroads Arrived Long after the rails came. Green River, Wyoming continued to be a stageline and mall point for the range and mining countries. Originally, Bryan was the outfitting point for the South Pass mining fields. Just as it was the riginal division point for the railroad. When lack of water caused the railroad to come back to the Green River at this point, it followed that the stage and freighting business also moved back. Then Green River became the center of such activities. One stage and freight line ran northward np the east side of the river via the old Tollgate to Alkali, via Starva-tioa flats to what is now the Eden Valley, to connect with the old Kmigrant trails and go on to South Pass and tho diggings. In the 1890's county records show application to operate a toll road out of Green River via First Spring canyon this is the old road through the canyon back of the high school, north of Jefferson addition. At the same time the stage, freight and mall rues were being operated northward, a stage, with mail, went southward to Utah. This route, little known or written about, also f.-eljhted into the Ashley (Vernal) county. But It was a different route from that being used for the modern highway being constructed today south of Green River. This route went east up Bitter Creek along the Overland trail to about present day Kanda, and then turned south to Bacon stage sta tion on Little Bitter Creek, and wended its way through the upper Sago Creek, Maxon, Little Mountain and Red Creek countries to upper Brown's park at the Jarvie Ranch, where a ferry connected with the Searle's canyon route over the mountains to old Fort Thornburg, the settlement of Ashley, Fort Duchesne, and the Uintah basin country. But rails, which brought to an end the Overland stage route thru Green River, also ended the other staging activities of the area In this vicinity. When the Denver and Rio Grande built through Price and on into Salt Lake City, the Uintah basin made Us connections and received its mail from Price via Indian Creek, a route still used. And the C & N W built into Lander- to serve the South Pass area, while the Big Horn basin was later served by the C B & Q. For many years, a pony mall operated between Green River and Jarive's ranch over the old stage and freighting route, and mail went from Greri River up and down the river, as well as to the stage points.