Ukiah Daily Journal from Ukiah, California • Page 59

PAGE 25 Tales of the Wells Fargo Stagecoach The Wells Fargo stagecoach, enduring symbol of the American West, will be in the Hometown Parade on May 26, 1986. Overland stagecoaches first connected California with St. Lewis in 1858. Stagecoaches carried gold, mail and passengers all over the West. The drivers were picked for their courage and ability to handle the reins.

Masters of their profession, stagecoach drivers had to be cool and quick to survive dangers on the trail. The Concord stagecoach, favored by Wells Fargo, was as stylish as a hotel carriage but rugged enough for travel in the West. A masterpiece of American craftsmanship, the Concord stagecoach featured a carefully shaped wooden body placed on leather thorough braces made from ox hides. Operating a stagecoach line called for good oganization and business daring. In 1867 Wells Fargo ran stagecoaches from Colorado to California.

By the end of the 19th century, stagecoaches had almost gone from the scene. The stagecoach did continue as an enduring image of the American West, captured in paintings by Russell, Remington, and Wells Fargo's own Aaron Stein. Movies followed, such as Paramount Pictures' 1937 release of the movie "Wells The Wells Fargo stagecoach was a Concord coach, a product of flawless design and expert craftmanship. It was both elegant and nearly indestructible. Fargo A Thundering Romance of the Winning of the West," and then television's "Tales of Wells Fargo." Wells Fargo traces.its historic ties to as far back as 1859 in Ukiah.

By the 1870s, Wells Fargo's agent in town, Sam Wheeler, was also cashier at the Bank of Ukiah. Today the Wells Fargo Bank stagecoach continues to appear in. parades throughout California as a friendly sign of its long connection with the American West. Coming Through: A Wells Fargo Tradition. A rare combination of personal effort and banking innovation built Wells Fargo Bank.

And Wells Fargo has been helping the West grow since 1852. Today in California, across the continent and around the world, Wells Fargo is still coming through. Wells FargO Bank MEMBER FDIC 462-6545 717 South State Street, Ukiah.