A rapid mail service from St Joseph, MO, to San Francisco, CA, using relays of riders and horses. Established in 1860, the service was withdrawn after the completion of the first transcontinental telegraph line a year later.
The Pony Express was a fast mail service crossing the North American continent from the Missouri River to the Pacific coast, operating from April 1860 to November 1861.
By traveling a slightly shorter route and using mounted riders rather than stagecoaches, the founders of the Pony Express hoped to establish their service as a faster and more reliable conduit for the mail and win away the exclusive government mail contract.
The Pony Express demonstrated that a unified transcontinental system could be built and operated continuously the year around – something that had previously been regarded as impossible. Since its replacement by the First Transcontinental Railroad and the telegraph, the Pony Express has entered the romance of the American West.
In 2006, the U.S. Postal Service trademarked the name "Pony Express."
History
Background
The Pony Express, established a year before the beginning of the American Civil War, reflected the need of providing fast and reliable communication with the West.
By 1860, the fastest route was the Butterfield Stage line from St. Louis, Missouri through El Paso, Texas, which took 25 days.
In 1854, Benjamin Franklin Ficklin, an employee of the firm of Russells, Majors and Waddell, is said to have first proposed a faster northern route to California Senator William M.
This firm was one of the biggest outfitters for travellers on the Santa Fe and Oregon trails, operating out of a vast complex in the West Bottoms of Kansas City, Missouri.
In October 1857, Russells, Majors and Waddell faced financial ruin when Lot Smith and his Nauvoo Legion destroyed 54 of their wagons during the Utah War.
On January 27, 1860, William Hepburn Russell wired the firm from Leavenworth that Gwin was supporting a contract for California service on the central route provided that it be delivered in 10 days and be ready to debut by April. Pikes Peak Express to the Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company to attempt the feat.
The Hannibal &
Alexander Majors and Ficklin assembled 190 relay stations over 1,966 miles (3106 km) from St. Joseph to Sacramento, along with 50 riders and 500 horses.
Operation
Pony Express stations were placed at intervals of about 10 miles (16 km) along the route , roughly the maximum distance a horse can travel at full gallop. The mochila could hold 20 pounds (10 kg) of mail along with the 20 pounds of material carried on the horse, allowing for a total of 165 pounds (75 kg) on the horse's back.
Major had acquired over 400 horses for the project, and these averaged about 14½ hands (1.83m) high and weighed under 900 pounds (410 kg), thus the name pony was appropriate, even if not strictly correct for all the horses.
Route
The route roughly followed the Oregon Trail, Mormon Trail and California Trail.
After crossing the Missouri River at St. Joseph to Kansas, it followed what is modern day US 36 to Marysville, Kansas (now called the Pony Express Highway) where it turned northwest following Little Blue River to Fort Kearney in Nebraska. From there it followed the Sweetwater River (Wyoming), passing Independence Rock, Devil's Gate, and Split Rock, to Fort Caspar, through South Pass to Fort Bridger and then down to Salt Lake City.
The first ride
The rides were scheduled to leave San Francisco and St. Joseph simultaneously on April 3, 1860, although the Westbound route has gotten more publicity.
Westbound
The messenger delivering the mochila from New York and Washington missed a connection in Detroit and arrived in Hannibal, Missouri two hours late.
St. Joseph Mayor M. The ride began at about 7:15 p.m.
The first horse ridden leg of the Express was only about a half mile (800 m) from the Express stables/railroad area to the Missouri River ferry at the foot of Jules Street.
Johnson William Richardson, who was 9 at the time, was believed to have been the actual first rider when he took the pouch the few blocks to the ferry.
Fry delivered the first mail from San Francisco/Sacramento to St. Joseph on April 13.
Eastbound
James Randall is credited as the first rider from the San Francisco Alta telegraph office (he got on the steamship Antelope to go to Sacramento).
Obstacles
The first assignment of Colonel Ulysses S. St. Joseph Railroad and Pony Express mail.
During the Paiute War, several stations were ambushed.
The end
Although the Pony Express proved that the central/northern route was viable, Russell, Majors and Waddell were not to get the contract to deliver mail over the route. The Pony Express going forward only ran mail between Salt Lake City and Sacramento. The Pony Express announced its closure on October 24, 1861, two days after the Transcontinental Telegraph reached Salt Lake City.
The Pony Express had grossed $90,000 and lost $200,000. In 1866, after the American Civil War was over, Holladay sold the Pony Express assets along with the remnants of the Butterfield Stage to Wells Fargo for $1.5 million.
Trademarks and logos
Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo used the Pony Express logo for its guard and armored car service. Effective 2001, the Pony Express logo was no longer used for security businesses since the business has been sold.
Trademarked Pony Express name
In June 2006 the United States Postal Service announced it had trademarked "Pony Express" along with Air Mail.
Statues
Pony Express statues are in Sacramento, Stateline, Nevada, Reno, Nevada, Salt Lake City, Casper, Wyoming, Julesburg, Colorado, North Kansas City, Missouri and St. Joseph.
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