Purpose:
To provide the fastest mail delivery between St. Joseph,
Missouri, and Sacramento, California. To draw public attention
to the central route in hope of gaining the million dollar
government mail contract for the Central Overland California
and Pikes Peak Express Company.
Date:
April 3, 1860, to late October 1861.
Mechanics:
Relay of mail by horses and riders. The Pony Express ran
day and night, summer and winter.
Riders:
183 men are known to have ridden for the Pony Express
during its operation of just over 18 months.
One of the riders was Broncho Charlie. This is a great page all about him.
Rider Qualifications:
Ad in California newspaper read: "Wanted. Young, skinny,
wiry fellows. Not over 18. Must be expert riders. Willing to
risk death daily. Orphans preferred." Most riders were
around 20. Youngest was 11. Oldest was mid-40s. Not many
were orphans. Usually weighed around 120 pounds.
Riders Pay
$100 per month.
First Riders:
Johnny Fry was first westbound rider from St. Joseph. Billy
Hamilton was first eastbound driver from Sacramento.
Rider Relay:
New riders took over every 75 to 100 miles.
Horse Relay:
Riders got a fresh horse every 10 to 15 miles.
Speed:
Horses traveled an average of 10 miles per hour.
Horses:
400 horses purchased to stock the Pony Express route.
Thoroughbreds, mustangs, pintos, and Morgans were
often used.
Stations:
Approximately 165 stations.
Trail Length:
Almost 2,000 miles.
Route:
St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California. Through
the present day states of Kansas, Nebraska, northeast
corner of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and California.
Departure:
Once a week from April 3 to mid-June 1860. Twice a week
from mid-June, to late October 1861. Departures were from
both the east and the west.
Schedule:
10 days in summer. 12 to 16 days in winter.
Fastest Delivery:
7 days and 17 hours between telegraph lines. Lincoln's
Inaugural Address.
Longest Drive:
Pony Bob Haslam rode 370 miles (Friday's Station to Smith
Creek and back. This is in present-day Nevada.)
Cost of Mail:
$5.00 per 1/2 ounce at the beginning. By the end of the
Pony Express, the price had dropped to $1.00 per 1/2
ounce.
Founders:
William Russell, Alexander Majors, and William Waddell.
The company was the Central Overland California and Pikes
Peak Express Company. The Pony Express was a subsidiary of
the famous freight and stage company.
Other Mail Routes:
Water route from New York to San Francisco and across
Panama by pack mule.
Southern or Butterfield route from St. Louis and Memphis
to El Paso to Los Angeles to San Francisco.
Telegraph Completed:
October 24, 1861. Official end of the Pony Express.
Failures:
Financially, the owners spent $700,000 on the Pony
Express and had a $200,000 deficit. The company failed
to get the million dollar government contract because of
political pressures and the outbreak of the Civil War.
Successes:
Improved communication between east and west. Proved
the central route could be traveled all winter. Supported the
central route for the transcontinental railroad. Kept
communication open to California at the beginning of the
Civil War. Provided the fastest communication between
east and west until the telegraph. Captured the hearts and
the imagination of people all over the world.
Folklore:
One mochila lost and one rider killed. Location, date and
names have not been verified.
Suggested reading:
Benson, Joseph: The Traveler's Guide to Pony Express
Helena, Montana: Falcon Press, 1995
Beggs, W.S. and Nathan, M.C.: The Pony Express, Collector's Handbook no. 15
New York: Theodore E. Steinway Memorial Publication Fund, 1962
Dunlop, Richard: Great Trails of the West, Nashville
Abingdon Press, 1971
Loving, Mabel: The Pony Express Rides On, St.Joseph
Missouri: Roibidoux Printing Co., 1961
Courtesy the staff at the Pony Express National Memorial and the St. Joseph
Museum.
Copyrights and all rights reserved 1996.
LINKS:
1. City of St. Joseph - Pony Express Museum
2. The Gold Rush of California: A Bibliography of Periodical Articles
3. Pony Express Home Station
4. California State Historic Landmark 696
5. Hollenberg, Kansas a Pony Express Station
6. USPS - Pony Express Items for sale
7. Pony Express History
8. Another PE link
MOVIES made on the subject (Hollywood style):
Return to: FRONTIER TRAILS.
Return to the American West homepage.