One Hour from Tucson

August 2026

I've always been fascinated by the early American stagecoaches and their place in American history. So, I did some research, which led to the inspiration for this painting...

At one time the most well-known stagecoach route was the longest, the Butterfield and Overland Express's cross-country stage, from St Louis all the way to San Francisco - 2,800 miles along the Mexican border and up through California. Like every journey it was cut into stages, which is where the name "stagecoach" comes from. Every 10 to 20 miles they would pull into a relay post where they would change horses or drivers. The relay stations were also a place for passengers to rest, get something to eat, and sometimes spend the night. 

The stagecoach also carried the mail and money from banks and would often be accompanied by a security team on horses, or at the very least, a security guard who sat next to the driver with a shotgun, which is where the term "riding shotgun" came from. 

Eventually railroads replaced these longer routes in the late 1800s. But there were still vast areas that needed to be covered by stagecoaches. In those days stagecoaches waited at train stations to transport passengers to other small towns and communities away from the station.

“One Hour from Tucson” is my tribute to this historic saga.