Boozman Introduces Butterfield Trail Act

Boozman Introduces Butterfield Trail Act

U.S. Representative John Boozman (R-AR) today introduced the Butterfield Overland Trail Study Act to study the historical "Ox-Bow Route" for potential addition to the National Trails System.

Joining Boozman is a bipartisan group of 13 original co-sponsors, including Democratic members of the Arkansas House delegation: Reps. Marion Berry (AR-01), Vic Snyder (AR-02), and Mike Ross (AR-04).

The bill directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a resource study of the route through the states of Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. The study will evaluate alternatives to protect and interpret the resources of the route, including historically significant locations.

"The Butterfield Trail was a seminal event in the continued western expansion of the United States and a significant aspect of Arkansas history," Boozman said. "The Butterfield Trail is the original ‘information superhighway' of the American West, pre-dating the Pony Express.

"At one time, the Butterfield Trail was the longest mail route in the world. It connected a continent by establishing a regular and dependable means of transportation for people, goods and information. It is a historical treasure that deserves our protection," Boozman added.

The Butterfield Trail was established in 1857, three years before the Pony Express, and totaled 2,812 miles, connecting St. Louis with San Francisco.

In Arkansas, the Butterfield Overland Trail runs from the Missouri line through the Pea Ridge National Military Park and continues on through Washington and Crawford Counties to Fort Smith. The Butterfield Hiking Trail in Devil's Den State Park and the Ozark National Forest follows this historic stagecoach route for 15 miles.

http://www.boozman.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=59466