Pony Express 150th Anniversary

The first Pony Express ride was 150 years ago tomorrow, April the 3^rd. An express rider left from Patee House in St. Joseph, MO to start the mail on its journey to Sacremento, CA and then by steamboat to San Francisco.  The trail passed through Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and Nevada before the journey to Sacremento was completed. Nearly 2,000 miles covered in just ten days.

 

It was a dangerous and grueling job, as well as specialized. Riders were needed to weigh less than 125lbs to prevent the strain on the horses with the additional weight of the mail.  They were also expected to be upstanding citizens, keeping to a code of conduct that forbade fighting, swearing, or abusing their animals. The horses were special too. Not technically ponies, they were selected to be smaller, lighter animals with strength and endurance.

 

By the end of the Express, over 374,753 pieces of mail had been delivered and over 650,000 miles traveled. No wonder that, although the service lasted only 19^th months {it was expensive, dangerous, and no match for the telegraph}, the Pony Express still holds sway over the hearts and imaginations of many mail-lovers.

 

This being the 150^th Anniversary of the Pony Express, there are many different programs and events being held in its honor. Please visit the following websites for more information:

 

Pony Express National Historic Trail – www.nps.gov/poex

Pony Express Re-Ride  – www.xphomestation.com

Pony Express Museum – www.ponyexpress.org

Patee House Museum – www.ponyexpressjessejames.com