A name synonymous with the Old West will roll into Folsom for the rodeo.

The Wells Fargo Stagecoach, an icon of Western films, will take part in the Folsom Pro Rodeo Cattle Drive at 6 p.m. on July 1.

In the 1860s, Wells Fargo shelled out $1,100 each for the stagecoaches made by Abbot-Downing Company of Concord, New Hampshire.

The 2,200-pound egg-shaped carriages rested on leather “thoroughbraces,” giving it a rocking motion. Mark Twain referred to the coaches as, “a cradle on wheels.”

Back then, a cross-country ride by Wells Fargo stage cost $300 and took two weeks, traveling day and night.

Wells Fargo’s Great Overland lines stretched from Cisco, Calif., to North Platte, Neb., and headed north to Boise, Idaho, and Fort Benton, Mont.

A Wells Fargo overland stage averaged 5 mph, changing horses every 12 miles, and stopping for a bite to eat at home stations 45 miles apart, according to event organizers.

To help preserve its legacy, Wells Fargo dispatches its famous stagecoaches to community events throughout the nation, according to organizers.

It has 20 coaches for parades and 11 historic coaches displayed in museums nationwide.

Henry Wells, William George Fargo, and others founded Wells, Fargo & Co. in 1852 to offer financial and delivery services on the West Coast.

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TIMELINE

• Feb. 14, 1856 Luman Smith opens Folsom Wells Fargo office

• January 1857 Charles T. H. Palmer becomes Wells Fargo express agent, assayer, banker

• 1860 Palmer moves into new granite-faced brick building, serves as Pony Express agent.

Source: Rodeo organizers

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~ Staff report