In 1857 James E. Birch began carrying mail and passengers on an overland route from San Antonio, Texas to San Diego, California. This route required passengers to be transported on mules over the Oriflamme Mountains to the east of present day Cuyamaca Lake, a place that now annually hosts beautiful wildflower blooms. After the untimely death of Birch, a contract was awarded by Congress to the John Butterfield Company to carry the mail via the Ox Bow Route. This unpopular route passed through El Paso, Texas and Yuma, Arizona adding 600 miles and requiring more relay stations and forts to be built.
"Butterfield's men were tough frontiersman as no other men could handle the hardships that Butterfield would put them through. He gave them instructions such as 'drivers and conductors to be armed but to shoot only when lives of passengers are endangered.'" My great grandfather, Edgar, and his father, Elijah, both drove for the Butterfield Overland Stage coach line between the Campo area and Banning. In celebration of our family heritage and local history, we have combined our local California oranges with fresh ground cloves, just as ice and fruits would have been transported via stage coach along with passengers, mail, packages and other sundries. This unique combination allows for this jelly to be used as a condiment for lovely fresh baked breads as well as a glaze for holiday meats. We hope you think of this history as you taste a part of our stagecoach heritage.
McFadden Ranch - "taste our heritage"
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