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.

The first two stamps printed by the U.S. Postal Service
featured Benjamin Franklin and George Washington.

The United States Postal Service issued its first-ever postage
stamps on this day in history.

The first postage stamps produced by the United States Postal
Service (USPS) were sold in New York City, according to the
USPS website.

The two stamps came in two designs and sold for five cents
and 10 cents. (FOX NEWS)

Sir Rowland Hill is a British inventor credited with inventing
the first postage stamp.

Painting depicting the first Pony Express rider arriving in
Sacramento.

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.

SANDY KOZEL