Territorial Express Tickets - Tumwater Historical Association

PASSENGER TICKETS ON SALE NOW

All prices are in U.S. dollars

Tickets are now on sale for all legs of the run (eight legs total). Stage legs will vary from 5 to 14 miles each, and will last from 1 ½ to 3 hours. This ride is not for sissies! Come prepared for all kinds of weather. Anything can and does happen on the road. Tickets are offered in two price categories, based on the location on the stagecoach.

Inside and Roof Seats, $125.00 each leg
Six inside seats are available on each leg. Every seat is a window seat, although you may have to share space with mail bags. Four roof seats are available on each leg. Passengers who choose to ride on the roof must be fairly agile. The roof of the coach is about nine feet off the ground, and the passenger must be able to climb that high, using footholds on the wheels and coach body. Roof seats are out in the weather, whatever weather September may bring! Two seats face forward, looking over the stage driver’s head and the horse team. Two seats face backward, looking over the rear "boot" of the stage.

"Shotgun" Seat, $200.00 each leg
Only one shotgun seat is available on each leg. (Historically, a passenger had to be invited by the stage driver to sit next to him "at the helm".) Passengers who choose to ride shotgun must also be nimble enough to climb up to the seat. Shotgun seats are, of course, out in the weather.

WARNINGS
Guns, alcohol, cell phones, and hoop skirts are NOT allowed on the stage! Period attire is encouraged, but not required. Also, no passengers under the age of 12 will be accepted.

Under Washington law, event organizers are not liable for any injury to or death of participants due to the inherent risk in any equine activity. (Click RCW 4.24.540 to view the RCW)

TIME TABLE AND LIST OF STAGE STOPS
NOTE: At this time, the route, times, and stops are tentative. In the next few weeks, we’ll be firming up the schedule and route, and will post updated information as it becomes available.

Early ticket purchasers will be advised of exact times and locations.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 18, 2008
Kick-off event in Tumwater

Friday, Sept. 19, 2008
LEG 1 Olympia to Plumb Station
LEG 2 Plumb Station to Tenino (overnight stop)

Saturday, Sept. 20, 2008
LEG 3 Tenino to Grand Mound
LEG 4 Grand Mound to Chehalis
LEG 5 Chehalis to Lewis and Clark State Park (overnight stop)

Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008
LEG 6 Lewis and Clark State Park to Vader
LEG 7 Vader to Castle Rock
LEG 8 Castle Rock to Longview

Passengers are advised to be at their point of departure at least ONE HOUR before stated departure time. Due to vagaries of weather, unknown road conditions, and acts of God, stated departure and arrival times are ESTIMATES ONLY. Anything can and does happen on the road. Passengers travel at their own risk. At the end of each leg, a courtesy shuttle van will be available to return disembarking passengers to their point of departure.

LEG 1— OLYMPIA TO PLUMB STATION
Length: Approximately 11 miles
Duration: Approximately 2-1/2 hours
Route: Leaves the Madison Elementary School on Legion Way, travels west to Capitol Boulevard. Turns south on Capitol through Olympia and Tumwater. Turns west on Israel Road for a brief visit to Tumwater City Hall and Library. Back to Capitol Boulevard, turns south on Old 99. Just past the intersection of Old 99 and Waldrick Road, turns into the stage stop on the Nelson farm.

Description: The stage run will begin at Madison School in Olympia, and will also pause at the Avanti High School just down Legion Way. Traveling under the fall colors of the huge street trees lining Legion Way, we’ll turn south on Capitol Boulevard and head uphill past the state capitol grounds. We’ll pass over I-5, then enter Tumwater, where we’ll visit the Tumwater City Hall and Library. We’ll then head south past the Olympia Airport and the George Bush homestead, into flat forests and fields. We’ll also pass the old French Café, which has a mixed past. Just after entering the Mima Mounds area, we’ll turn into our stage stop at a long-abandoned homestead. This land was part of the original land claims of A.B. Rabbeson and B.F. Yantis, who started the very first stage line in southwest Washington.

LEG 2— PLUMB STATION TO TENINO
Length: Approximately 5 miles
Duration: Approximately 1-1/2 hours
Route: Leaves the Nelson farm on Old Highway 99 to the Tenino City Park.

Description: Leaving the stage stop, we’ll head through the woods for a short distance, then rejoin Old 99 on its way to Tenino. We’ll travel through mingled farmland and forest, and then will descend wooded Chein Hill, a long straight slope that daunted many an early team climbing it from the other direction. Entering Tenino, the stage will swing by the local school. Then we’ll pass a sandstone marker erected by Ezra Meeker in 1906, to commemorate the Oregon Trail/Cowlitz Trail. Our stage stop (and overnight stop) will be at the Tenino City Park, complete with museum, quarry house, and unique swimming pool.

LEG 3— TENINO TO GRAND MOUND
Length: Approximately 10 miles
Duration: Approximately 2 hours
Route: Leaves Tenino City Park on Old Highway 99. Once across I-5, turns south on Old 99 to Grand Mound.

Description: The stage will leave the town of Tenino and travel southwest through open prairies. We’ll travel through the “Mima Mounds,” a strange geologic formation. This prairie offers sweeping views to the east, and is home to an alpaca ranch. We’ll also pass the old Tilley homestead, which operated as a stage stop (vestiges of the old Cowlitz Trail wagon ruts were visible here until a few years ago). The stage will take the overpass over I-5, and will then turn south on Old 99. The route passes a plaque dedicated to the place where women voted for the first time in Washington Territory. The location of the plaque is on the original donation land claim of the Goodell family; William Goodell owned and operated the stage line for a short time in the 1850s. We’ll then come to our next stage stop.

LEG 4—GRAND MOUND TO CHEHALIS
Length: Approximately 12 miles
Duration: Approximately 2-1/2 hours
Route: Leaves Grand Mound on Old Highway 99, which becomes Harrison Avenue inside Centralia city limits. Heads south on Harrison, then east on Main Street to intersection with Pearl Street. Turns south on Pearl, which becomes Gold Street and National Avenue into Chehalis. Follows Market Street through downtown Chehalis, to our stage stop at the sound end of town.

Description: Leaving our stage stop at Grand Mound, we’ll pass the new Great Wolf Resort. Old Highway 99 lies over the original stage route through this area. Heading past farm fields, residences and light industrial areas, we’ll come into Centralia, where we’ll take a brief detour through Borst Park to see the Borst home, built circa 1860, and the blockhouse, built circa 1855. We’ll travel through downtown Centralia, passing the Carnegie Public Library, on to the “couplet” south to Chehalis. We’ll travel through downtown Chehalis and on to our next stage stop.

LEG 5—CHEHALIS TO LEWIS AND CLARK STATE PARK
Length: Approximately 12 miles
Duration: Approximately 2-1/2 hours
Route: Leaves Chehalis south on the Jackson Highway, to Lewis and Clark State Park.

Description: Leaving Chehalis, the route travels through the south end of town, then enters mixed forests and fields. We’ll pass the well-known Mary McCrank’s Restaurant, which was established in the 1930s and still serves some of the best food around. After entering open farm country, we’ll cross the Newaukum River and continue south to a short stop at the historic Jackson Courthouse, built by John R. Jackson in 1851. A short drive will take us to the northern end of Lewis and Clark State Park, where we’ll leave the highway and travel nearly a mile over a park road through old-growth forest to our stage stop at the park’s Environmental Learning Center.

LEG 6—LEWIS AND CLARK STATE PARK TO VADER
Length: Approximately 14 miles
Duration: Approximately 3 hours
Route: Leaves Lewis and Clark State Park south on the Jackson Highway (Old 99). Turns south on 505 into Toledo. Turns south on 5th Street, and enters private land on the McNulty Road. Proceeds south, then west on private land to a gate off the Bill Creek Road. Goes uphill to intersection with Cowlitz Ridge Road, turns south on Cowlitz Ridge and goes under I-5 to intersection with Highway 506. Turns west on 506 to State Route 411, turns south on 411, then right on 8th Street.

Description: As the stage leaves Lewis and Clark State Park, it will travel past farm fields and open prairie. A few miles south of the park, we will pause at the old Cowlitz Mission, where Catholic priests first established a church in the 1830s. The Hudson’s Bay Company also had an extensive farm here. If the weather is clear, we’ll have sweeping views of the Cascade Mountains to the east. We’ll continue south to the town of Toledo, then we’ll travel through some private land along the Cowlitz River and past the old townsite of Cowlitz Landing. Coming back to public roads, we’ll emerge on a frontage road near I-5, and will travel south to loop under the freeway on the banks of the Cowlitz River. Joining Highway 506, we’ll ride through a hilly forested section to our next stage stop at Vader.

LEG 7— VADER TO CASTLE ROCK
Length: Approximately 10 miles
Duration: Approximately 2 hours
Route: Leaves Vader east on 8th Street. Turns south on State Route 411. At Four Corners area, turns east to the Castle Rock Fairgrounds.

Description: After leaving Vader, the route passes through alternating woods and farmland. We’ll pass the historic location of Pumphrey’s Landing, a stage stop at the mouth of Olequa Creek (although no remnants of the stop survive). As we approach Castle Rock, we’ll gradually lose altitude and drive through flat farmlands until we reach the Cowlitz River and the Castle Rock Fairgrounds.

LEG 8—CASTLE ROCK TO LONGVIEW
Length: Approximately 12 miles
Duration: Approximately 2-1/2 hours
Route: Leaves Castle Rock Fairgrounds. Travels south on State Route 411 (West Side Highway), west on Delameter Road, south on Hazel Dell Road, back to SR 411, arrives Cowlitz County Fairgrounds.

Description: The stage starts its journey southward with a short ride on State Route 411. Just south of the Four Corners area, the stage turns west on Delameter Road, and travels past the historic Jackson Inn, an authentic stage stop from the 1800s. Just past the Inn, now a private home, the route turns south on Hazel Dell Road, traveling through a picturesque and hilly area of mingled woods and pastures. After a few miles, the route rejoins the West Side Highway and travels along the Cowlitz River, through Lexington and Kelso, then through Longview to the Cowlitz County Fairgrounds.

HOW TO PURCHASE A TICKET
If you wish to purchase a passenger ticket for any leg of the stage run, please call Karen Johnson at 360-748-7657 or 360-464-5963 to check on availability of specific seats on specific legs. Once your seat location has been approved, you may send a personal check or money order to:

Tumwater Historical Association
PO Box 4315
Tumwater, WA 98501-0315

We are working as quickly as a volunteer can move to install our PayPal account on this website, so once that's done you may also use PayPal for your ticket purchase.

Once payment is received, your ticket will be mailed to you, along with a time schedule, information on the stage stops, and a list of “Rules for Stage Travelers” originally published in 1877.