Pony Express
The Pony Express was an American express mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders between Missouri and California. It was operated by the Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company.
During its 18 months of operation beginning in 1860, the Pony Express reduced the time for messages to travel between the east and west US coast to about 10 days. It became the west's most direct means of eastwest communication before the first transcontinental telegraph was established, and was vital for tying the new state of California with the rest of the United States.
Despite a heavy subsidy, the Pony Express was not a financial success and went bankrupt in 18 months, when a faster telegraph service was established. Nevertheless, it demonstrated that a unified transcontinental system of communications could be established and operated year-round. When it was replaced by the telegraph, the Pony Express quickly became romanticized and became part of the lore of the Old West. Its reliance on the ability and endurance of hardy riders and fast horses was seen as evidence of rugged American individualism of the frontier times.
Inception and founding
The idea of having a fast mail route to the Pacific Coast was prompted largely by California's newfound prominence and its rapidly growing population. After gold was discovered there in 1848, thousands of prospectors, investors, and businessmen made their way to California, at that time a new territory of the U.S. By 1850, California had entered the Union as a free state. By 1860, the population had grown to 380,000. The prospect of California and its national role became the source of bitter partisan debate in Congress. The demand for a faster way to get the mail and other communications to and from this westernmost state became even greater as the American Civil War approached.William Russell, Alexander Majors, and William Bradford Waddell were the three founders of the Pony Express. They were already in the freighting and drayage business. At the peak of the operations, they employed 6,000 men, owned 75,000 oxen, thousands of wagons, and warehouses, plus a sawmill, a meatpacking plant, a bank, and an insurance company.
Russell was a prominent businessman, well respected among his peers and the community. Waddell was co-owner of the firm Morehead, Waddell & Co. In 1859, C. R. Morehead took the proposal for the Pony Express to President Buchanan. After Morehead was bought out and moved to Leavenworth to enter the mercantile business, Waddell merged his company with Russell's, changing the name to Waddell & Russell. In 1855, they took on a new partner, Alexander Majors, and founded the company of Russell, Majors & Waddell. They held government contracts for delivering army supplies to the western frontier, and Russell had a similar idea for contracts with the U.S. government for fast mail delivery.
By using a short route and mounted riders rather than traditional stagecoaches, they proposed to establish a fast mail service between St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California, with letters delivered in 10 days, which many said was impossible. The initial price was set at $5 per, then $2.50, and by July 1861 to $1. The initial price was 250 times the price of mail through the normal mail service, which was $0.02. The founders of the Pony Express hoped to win an exclusive government mail contract, but that did not come about.
Russell, Majors, and Waddell organized and put together the Pony Express in two months in the winter of 1860. The undertaking assembled 80 riders, 184 stations, 400 horses, and several hundred personnel during January and February 1861.
Majors was a religious man and resolved "by the help of God" to overcome all difficulties. He presented each rider with a Pony Express special-edition Bible and required this oath, which they were also required to sign.
Operation
In 1860, the roughly 186 Pony Express stations were about apart along the Pony Express route. At each station, the express rider would change to a fresh horse, get a bite to eat, and would only take the mail pouch called a mochila with him.The employers stressed the importance of the pouch. They often said that, if it came to be, the horse and rider should perish before the mochila did. The mochila was thrown over the saddle and held in place by the weight of the rider sitting on it. Each corner had a cantina, or pocket. Bundles of mail were placed in these cantinas, which were padlocked for safety. The mochila could hold of mail along with the of material carried on the horse. Eventually, everything except one revolver and a water sack was removed, allowing for a total of on the horse's back. Riders, who could not weigh over, changed about every, and rode day and night. In emergencies, a given rider might ride two stages back to back, over 20 hours on a quickly moving horse.
Whether riders tried crossing the Sierra Nevada in winter is unknown, but they certainly crossed central Nevada. By 1860, a telegraph station was in Carson City, Nevada Territory. The riders received $125 a month as pay. As a comparison, the wage for unskilled labor at the time was about $0.43–1.00 per day, and for semi-skilled laborers like bricklayers and carpenters was usually less than $2 per day.
Alexander Majors, one of the founders of the Pony Express, had acquired more than 400 horses for the project. He selected horses from around the west, paying an average of $200. These averaged about high and each; thus, the name pony was appropriate, even if not strictly correct in all cases.
Pony Express route
Beginning at St. Joseph, Missouri, the approximately route roughly followed the Oregon and California trails to Fort Bridger in Wyoming, and then the Mormon Trail to Salt Lake City, Utah. From there, it followed the Central Nevada Route to Carson City, Nevada Territory, before passing over the Sierra and reaching to Sacramento, California. From there mail was transferred to boats to go downriver to San Francisco or, on occasion, via a combination of riders and ferries to the destination.The route started at St. Joseph, Missouri, on the Missouri River, and then followed what is modern-day U.S. Highway 36 to Marysville, Kansas, where it turned northwest following Little Blue River to Fort Kearny in Nebraska. Through Nebraska, it followed the Great Platte River Road, cutting through Gothenburg, Nebraska, clipping the edge of Colorado at Julesburg; and passing Courthouse Rock, Chimney Rock, and Scotts Bluff, before arriving first at Fort Laramie and then Fort Caspar in Wyoming. From there, it followed the Sweetwater River, passing Independence Rock, Devil's Gate, and Split Rock, through South Pass to Fort Bridger and then south to Salt Lake City, Utah. From Salt Lake City, it generally followed the Central Nevada Route blazed in 1859 by Captain James H. Simpson of the Corps of Topographical Engineers. This route roughly follows today's US 50 across Nevada and Utah. It crossed the Great Basin, the Utah-Nevada Desert, and the Sierra Nevada near Lake Tahoe before arriving in Sacramento. Mail was transferred and sent by steamer down the Sacramento River to San Francisco. An alternative overland route was used for the first month and whenever the steamer departure was missed. The alternative route, roughly following first today's Interstate 80, then Interstate 680, then California Route 24, took the mail by horseback through Benicia, California. This route would then cross the Carquinez Strait via ferry to Martinez, then on horseback onward to Oakland and across the San Francisco Bay by ferry to San Francisco.
Stations
Along the long and arduous route used by the Pony Express, 190 stations were used. The stations and station keepers were essential to the successful, timely, and smooth operation of the Pony Express mail system. The stations were often fashioned out of existing structures, several of them located in military forts, while others were built anew in remote areas where living conditions were basic. The route was divided into five divisions. To maintain the rigid schedule, 157 relay stations were located from apart, as the terrain would allow. At each "swing station", riders would exchange their tired mounts for fresh ones, while "home stations" provided room and board for the riders between runs. This technique allowed the mail to be moved across the continent in record time. Each rider rode about per day.Missouri:
1. St. Joseph Station
Kansas:
2. Troy Station
3. Lewis Station
4. Kennekuk Station
5. Kickapoo, Goteschall Station
6. Log Chain Station
7. Seneca Station
8. Ash Point, Laramie Creek Station
9. Guittard Station
10. Marysville Station
11. Cottonwood, Hollenberg Station
12. Atchison Station
13. Lancaster Station
Nebraska:
14. Rock House Station
15. Rock Creek Station
16. Virginia City
17. Big Sandy Station
18. Millersville, Thompson's Station
19. Kiowa Station
20. Little Blue, Oak Grove Station
21. Liberty Farm Station
22. Spring Ranch, Lone Tree Station
23. Thirty-two Mile Creek Station
24. Sand Hill, Summit Station
25. Hook's, Kearney, Valley Station
26. Fort Kearney
----
Nebraska :
27. Seventeen Mile, Platte Station
28. Garden Station
29. Plum Creek Station
30. Willow Island, Willow Bend Station
31. Cold Water, Midway Ranch Station
32. Gilman's Station
33. Machette's Station
34. Cottonwood Springs Station
35. Cold Springs Station
36. Fremont Springs Station
37. O'Fallon's Bluff, Dansey's/Elkhorn Station
38. Alkali Lake Station
39. Gill's, Sand Hill Station
40. Diamond Springs Station
41. Beauvais Ranch Station
Colorado:
42. Frontz's/South Platte Station
43. Julesburg Station
Nebraska :
44. Nine Mile Station
45. Pole Creek No. 2 Station
46. Pole Creek No. 3 Station
47. Midway Station
48. Mud Springs Station
49. Court House Station
50. Chimney Rock Station
51. Ficklin's Springs Station
52. Scott's Bluff Station
53. Horse Creek Station
Wyoming:
54. Cold Springs, Spring Ranch/Torrington Station
55. Verdling's, Bordeaux, Bedeau's Ranch/Fort Benard Station
56. Fort Laramie Station
57. Nine Mile, Sand Point, Ward's, Central Star Station
58. Cottonwood Station
59. Horseshoe Creek, Horseshoe Station
----
Wyoming :
60. Elk Horn Station
61. La Bonte Station
62. Bed Tick Station
63. Lapierelle/La Prele Station
64. Box Elder Station
65. Deer Creek Station
66. Little Muddy Station
67. Bridger Station
68. Fort Caspar, Platte Bridge/North Platte Station
69. Red Butte Station
70. Willow Springs Station
71. Horse, Greesewood Creek Station
72. Sweetwater Station
73. Devil's Gate Station
74. Plant's, Plante Station
75. Split Rock Station
76. Three Crossings Station
77. Ice Slough, Ice Springs Station
78. Warm Springs Station
79. Rocky Ridge, St. Mary's Station
80. Rock Creek Station
81. Upper Sweetwater, South Pass Station
82. Pacific Springs Station
83. Dry Sandy Station
84. Little Sandy Creek Station
85. Big Sandy Station
86. Big Timber Station
87. Green River Station
88. Michael Martin's Station
89. Ham's Fork Station
90. Church Buttes Station
91. Millersville Station
92. Fort Bridger
93. Muddy Creek Station
94. Quaking Asp, Aspen, Springs Station
95. Bear River Station
Utah:
96. The Needles, Needle Rock Station
97. Echo Canyon Station
98. Halfway Station
99. Weber Station
100. Brimville Emergency Station
101. Carson House Station
102. East Canyon Station
103. Wheaton Springs Station
104. Mountain Dell/Dale Station
105. Salt Lake City Station
----
Utah :
106. Trader's Rest, Traveler's Rest Station
107. Rockwell's Station
108. Dugout, Joe's Dugout Station
109. Camp Floyd, Fairfield Station
110. Pass, East Rush Valley Station
111. Rush Valley, Faust's Station
112. Point Lookout, Lookout Pass Station
113. Government Creek Station
114. Simpson's Springs, Egan's Springs Station
115. River Bed Station
116. Dugway Station
117. Black Rock Station
118. Fish Springs Station
119. Boyd's Station
120. Willow Springs Station
121. Willow Creek Station
122. Canyon, Burnt Station
123. Deep Creek Station
Nevada:
124. Prairie Gate, Eight Mile Station
125. Antelope Springs Station
126. Spring Valley Station
127. Schell Creek Station
128. Egan's Canyon, Egan's Station
129. Bates', Butte Station
130. Mountain Spring Station
131. Ruby Valley Station
132. Jacob's Well Station
133. Diamond Springs Station
134. Sulphur Springs Station
135. Robert's Creek Station
----
Nevada :
136. Camp Station, Grubs Well Station
137. Dry Creek Station
138. Simpson Park Station
139. Reese River, Jacob's Spring Station
140. Dry Wells Station
141. Smith's Creek Station
142. Castle Rock Station
143. Edward's Creek Station
144. Cold Springs, East Gate Station
145. Middle Gate Station
146. West Gate Station
147. Sand Springs Station
148. Sand Hill Station
149. Carson Sink Station
150. Williams Station
151. Desert, Hooten Wells Station
152. Buckland's Station
153. Fort Churchill Station
154. Fairview Station
155. Mountain Well Station
156. Stillwater Station
157. Old River Station
158. Bisby's Station
159. Nevada Station
160. Ragtown Station
161. Desert Wells Station
162. Miller's, Reed's Station
163. Dayton Station
164. Carson City Station
165. Genoa Station
166. Friday's, Lakeside Station
California:
167. Woodford's Station
168. Fountain Place Station
169. Yank's Station
170. Strawberry Station
171. Webster's, Sugar Loaf House Station
172. Moss/Moore, Riverton Station
173. Sportsman's Hall Station
174. Placerville Station
175. El Dorado, Nevada House/Mud Springs Station
176. Mormon Tavern, Sunrise House Station
177. Fifteen Mile House Station
178. Five Mile House Station
179. Pleasant Grove House Station
180. Duroc Station
181. Folsom Station
182. Sacramento Station
183. Benicia Station
184. Martinez Station
185. Oakland Station
186. San Francisco Station