The Pony Express
The rider coming down the ridge at a fast gallop was a Pony Express Rider carrying mail. The mail had started it's journey with the Pony Express in Saint Joseph, Missouri and most of it was destined for Sacramento, California.
The Pony Express made it's debut on April 3, 1860 and the Eastern Terminal was located in Saint Joseph, Missouri. Saint Joseph was considered to be on the Western edge of what was then the civilized part of America. The Pony Express had 400 horses in it's service and 80 riders. There were 190 Pony Express Stations spread out across the country and they were 10 to 15 miles apart. The Western Terminal was Sacramento, California.
The average time needed for the Pony Express to cover the distance from Saint Joseph to Sacramento, about 2000 miles, was 10 days. The best time they recorded was 7 days and 17 hours. The trips were not just East to West but at the same time there were riders carrying mail from Sacramento to Saint Joseph along the same route.
The Stagecoaches carried mail and their average good time from Missouri to California was 3 weeks. The Pony Express cut that time down to an average of 10 days. Messages and important documents could move much faster by way of Pony Express.
The Pony Express did not exist for a long length of time. The Express started April 3, 1860 and ended October 26, 1861, two days after the transcontinental telegraph opened. The records indicate that only one Pony Express rider was killed by Indians. The Pony Express answered the call when there was a need for greater speed and better mail delivery. The years following the disbanding of the Pony Express were destined to see even greater speed and improvement in transportation and delivery. Within the minds of men were the plans and dreams for a mode of cross country transportation that would far exceed the benefits of the Pony Express, a cross country Railroad. TimesRChangin.
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