Hollenberg Pony Express Station facts for kids
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Hollenberg Pony Express Station
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The Hollenberg Pony Express Station as it looked in 1991.
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 Location in Kansas
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Hanover, Kansas |
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| Area | 6 acres (2.4 ha) |
| Built | 1860 |
| Architect | G.H. Hollenberg |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000352 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | November 5, 1961 |
The Hollenberg Pony Express Station, also known as the Cottonwood Pony Express Station, is a special historical building. It is the most complete and original station from the famous Pony Express that still exists in the United States.
A man named Gerat H. Hollenberg built it around 1858. At first, it was a stop for people traveling west on the Oregon and California Trails. When the Pony Express started in 1860, the building became one of its stations.
Today, the station is owned by the state of Kansas. It is run by the Kansas Historical Society as a museum called the Hollenberg Pony Express Station State Historic Site. Because of its importance, it was named a National Historic Landmark in 1961.
Contents
A Historic Stop on the Frontier
The Hollenberg Pony Express Station is located near the town of Hanover, Kansas. It stands as a reminder of a time when the American West was just being settled.
What the Station Looked Like
The station is a one-and-a-half-story building made from cottonwood trees. It has a simple sloped roof and a stone foundation. Inside, there are six rooms. Four of these rooms were where the Hollenberg family lived.
One room was a small shop, and another was a public room where travelers could rest. The upstairs loft area was a sleeping space for guests and the brave riders of the Pony Express. Next to the main building, there was also a stable for horses and a blacksmith's shop for metal repairs.
A Busy Place on the Trail
Gerat H. Hollenberg built the station to help pioneers traveling west. When the Pony Express began, his station became a "home station." This was a larger, more important stop where riders didn't just switch to a fresh horse, but a new rider took over the mail pouch.
The Pony Express was a fast mail service that only lasted for about 18 months, ending in October 1861. The station also served the Butterfield Overland Mail, another stagecoach service. Mr. Hollenberg was a successful businessman who also founded the nearby town of Hanover, Kansas. He was later elected to the Kansas Legislature, helping to make laws for the state.
From Farm to Museum
After Mr. Hollenberg passed away in 1874, the station and the land around it were used as a farm until 1941. In that year, the state of Kansas bought the property to preserve it. In 1963, the Kansas Historical Society began taking care of it.
The building is special because it has never been moved and is still its original size. Today, you can visit the site to see what life was like for pioneers and Pony Express riders. The historic site is open to visitors from March to October.
See also
