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Discovery Mid-America July 2010

Pony Express linked the nation in 1860

This spring marked the 150th anniversary of the start of a brief but historic experiment. Although it lasted less than 18 months, the Pony Express served as a vital communications link between California and the rest of the country.

By 1860, much of the western frontier of the U.S. was located just beyond the Missouri River. Most travel, commerce and mail service extended as far west as St. Joseph, where the railroad ended. New settlers were beginning to pour into the Nebraska Territory, later to become the state of Nebraska. Far to the west, California, admitted to the Union in 1850, had been on a population boom since the 1848 Gold Rush.

Cindy Daffron, director of development at the Pony Express National Museum in St. Joseph, point to the large route map. (photos by Ken Weyand)

But between St. Joseph and Sacramento lay formidable barriers: the Sierra Nevada mountain range, western deserts and high plains — and tribes of Indians who were determined to keep white settlers off their hunting grounds.

In spite of the obstacles, America needed a way for its widely separated citizens to keep in touch. One answer was the Pony Express.

The Leavenworth, Kansas, firm of Russell, Majors, and Waddell already had contracts with the U.S. government to ship freight to frontier army posts. With that, they also tried for a mail contract between St. Joseph and Sacramento using fast ponies ridden by young boys, mostly teenagers. They promised 10-day service on the nearly 2,000-mile route, an unheard-of pace with the stagecoaches of the day.

A total of 184 stations would be set up, giving each rider a fresh horse after he rode at a full gallop between stations. The riders were selected for their light weight -— under 125 pounds. Because of the dangers of riding alone through hostile territory, the company preferred to hire orphans. But the young men were paid well for their risky work: $25 a week, compared to $1 a week for unskilled laborers in 1860.

“The Pony Express,” a sculpture by L.E. Shafer in the Messick Gallery

Up to 20 pounds of mail was carried in a mochila, a pouch thrown over the saddle and secured by the weight of the rider. Another 20 pounds of gear included a water bag, a Bible, two weapons (a pistol and rifle, or two pistols) and a horn for alerting the station operator to prepare a fresh horse.

Those of us who complain about today’s postage rates should be glad we weren’t among those who depended on the Pony Express for our mail. The initial rate for mailing an ounce letter was $5. Even near the end of the 18-month experiment when the rate dropped to $1, the cost would have been $85 in today’s money.

By March 1861, with telegraph lines completed from Omaha to Salt Lake City, the Pony Express route ran from Salt Lake City to Sacramento. On October 24 of that year, the transcontinental telegraph line was completed, and two days later, the Pony Express announced it was ceasing operations.

“Leaving the St. Joseph Pony Stables,” a painting by Benton Clark in the Messick Gallery

As the eastern terminus for the Pony Express, St. Joseph played a critical role in its short life. The Patee House, at 12th and Penn St., was built in 1858 as a luxury hotel and served as headquarters for the Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company, which operated the Pony Express. Today, the four-story building houses the Patee House Museum, which maintains a large collection of early St. Joseph artifacts, including a steam locomotive. Next door is the Jesse James home, in which the outlaw was murdered.

Not far from the Patee House, at 914 Penn St. is the Pony Express Museum, occupying the restored stables. Historic artifacts include an actual mochila used by Pony Express riders, a recreated relay station, settler’s wagon, maps of the route, photographs, a large trail diorama and more. Visitors can pump water from the original well on the property.

I visited the museum in early June, and it was a busy place, with a couple of tour groups and several families going through. Cindy Daffron, director of development, pointed out some of the changes made at the museum since my last visit nearly a decade earlier.

“The diorama was cleaned and renovated, making it easier to see,” she said. “We’ve also acquired several exhibit items, including an outfitted settler’s wagon that would have been in use during the Pony Express period. There’s also a new theater, where visitors see a 15-minute video.”

The Messick Gallery, containing western art, was enlarged and completed in 2005, Cindy said. Several paintings and sculptures of Pony Express riders are featured.

A large statue commemorating the Pony Express, in a park near Francis and Frederick Ave. in St. Joseph

Cindy said the current economic downturn and gasoline prices have had little effect on the number of visitors, which averages 40,000 per year. “We get a lot of groups,” she said. “And since the majority of our visitors come from the Midwest, our traffic has been doing very well.”

Upcoming events include the Pony Express Museum Day Camp, July 12-15, Smithsonian Day at the Museum, Sept. 25; and Pumpkinfest, Oct. 8-10.

Museum hours are 9-5 Monday thru Saturday, and 1 to 5 Sunday. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, and $3 for students 7-18. Children 6 and under are free. For more information call 816-279-5059 or visit www.ponyexpress.org.

Ken Weyand can be contacted at kweyand1@kc.rr.com

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