This is a Fine art photo of "The Butterfield Stage Motel" sign which is in Deming, NM and was named after a very important time in American history. The US government was looking for a Snow Free passage to deliver mail by stage coach, even though the route they chose added another 600 miles to the traditional central and northern routes running through Denver, Colorado and Salt Lake City, Utah. The Butterfield Overland Mail Company won the bid to carry mail for the semi weekly delivery at $600,000 per year. Their first run was on September 15, 1858, there were two stages that began the journey, one leaving St. Louis and one leaving from San Francisco. For $200 you could ride from San Fransisco to St. Luis in average of 25 days depending on weather. The Butterfield Stage pulled into San Fransisco in the record time of 23 days and 4 hours, carrying six passengers and, of course, the US mail. In 1860 the Pony Express offered the same serious competition as the Butterfield Overland Stage Company by delivering passengers and mail in just ten days, but the US government continued to use the Butterfield Stage Company. By an Act of Congress on March 2, 1861, the route was discontinued and all services contracted with the Butterfield Overland Mail Company ceased to operate on June 30, 1861. A new route was created and renamed the Central Overland California Route. The last existing station stands today as the 'Oak Grove Butterfield Stage Station' in the small town of Warner Springs near San Diego, California. This would be a perfect photo gift for the collector of old west memorabilia, especially, a stage coach buff.