In 250 years of postal history, one of the briefest innovations left one of the most lasting impressions: the Pony Express. Officially the Central Overland California and Pike’s Peak Express Co., a private enterprise, the Pony Express was born 166 years ago on April 3, 1860, and lasted just 18 months until Oct. 26, 1861. Yet its legacy endures in the popular imagination, a romantic vision of a Wild West traversed by lone, brave men on horseback facing unfamiliar terrain and unfriendly faces as they raced to deliver mail to California. The history even inspired an independent nonprofit, the National Pony Express Association, to form in the 1970s. The all-volunteer membership group has long organized an Annual Re-Ride along the National Park Service’s Pony Express National Historic Trail.
Despite its fleeting life span, the impact of the Pony Express was indisputably significant. Amid westward expansion through the mid-19th century, the Post Office Department had relied upon stagecoaches and steamboats as reliable means of mail delivery — and both had their limitations.
Stagecoaches? Restricted to shorter journeys. Steamboats? Slow, taking long, winding routes to reach the West Coast. Trains? Nope, no tracks west of Missouri. You couldn’t even send a telegraph yet, with no coast-to-coast line. In search of a solution, William H. Russell, an American transportation pioneer, sought the support of the Senate Post Office and Post Office Roads Committee for an express route to carry mail between St. Joseph, MO, and California.
St. Joseph was the embarkation point for the nearly 2,000-mile route to the West, covering land that, with the exception of a few forts and settlements, was inhabited primarily by Native Americans. With partners, Russell formed the Central Overland California and Pike’s Peak Express Co., building and refurbishing relay stations to support the new delivery service. The company scoured the country for good horses hardy enough to make it across varied terrain and survive challenging weather, as well as riders willing to swear on a Bible not to cuss, fight, or abuse their animals and to conduct themselves honestly.
From St. Joseph to Sacramento, CA, the Pony Express route went through Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and Nevada. On an average day, riders covered 75 to 100 miles and changed horses at relay stations every 10 to 15 miles. The first delivery took 10 days to complete, cutting the overland stagecoach time by over half. The fastest delivery took place in March 1861 when President Abraham Lincoln’s inaugural address was carried from St. Joseph to Sacramento in an impressive 7 days and 17 hours.
In July 1861, the Pony Express, deeply in debt despite charging as much as $5 a half-ounce for a letter at a time when ordinary U.S. postage was no more than 10 cents, began operating under contract as a mail route. By late October, upon the completion of the transcontinental telegraph line, the company folded. Still, over a century and a half later, its memory lives on.
The National Pony Express Association’s Annual Re-Ride, a 10-day June event, recreates the original 1,966-mile route from St. Joseph to Sacramento. Riders carry personal and commemorative letters that are handed off to USPS for delivery to final destinations. (Commemorative letters — special vignettes of Pony Express history — can be purchased for the 1860 price of $5. Personal letters can be sent for $10 each. Those interested in sending a letter can learn more at the association’s website, nationalponyexpress.org.)
“The Re-Ride is our way of keeping the legend of the Pony Express alive,” said Petra Keller, the association’s spokesperson. “It’s a tremendous accomplishment. We celebrate with special events along the trail with the hope of engaging younger riders who will take up the mantle of preserving the history of the Pony Express for future generations.”
Community celebrations and educational activities take place in partner towns along the Re-Ride path, with a special nod this year to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Those who wish to follow the journey online can view an interactive National Park Service map on the association’s website thanks to a nifty modern-day addition to the saddlebag: a GPS device.
“It’s important to highlight the Pony Express during America’s semiquincentennial because of the vital role in connecting California and the Midwestern territories to other parts of the country,” Keller said. “It’s also important to express appreciation for the way communication has evolved. Now we can send a text message and get a response in a few seconds. Back then, you had to wait at least a week or two if you were waiting for a reply. It’s remarkable to see where we were and compare that with today.”