On April 3, 1860, the first Pony Express mail, traveling by horse
and rider relay teams, simultaneously left St. Joseph, Missouri,
and Sacramento, California. Ten days later, on April 13, the
westbound rider and mail packet completed the approximately
1,800-mile journey and arrived in Sacramento, beating the
eastbound packet’s arrival in St. Joseph by two days and setting
a new standard for speedy mail delivery.
Although ultimately short-lived and unprofitable, the Pony Express captivated America’s imagination and helped win federal aid for a
more economical overland postal system. It also contributed to the economy of the towns on its route and served the mail-service
needs of the American West in the days before the telegraph or
an efficient transcontinental railroad.
Pony Express riders: "Billy" Richardson, Johnny Fry,
Charles Cliff, Gus Cliff.
Pony Express statue in St. Joseph, Missouri.
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