On October 19 I had the unique pleasure of shooting the sesquicentennial celebration of the Butterfield Overland Mail Stage at the Tarzana Community and Cultural Center (TCCC). As many of you know, I donate my time at the "Official Photographer" for the TCCC.
Yes - it has been 150 years since the Butterfield Overland Express Company carried the US mail from St. Louis, following a southerly route through Texas and Arizona and then up the California Coastline to San Francisco, marking the beginning of the Pony Express.
In 1858 John Butterfield of Utica, N.Y. won a government contract of $600,000 a year (Wow! - a lot of money back then, and even now . . .) for six years to carry mail from St Louis to San Francisco twice a week. Butterfield spent more than a million dollars getting the company started. He ran about 250 coaches, 1,000 horses, 500 mules and had about 800 employees.
Retracing the route of the first Pony Express stagecoach, the Harris Stage Line (driven by Tom Harris from Paso Robles, CA) followed El Camino Real (now Ventura Blvd) in the San Fernando Valley. One of their stops along the way was the Tarzana Community and Cultural Center at the corner of Ventura and Vanalden in Tarzana.
Los Angeles Councilman Dennis Zine rode in the stagecoach
Councilman Zine was met at TCCC by Pam Young and Richard Troy from Reel Cowboys - a Los Angeles-based non-profit Western Film and TV appreciation organization dedicated to keeping the tradition of the cowboy alive. Profits generated by Reel Cowboys events provide funding contributions to worthy charities.
Entertainment for the day was provided by Big Red Sky
And the boys in the band managed to get themselves into a little trouble with the Reel Cowboys ;-)
The folks at Braemar Country Club generously donated their time and food for a wonderful barbecue, which served as a fundraiser for TCCC
Team Braemar
Team Braemar
Jerry Fecht, President of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley, printed postcards that were carried in the Stagecoach, then sold as souvenirs of this memorable occasion. 
Councilman Zine gave awards to the folks from TCCC who hosted this exciting event (left to right: Louis Kaye, Hellen Baker, Patty McManus, Councilman Zine, Willard Simms)
And a good time was had by all!
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