Smith's Station

From 1858 until the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, a station of the Butterfield Overland Mail Route was located here. Despite a brief existence, it was an important stop of the early stage line that reached from Missouri to California. Stages made the trip in under 25 days, a marked improvement on earlier communication links with the rapidly developing west. Located on Chimney Creek between stage stops at Clear Fork (26 miles northeast) and Fort Phantom Hill (12 miles southwest), Smith's Station was the only Butterfield stop located in present Shackelford County. (1982)

Smith's Station is a historical marker in Albany, Shackelford County, dedicated in 1982. It is one of 36 historical markers documented in Shackelford County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 57 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 32.7152, -99.5141 near Albany. The nearest cataloged historic site is Bud Matthews Switch of the Texas Central Railway (historical marker), about 1.6 miles away. Others within a short drive include Rucker Cemetery, Shackelford County, and Cook Ranch Oil Field.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5417004958. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.