Boozman Butterfield Trail Legislation Passes Senate

Press Release

U.S. Representative John Boozman today praised passage of Senate Bill 22 which includes language authored by Boozman to study the historical ‘Ox-Bow Route' of the Butterfield Overland Trail for potential addition to the National Trails System.

"We are blessed to have a state filled with many areas of historical significance," Boozman said. "We need to take pride in the history of our country, and studying this critical route that helped with Western expansion is a great way to show the development of America. I am committed to seeing this legislation pass the House of Representatives."

The Butterfield Trail was a connection between the Eastern United States and the rapidly expanding West Coast in the mid 1800s before railroads and the famed Pony Express. It ran through Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California.

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.

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