More than 1,800 miles in 10 days ! From St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California the Pony Express could deliver a letter faster than ever before. In operation for only 18 months between April 1860 and October 1861, the Pony Express nevertheless has become synonymous with the Old West.
Were any Pony Express riders killed?
How many Pony Express riders died on the job? There is historical documentation that four Pony riders were killed by Indians ;one was hanged for murder after he got drunk and killed a man;one died in an unrelated accident;and two froze to death.
Can you drive the Pony Express Trail?
The 100-mile section of the Pony Express route from U.S. 50 to Fort Churchill and then between Fort Churchill (U.S. 95A) and the Smith Ranch (U.S. 95) is not a difficult trail to drive—in fact, the first 20 to 30 miles are over a two-lane dirt road.
How long is the Pony Express National Historic Trail?
The Pony Express National Historic Trail is a 1900-mile long route that passes through eight states, namely Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada & California. It pays tribute to the “Old West route” between St.
How far would a Pony Express rider travel in a day?
Riders would travel 75 to 100 miles a day , switching horses every 10 to 12 miles. The fastest delivery in the history of the Pony Express was seven days and seventeen hours. It was to deliver President Abraham Lincoln’s inaugural address.
Did Jesse James ride for Pony Express?
At eighteen, he was one of the best Pony Express riders in the service. James’s route lay between Simpson’s Park and Cole Springs, Nevada, in the Smoky Valley range of mountains. He rode only sixty miles each way but covered his round trip of 120 miles in just 12 hours, including all stops.
Did the Pony Express riders carry guns?
Who knew that the Pony Express was founded with a presumption that its riders would be Christian? ... In addition to the mailbag, the Pony Express riders carried two things: a Bible, and a gun.
What killed the Pony Express?
The company had spent its brief history bridging the gap between the Eastern and Western telegraph lines, but it was finally rendered obsolete on October 24, 1861, when Western Union completed the transcontinental telegraph line at Salt Lake City. The Pony Express ceased service just two days later.
Were there any female Pony Express riders?
Women aren’t often mention in connection with the Pony Express. There’s no record of a woman ever taking part as a rider , but that doesn’t mean women didn’t play an important role. ... “A woman on Plum Creek in Nebraska Territory started a store across from a Pony Express station.
How many Pony Express riders were there?
The Pony Express had an estimated 80 riders traveling east or west along the route at any given time. In addition, about 400 other employees were used, including station keepers, stock tenders, and route superintendents.
How much did the Pony Express riders get paid?
The riders were paid $25 a week , which in those days was good money. Each carried a gun, a waterbag and the mail, in a pouch specially designed to survive even if the horse and rider did not. Riders changed to a fresh horse at each station along the way and handed over to a new rider every 75 to 100 miles.
How many miles would a pony rider travel in eight days?
“In a little while all interest was taken up in stretching our necks and watching for the “pony-rider” – the fleet messenger who sped across the continent from St. Joe to Sacramento, carrying letters nineteen hundred miles in eight days! Think of that for perishable horse and human flesh!”
What did Pony Express riders eat?
meat subjected to half sod, half stew, and lastly , bread, raised with sour milk corrected with soda, and so baked that the taste of the flour is ever prominent, we paid $0.75 [equivalent to $ 20.00 today] at a station near Fort Laramie...’Our breakfast was prepared in the usual prairie style.
What was the longest ride on the Pony Express?
Finally he reached Buckland’s Station, completing a 380-mile round trip , the longest on record for the Pony Express.
Was Bill Cody a Pony Express rider?
9. Buffalo Bill Cody probably wasn’t a Pony Express rider . In his autobiography, the famed frontier showman William “Buffalo Bill” Cody claimed that he served as a Pony Express rider at the age of 14. He even alleged that he once rode a record 384 miles in a single run.
Who was the youngest rider for the Pony Express?
And so, Bronco Charlie , Pony Express Rider was born. There were 240 riders and Charlie was the youngest.
