Fitzgerald Station and Farmstead facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Fitzgerald Station and Farmstead
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 Location in Arkansas
Location in the United States
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| Location | 2327 Old Wire Road (AR 265), Springdale, Arkansas |
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| Area | 4.2 acres (1.7 ha) |
| Built | 1857 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 03000465 |
| Added to NRHP | May 29, 2003 |
The Fitzgerald Station and Farmstead is a group of old buildings and structures in Springdale, Arkansas. These buildings are important because they were part of the Butterfield Overland Mail Trail, a famous route from the 1800s.
Before the Butterfield Trail, this spot was a popular tavern for people traveling west. In the 1850s, it became a station along the mail route. Today, you can still see an original barn from the 1850s, which was a stop on the trail. There's also a house from the 1870s and other old buildings. This historic site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in May 2003.
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Meet the Fitzgerald Family
John Fitzgerald Sr. and his wife, Mary, moved to Washington County, Arkansas from Alabama around 1830. In 1834, their son, James, was the only person listed as owning property in the area during a government survey.
The land where the station stands was officially given to James Fitzgerald in September 1846. This happened through a treaty signed by President James K. Polk. Soon after, an inn and tavern were built on the property. This spot became very popular with travelers.
A Difficult Journey
Between 1838 and 1839, about 8,000 Cherokee people traveled through this area. They were moving along the Northern Route as part of the Trail of Tears. This was a difficult journey for them. John Fitzgerald was even mentioned in the journals of people who were with a small group of Cherokee during this time.
The Butterfield Mail Trail
The Butterfield Overland Mail was a special stagecoach route. It was chosen because it usually didn't get snowed in, unlike other routes further north. This route started in 1858 and went all the way from St. Louis, Missouri to San Francisco, California.
In Arkansas, part of this mail route followed an old road called the "State Road." This road was also used in the 1830s by Native Americans who were being moved from Springfield, Missouri to Fayetteville. Fitzgerald Station was an important stop on the Butterfield Trail. It was located between other stops like Mudtown and Cross Hollows to the north, and Fayetteville to the south. Because the Fitzgerald tavern was already well-known, it was a good place for a mail station.
Fitzgerald Station Today
Today, the road in front of Fitzgerald Station is called Old Wire Road. This name reminds us of the telegraph lines that later took over from horse-powered mail delivery. Highway 265 runs along Old Wire Road near the property. It generally follows the same path as the old stagecoach route from the 1850s.
This historic trail is now recognized as part of the Arkansas Heritage Trails Network. It's also part of the Trail of Tears within the National Historic Trail System.
Looking for Clues
The University of Arkansas and the Arkansas Archaeological Survey have studied the site. They used special tools to try and find where the old tavern, log cabin, or original wagon path might have been. They thought the log cabin and tavern might have been where the 1870s house now stands. However, their first tests didn't give clear answers.
In February 2005, they started digging. They found that soil from the house's basement had been spread around the site. They also found a layer of old trash and broken pieces of white dishes. This discovery fits with the idea that a tavern was once there.
