Historical Marker Program

Mountain Station

Latimer County
Location: on the west side of road at Mountain Station Cemetery, approximately 13 miles southwest of Wilburton
Coordinates: 34.836526, -95.424659
Material: Other (Concrete with bronze plaque)
Sponsor(s): Oklahoma Historical Society
Topics: American Indians; Transportation; Westward Expansion, 1803–1861

In 1857, Congress created the Butterfield Overland Mail Route to carry mail and passengers between St. Louis, Missouri, and Memphis, Tennessee, and points west. It was the first real transcontinental link between the Atlantic states and the Pacific Coast of the United States. There were twelve stations along a 197-mile route in Oklahoma. This marker commemorates Mountain Station. A stage stand for changing horses and a toll road over the pass was established here under Choctaw law in 1866. The toll road followed the Butterfield Overland Mail Route.