Marquis de Mores: A grand entrepreneur. In the fall of 1884 he inaugurated daily round-trip stage and freight service from Medora to the Black Hills of South Dakota.Four coaches were purchased. The Kittie, Medora, Dakota and Deadwood stages could make the trip to the gold fields with a four- to six-horse hitch in 36 hours, depending on the weather. The original Deadwood coach is on display at the Chateau de Mores.The cost of the 215-mile ride was $21.50 per person. In addition to the coaches, other teams pulled wagons loaded with up to two tons of freight from the rail yards of Medora to the Black Hills. Stage stations were established every 10 to 15 miles and drivers were paid $50 a month plus "three hots and a cot."The vision of de Mores faced many challenges. One challenge was landing a major mail contract. Competition in the stage and freight business was intense.After only seven and a half months, the Marquis' adventure in the stagecoach business ended. The Bad Lands Cow Boy reported: "On May 19th (1885) the entire stage outfit rolled in, horses, coaches, station furniture and all." (Marker Number 20.)
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