The Pony Express was a mail service that operated from April 1860 to October 1861, using relays of horse-mounted riders to deliver mail across the United States. Despite its short lifespan, the Pony Express played a significant role in the history of the Old West.
Riders could cover about 75 miles per day, with horses being switched out every 10-15 miles. The average speed was about 10 miles per hour. The route spanned over 1,800 miles, from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California.
The Pony Express operated for only about 18 months. Initially, the cost was $5 per half ounce of mail, later reduced to $1. Most riders were small, wiry men, weighing between 100 and 125 pounds.
The Pony Express ceased operations with the completion of the transcontinental telegraph line in October 1861.
I've been to a few of the Pony Express station sites out in Nevada. Don't believe what the old Western movies show. They were built out of whatever was available. Mostly rocks. Remote shelters in a beautiful area.
ReplyDeleteGreat great Uncle William was a rider in the Confederate Pony Express and from the age of 16, ran the route from Shreveport up into south Arkansas during the war.
ReplyDeleteThe Pony was run to prove a central overland mail route was feasible. It ruined its parent firm of Russell, Majors, and Waddell, but its point was made.
ReplyDeleteSeems much more efficient than today's USPS.
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