Willie Peterson

Willie is most famous as the driver of the stagecoach "Kittie." The line ran from Stephen (now Marshall County) to Roseau with a halfway stop in Pelan. Willie always drove the stagecoach named “Kittie” (Karlstad 222), and, in the early years, he covered the leg from Stephen to Pelan, staying the night in Pelan and then driving back. “In 1909, the route between Karlstad and Greenbush comprised the shortest and the last official stagecoach route in America.” As the narrative reads, Willie was the driver of the Karlsad to Greenbush line at the time it was closed in 1909. (Karlstad 194) A primary source to document this would be great, but as it stands, it looks like Willie might have been the last official stagecoach driver in America! The Kittie is  now in the South Dakota Historical Society. See the link below.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/southdakotahistory/4253516861/in/set-72157623035265743/

Any help proving that Willie was the driver of the Karlstad to Greenbush line when it closed in 1909 would be very much appreciated.