Adverts in old newspapers help to provide context to history, such as how much the Red River Valley was interconnected long before our modern interstates.
I was perusing several historic newspapers on the Library of Congress when I came across this notice for a stage coach route that traveled from Clarksville (Red River County, TX) to Shreveport (Caddo Parish, LA) via Washington (Hempstead County, AR) in the Dallas Herald.
Note the misspelling of “Clarkesville” – it seems that Mr. Crutchfield needed spell check. It is also comforting to know that the drivers will be sober.
The Texas Hotel in Sherman (Grayson County, TX) most likely accommodated guests for the many stage coaches that went through town weekly or even daily. Sherman was serviced by stage coaches to McKinney (via Mantua); to Bonham (via Warren); and to Greenville (via Pilot Grove).
After 1858, the Butterfield Overland Stage Coach that was the first transcontinental stage coach line and mail line had a stop in Sherman, in the wee morning hours.
This ad was found in the Dallas Herald of August 9, 1856. I think that modern hotels could take some pointers.
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