Stamford-Richmondville Stage Line

Stamford-Richmondville Stage Line
By Karen Cuccinello

The earliest mention I found of this stage line in the newspapers was 1873, but it probably started earlier.
Delos A. Seeley (1841-1902) owned the Stamford and Richmondville stage line from 1873 until 1881, then operated the Catskill to Grand Gorge stage from 1881 to 1889. He was the owner of other routes in various parts of the state which he sublet or hired operators. The Catskill line was again operated by him from ’94 to ’98, and the Stamford-Richmondville line from ’92 to ’98.
July 25, 1878 Cobleskill Index- The approach of the stage coach on the Stamford & Richmondville line is heralded, as in the old on time, by the blowing of a tin horn.
October 1878 The Jeffersonian- The opposition line of stages on the Stamford & Richmondville and Stamford & Oneonta route, have been discontinued. The proprietors Seeley and Cant, have compromised the matter and all is again on the square.
July 7, 1885 Albany Argus- The Richmondville and Stamford stage is compelled to come by the way of Eminence (this is a hamlet that sits in Summit, Jefferson and Blenheim), making our Albany mail one hour later in the day.
In July of 1889 the newspapers stated that the Richmondville stage driver Will Stevens, a married man from Eminence with three children, eloped with Julia Winnie, also married, of Stamford.
August 1, 1889 The Jefferson Courier – The reported elopement of Will Stevens with Julia Winnie is unfounded. Mr. Stevens was with his family yesterday.
August 1893 Stamford Mirror- D. A. Seeley is again proprietor of the Richmondville- Stamford stage line. He has contracted for the remainder of the four-year term from July 1, last, at $850 per year.
July 1897 Jefferson Courier- Will Face has returned from Chickopee, Mass., and will assist mail contractor Geo. Cowans, in running the Stamford and Richmondville stage route from July 1st.
March 28, 1901 Jefferson Courier- —Adelbert Adair (1872-1947), the driver of the Stamford stage (for Burton Walling), met with a somewhat serious accident while returning with the mail from Stamford. When near the South Jefferson post-office, the wagon in dropping into a pitch hole, threw Mr. Adair over the wagon box under the horses’ feet. One of the horses stumped and kicked him but he managed to relieve himself and get to the So. Jefferson office, when he began to suffer pain. Albert Franklin drove the stage into Jefferson from there and Mr. Frank Foote followed later with Mr. Adair in a spring wagon. Dr. Hubbell, who dressed his wounds when he arrived here, found two or three ribs fractured and several bad bruises.
August 30, 1902 Cobleskill Index- The Richmondville – Stamford stage route and mail line was purchased of the owner, Burton G. Walling, by a syndicate of Jefferson business and professional men and the line will now be managed by the firm of Topping, Seeley & Dykman.
December 13, 1902 Hobart Independent- The Stamford-Richmondville stage route has again changed hands, and is now owned and operated by the firm of Hubbell & Francis – F. J. Hubbell and George Francis.
1902-03 Jefferson Courier- During the Cobleskill and Schoharie fairs, Hubbell & Francis, proprietors of the Stamford-Richmondville stage line, will carry passengers going to either of these fairs for $1 for round trip.
February 1905 Cobleskill Index- Jefferson- The Stamford-Richmondville mail route has been awarded to George Frances for the next four years for $1,240 per year.
October 1910 Cobleskill Index- “ Billy ” McMorris, with his smiling face and accommodating ways, is again in Jefferson and is the conductor on the morning run of the Stamford stage.
December 1912 Cobleskill Index- The last trip of the Jefferson-Richmondville stage will be made this week. The line when started about 1865 was from Hobart to Richmondville and for years the horse coach loaded down with passengers was a familiar sight.
Some stages kept running into the mid 1930’s, as automobiles were still not that prevalent yet, but they may have just carried the mail.
This newspaper clip is from a newspaper housed in the Stamford Village Library history room.