Pony Express facts for kids
| Express mail | |
| Industry | Postal service |
| Fate | bankrupt |
| Founded | April 3, 1860 in St. Joseph, Missouri, United States |
| Founders | Alexander Majors William Hepburn Russell William Bradford Waddell |
| Defunct | October 26, 1861 |
| Headquarters | Patee House, , |
|
Areas served
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St. Joseph, Missouri, Sacramento, California |
| Owner | Ben Holladay |
| Parent | Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company |
The Pony Express was a super-fast mail service in America. It used brave riders on horses to carry letters across the country. This amazing service connected Missouri in the east to California in the west. The Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company ran it.
For 18 months, starting in 1860, the Pony Express made messages travel much faster. A letter could go from the East Coast to the West Coast in about 10 days! This was the quickest way to send news across the western United States. It was very important for connecting the new state of California with the rest of the country.
Even though it was very helpful, the Pony Express didn't make money. It closed after 18 months because a new, faster way to send messages, the first transcontinental telegraph, was built in October 1861. But the Pony Express showed that a fast communication system could work all year long. It quickly became a famous part of the Old West stories. People admired the tough riders and speedy horses, seeing them as symbols of American courage and spirit.
Contents
- How the Pony Express Started
- How the Pony Express Worked
- The Pony Express Trail
- The First Rides
- Pony Express Mail
- The Fastest Mail Ever
- Challenges and Dangers
- Brave Riders of the Pony Express
- The Amazing Pony Express Horses
- Special Saddles and Mailbags
- Why the Pony Express Ended
- The Pony Express Lives On
- See also
How the Pony Express Started
The idea for a fast mail service to the West Coast grew because California was becoming very important. After gold was found there in 1848, many people moved to California. By 1860, California had a population of 380,000. People needed a quicker way to send mail and news to and from this growing state. This need became even more urgent as the American Civil War was about to begin.
Three men started the Pony Express: William Russell, Alexander Majors, and William Bradford Waddell. They already ran a large business moving goods. Their company was huge, employing 6,000 people and owning thousands of animals and wagons.
Russell, Majors, and Waddell had a big idea. They wanted to create a super-fast mail service using riders on horses. This would be much quicker than slow stagecoaches. They planned to deliver letters between St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California, in just 10 days. Many people thought this was impossible!
The cost to send a letter was high at first, about $5 for a small amount of mail. This was 250 times more expensive than regular mail. The founders hoped to get a special government contract for their fast service.
Russell, Majors, and Waddell quickly set up the Pony Express in the winter of 1860. They gathered 80 riders, 184 stations, and 400 horses. Alexander Majors was a very religious man. He gave each rider a special Bible. He also made them promise to be honest, faithful, and avoid bad language or fighting.
How the Pony Express Worked
In 1860, there were about 186 Pony Express stations. They were placed about 10 to 15 miles apart along the route. At each station, the rider would quickly switch to a fresh horse. They might grab a quick bite to eat. The most important thing was the mail pouch, called a mochila. This is a Spanish word for pouch or backpack.
The company leaders made it clear: the mochila was more important than the horse or rider. It was thrown over the saddle and held in place by the rider's weight. It had four special pockets, called cantinas, for the mail. These pockets were locked for safety. The mochila could carry about 20 pounds of mail. Riders were usually small, weighing no more than 125 pounds. They rode about 75 to 100 miles each day, riding day and night. Sometimes, in emergencies, a rider would go even further, riding for over 20 hours!
Riders earned $125 a month, which was a very good salary back then. Alexander Majors bought over 400 horses for the project. He selected horses from around the west, paying an average of $200. These horses averaged about 14.2 hands high and 900 pounds each. The name "pony" was fitting for these strong, fast animals.
The Pony Express Trail
The Pony Express trail was about 1,900 miles long. It started in St. Joseph, Missouri. The route followed parts of famous trails like the Oregon Trail and California Trail. It went through Wyoming to Fort Bridger. Then it followed the Mormon Trail to Salt Lake City, Utah.
From Salt Lake City, the trail continued through Nevada. It passed Carson City and crossed the Sierra Nevada mountains. Finally, it reached Sacramento, California. From Sacramento, mail was often put on boats to go downriver to San Francisco. Sometimes, riders and ferries were used for the last part of the journey.
Pony Express Stations
Along the long and difficult Pony Express route, there were about 190 stations. These stations and their keepers were vital for the mail system to run smoothly and on time. Many stations were existing buildings, like military forts. Others were built in remote areas with very basic living conditions.
The route was split into five sections. To keep the strict schedule, 157 relay stations were placed 5 to 25 miles apart. At these "swing stations," riders would swap their tired horses for fresh ones. "Home stations" offered food and a place to sleep for riders between their long runs. This system allowed mail to cross the continent in record time. Each rider covered about 75 miles per day.
The First Rides
First Ride West
The very first Pony Express trip heading west started from St. Joseph on April 3, 1860. It reached Sacramento, California, 10 days later, on April 14. These letters came from the east to St. Joseph, but didn't go through the regular U.S. mail system. Today, only one letter from this first westbound trip is known to still exist.
The messenger carrying the mail from New York and Washington, D.C., was late. A special train was sent to speed the mail across Missouri. It traveled 206 miles in a record 4 hours and 51 minutes! The mail arrived near the Pony Express headquarters in St. Joseph. The first mail pouch held 49 letters, five private telegrams, and some papers.
St. Joseph's Mayor M. Jeff Thompson and the founders, William H. Russell and Alexander Majors, gave speeches. The ride began around 7:15 p.m. The St. Joseph Gazette newspaper was the only one included in the first bag.
Historians debate who the very first rider was. Some say Johnson William Richardson, others say Johnny Fry. The first rider carried the mail pouch across the Missouri River by ferry to Elwood, Kansas. The first westbound mail reached Sacramento at 1:00 a.m. on April 14.
First Ride East
The first Pony Express trip heading east also left Sacramento on April 3, 1860. It arrived in St. Joseph, Missouri, 10 days later. From St. Joseph, these letters were put into the regular U.S. mail system for delivery. Only two letters from this first eastbound trip are known to exist today.
Pony Express Mail
The Pony Express operated for only a short time, in 1860 and 1861. Because of this, very few examples of Pony Express mail still exist. Also, sending a small letter cost $5.00 at the beginning. This was like two and a half days of pay for a skilled worker! By the end, the price dropped to $1.00, but it was still expensive. Only about 250 known pieces of Pony Express mail remain today.
Special Stamps
Special postmarks were added to mail carried by the Pony Express. These marks were put on the letters at the starting point of their journey.
The Fastest Mail Ever
William Russell, one of the Pony Express founders, used the 1860 United States presidential election to show how fast the service was. This was important because just four years earlier, news of the president's win took months to arrive. The election of Abraham Lincoln was especially important because the country was heading into the Civil War.
Russell hired extra riders to make sure fresh riders and horses were always ready. On November 7, 1860, a Pony Express rider left Fort Kearny, Nebraska Territory. This was where the eastern telegraph line ended. The rider carried the election results. Riders raced over snowy trails to Fort Churchill, Nevada Territory, where the western telegraph line ended. California newspapers heard about Lincoln's election only 7 days and 17 hours after the East Coast papers. This was an amazing achievement for the time!
Challenges and Dangers
The Paiute War was a series of conflicts that happened when American settlers moved into the land of the Paiute tribe in Nevada. These conflicts disrupted the Pony Express mail service. They mostly took place from May to June 1860, but some problems continued after that.
In its short history, the Pony Express only once failed to deliver the mail. After eight successful weekly trips, the service had to stop because of the Paiute conflicts in May 1860.
About 6,000 Paiutes in Nevada had a very hard winter that year. By spring, many were ready for conflict. Meanwhile, a group attacked Williams Station, a Pony Express station. Some stories say this was to start a conflict. Others say the group heard that men at the station had taken two Paiute women. Fighting broke out when they went to investigate. Five men lost their lives, and the station was burned.
In the following weeks, other incidents happened. The Pony Express was a specific target. Seven other stations were attacked. Sixteen employees lost their lives, and about 150 express horses were stolen or driven away. Workers at these remote stations had no one nearby to help defend them. This made working at the stations one of the most dangerous jobs. The Paiute conflicts cost the Pony Express company about $75,000 in animals and equipment. In June of that year, U.S. troops helped end the conflicts. Four delayed mail shipments from the East finally reached San Francisco on June 25, 1860.
During this time, one Pony Express mail pouch, which left San Francisco on July 21, 1860, did not reach its destination right away. That mail pouch finally arrived in St. Joseph and then New York almost two years later.
Brave Riders of the Pony Express
Riding for the Pony Express in 1860 was very tough work. Riders had to be strong and lightweight. There's a famous advertisement that supposedly read, "Wanted: Young, skinny, wiry fellows not over eighteen. Must be expert riders, willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred." However, historians say this ad is likely a made-up story from much later.
The Pony Express had about 80 riders traveling the route at any time. Plus, there were around 400 other employees, like station keepers and horse handlers. Many young men wanted the job. The company offered $100 a month, which was a very good amount of money back then. Author Mark Twain described the riders as "... usually a little bit of a man." Even though they were often young teenagers, these riders became heroes of the American West.
Wild Bill Hickok never worked as a rider. He only worked as a stock tender, helping with the horses.
Who Rode First?
The identity of the first rider to leave St. Joseph heading west is debated. Most historians believe it was either Johnny Fry or Billy Richardson. Both were hired for the division from St. Joseph to Seneca, Kansas, an 80-mile stretch. They rode at an average speed of 12.5 miles per hour, including all stops.
Before the mail pouch was given to the first rider on April 3, 1860, there were ceremonies and speeches. Mayor M. Jeff Thompson spoke about the importance of the event for St. Joseph. William H. Russell and Alexander Majors talked about how the Pony Express was just the start of a transcontinental railroad. Around 7:15 p.m., Russell handed the mail pouch to the first rider. A cannon fired, the crowd cheered, and the rider rushed to a ferry boat. The boat, called Denver, carried the horse and rider across the Missouri River to Elwood, Kansas Territory.
On April 9, the first rider from the east reached Salt Lake City, Utah. Then, on April 12, the mail pouch arrived in Carson City, Nevada Territory. The riders then raced over the Sierra Nevada mountains to Sacramento. Around midnight on April 14, 1860, the first mail pouch was delivered by the Pony Express to San Francisco. It contained a letter from President Buchanan to California Governor Downey, along with other important government and business mail. In total, 85 pieces of mail were delivered on this first trip.
James Randall is often called the "first eastbound rider" from San Francisco. He was on the steamship Antelope going to Sacramento. Mail for the Pony Express left San Francisco at 4:00 p.m. It was carried by horse to the waterfront, then by steamboat to Sacramento. There, a Pony Express rider picked it up. At 2:45 a.m., William (Sam) Hamilton was the first Pony Express rider to start the journey from Sacramento. He rode to Sportsman Hall Station. There, he gave his mochila of mail to Warren Upson, who quickly rode eastward.
William 'Buffalo Bill' Cody
William Cody (known as Buffalo Bill) is one of the most famous Pony Express riders. Many stories are told about his adventures, though some might be exaggerated. At age 15, Cody was traveling west when he met Pony Express agents. He signed up with the company and helped build some stations. He then became a rider, starting with a 45-mile route near Julesburg.
Later, he was moved to a division in Wyoming. It is said he made the longest nonstop ride there. He rode from Red Buttes Station to Rocky Ridge Station and back, covering 322 miles in 21 hours and 40 minutes. He used 21 different horses for this amazing feat. Once, while carrying mail, he reportedly ran into a group of Native Americans but managed to escape. Cody was part of many important events in early western history. After the Civil War, he became a scout for the Army, earning his famous nickname.
Robert 'Pony Bob' Haslam
"Pony Bob" Haslam was one of the bravest and best-known Pony Express riders. He was born in London, United Kingdom, in 1840 and came to the United States as a teenager. He was hired by Bolivar Roberts and helped build stations. His mail route was from Friday's Station at Lake Tahoe to Buckland's Station, 75 miles east.
His most famous ride was 120 miles in 8 hours and 20 minutes, even though he was wounded. This ride helped make it the fastest trip ever for the Pony Express. He was carrying Abraham Lincoln's inaugural address. During conflicts in 1860, Haslam received eastbound mail at Friday's Station. When he reached Buckland's Station, his relief rider was too scared to continue. Haslam agreed to take the mail all the way to Smith's Creek, a total of 190 miles, without rest.
After a 9-hour rest, he rode back with westbound mail. At Cold Springs, he found that Native Americans had attacked the station. The station keeper had lost his life, and all the horses were gone. During this ride, an arrow hit him in the jaw, and he lost three teeth. He finally reached Buckland's Station, completing a 380-mile round trip, the longest on record.
Pony Bob continued to work as a rider for Wells Fargo after the Civil War. He also scouted for the U.S. Army into his 50s. Later, he joined his friend "Buffalo Bill" Cody on a mission to talk with Chief Sitting Bull in 1890. He passed away in Chicago in 1912 at age 72, in great poverty after a stroke. Buffalo Bill paid for his friend's headstone.
Jack Keetley's Long Ride
Jack Keetley was hired at age 19 for the division from Marysville to Big Sandy. He was one of the few riders who worked for the Pony Express for its entire 19 months.
Jack Keetley's longest ride happened when he had to cover for another rider. He ended up at Seneca, where he was so tired he fell asleep in the saddle. He had ridden 340 miles in 31 hours without stopping to rest or eat. After the Pony Express closed, Keetley moved to Salt Lake City and worked in mining. He passed away there on October 12, 1912.
In 1907, Keetley wrote a letter about his experiences. He mentioned that Alex Carlyle was the first to ride out of St. Joseph, followed by John Frye, then himself, and Gus Cliff. He also stated that his longest ride was said to be 300 miles, completed in just under 24 hours.
Young Rider Billy Tate
Billy Tate was a 14-year-old Pony Express rider. He rode the trail in Nevada near Ruby Valley. During the conflicts of 1860, a group of Paiute Native Americans on horseback chased him. He had to hide in the hills behind some large rocks. He bravely fought back, but he eventually lost his life.
Major Howard Egan: A Pioneer Superintendent
Howard Egan moved to the United States from Ireland in the 1830s. He joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints while living in Massachusetts. He was part of the pioneer group that traveled west to what is now Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1847. When the Pony Express started, he became the Superintendent for the division from Salt Lake City to Robert's Creek in Nevada. Egan would even fill in as a rider when others couldn't. After the Pony Express, he became a rancher and worked with the court system in Utah.
The Amazing Pony Express Horses
At the California end of the Pony Express route, W.W. Finney bought 100 "California horses." A.B. Miller bought another 200 native ponies near the Great Salt Lake Valley. These horses were ridden very fast between stations, usually 10 to 20 miles. Then, a fresh horse would take over for the next part of the journey.
During his 80 to 100-mile route, a Pony Express rider would change horses 8 to 10 times. The horses were ridden at a fast canter, about 10 to 15 miles per hour. Sometimes, they galloped at full speed, up to 25 miles per hour! The horses for the Pony Express were bought in Missouri, Iowa, California, and other western U.S. territories.
The types of horses included Morgans and thoroughbreds, often used on the eastern part of the trail. Mustangs were frequently used on the western, more rugged, parts of the mail route.
Special Saddles and Mailbags
In 1844, years before the Pony Express, Israel Landis opened a saddle shop in St. Joseph. As the town grew, his business did too. When the Pony Express arrived, Landis was the perfect person to make their saddles. Pony Express riders rode their horses quickly for 10 miles or more between stations. So, everything was designed to make the load the horse carried as light as possible.
Special lightweight saddles were created for this purpose. They used less leather and fewer metal or wood parts. These saddles looked similar to regular saddles used in the West but were much lighter.
The mail pouch was a unique part of the Pony Express. Regular mailbags were too big and took too long to move from one saddle to another. This would cause too much delay at each station. To solve this, a mochila (a leather covering) was placed over the saddle. The saddle horn and back part stuck through special holes in the mochila. Attached to the wide leather of the mochila were four cantinas, or box-shaped leather pockets. These pockets held the letters safely during the journey.
Why the Pony Express Ended
During its short time, the Pony Express delivered about 35,000 letters between St. Joseph and Sacramento. Even though it proved the central mail route was possible, Russell, Majors, and Waddell did not get the government contract for mail delivery. That contract went to Jeremy Dehut in March 1861. He had taken over the southern Butterfield Overland Mail Stage Line. The "Stagecoach King," Ben Holladay, bought the Pony Express stations for his stagecoaches.
Soon after the contract was awarded, the American Civil War began, causing the stage line to stop running. From March 1861, the Pony Express only carried mail between Salt Lake City and Sacramento. The Pony Express announced its closure on October 26, 1861. This was just two days after the First Transcontinental Telegraph reached Salt Lake City, connecting Omaha, Nebraska, and Sacramento. Other telegraph lines also connected cities on the east and west coasts.
Despite government help, the Pony Express was not a financial success. It made $90,000 but lost $200,000.
In 1866, after the Civil War, Holladay sold the Pony Express assets. He also sold the remaining parts of the Butterfield Stage to Wells Fargo for $1.5 million.
The Pony Express Lives On
Pony Express on Stamps
In 1869, the United States Post Office released the first U.S. postage stamp to show a real historic event. The subject chosen was the Pony Express. Before this, only the faces of famous people like George Washington and Benjamin Franklin were on U.S. stamps. This "Pony Express Stamp" was issued eight years after the service ended. It honored the brave riders and the important service they provided. In 1940 and 1960, special commemorative stamps were issued for the 80th and 100th anniversaries of the Pony Express.
The Pony Express Trail Today
| Pony Express National Historic Trail | |
|---|---|
Pony Express Trail Map
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| Location | California, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, US |
| Governing body | National Trails System |
The Pony Express route was named the Pony Express National Historic Trail on August 3, 1992, by an act of Congress. Its path goes through eight states. It includes large areas of land managed by the Bureau of Land Management in California, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming.
Today, people can drive along parts of the route. They can visit museums and special sites. You can also hike, bike, or ride horses on different sections of the trail. Places open to visitors include the Sand Mountain Recreation Area in Nevada. There's also a scenic drive called the Pony Express Trail National Back Country Byway. Boyd Station and Simpson Springs Campground in Utah, and the Little Sandy Crossing in Wyoming are also open. Eventually, about 120 historic sites along the trail, including 50 stations or station ruins, may be open to the public.
The National Pony Express Association is a group of volunteers. They work to preserve the original Pony Express trail. They also help keep the memory and importance of the Pony Express alive in American history. They partner with the National Park Service and other groups.
Remembering the Pony Express
From 1866 until 1889, the Pony Express logo was used by the stagecoach and freight company Wells Fargo. Wells Fargo used the logo for its security and armored-car services. The logo continued to be used by other security companies into the 1990s. Since 2001, the Pony Express logo is no longer used for security businesses.
In June 2006, the United States Postal Service announced it had trademarked "Pony Express" along with "Air Mail".
April 3, 2010, was the Pony Express's 150th anniversary. The Patee House Museum in St. Joseph, Missouri, which was the Pony Express headquarters, held events to celebrate.
On April 14, 2015, Google released a fun online game (a doodle) to celebrate its 155th anniversary.
See also
In Spanish: Pony Express para niños
- Cursus publicus
- Joseph Alfred Slade
- Örtöö
- Pony Express Museum
- Pony Express mochila
- Postage stamps and postal history of the United States
- Royal Road
