The Pony Express

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FoundersThe Pony Express was founded in 1860 by William Russell, Alexander Majors, and William Waddell.

http://historyday.crf-usa.org/1714/home.html

The company Central Overland, California and Pikes Peak Express was the parent company of The Pony Express.

http://publications.newberry.org/frontiertoheartland/items/browse?search=Central+Overland%2C+California+and+Pike%26%23039%3Bs+Peak+Express+Co.

“The purpose of the Pony Express was to create the speediest and most efficient mail delivery system between two vital transportation points: St. Joseph, Missouri and Sacramento, California.”

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The trail was almost 2,000 miles long.

“The creators of the Pony Express hoped to obtain the government’s million-dollar mail contract by promoting a central route of mail travel.”

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Nearly 400 horses were purchased to facilitate running the routes of the Pony Express with as many as 165 known stations along the route.

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How it Was Done“Relay of mail by horses and riders. The Pony Express ran 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.”

• “A new rider took over every 75 to 100 miles.”

• “Horse were changed every 10 to 15 miles.”

• “Horses reached an average speed of 10 miles an hour.”

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The RidersThe riders recruited for the Pony Express were to be skinny, young (usually under 18), and willing to risk their lives daily (this is probably why orphans were preferred).

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PonyExpressRider

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The Dangers the Riders Faced“Hazards abounded, including weather, terrain, hostile Indians and bandits.”

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“The first rider out of St. Joseph on April 3, 1860, was Johnny Fry -- a well known rider in local horse races. Though small in stature, weighing less than 120 pounds, he was every inch a man. Fry's division ran from St. Joseph to Seneca, Kansas, a distance of eighty miles, which he covered at an average speed of twelve and a half miles per hour, including all stops.”

http://www.xphomestation.com/jfrey.html

Johnny Fry was born in Bourbon, Kentucky.

• “Billy Hamilton was the

first eastbound rider out of Sacramento.”

• Longest Ride- Robert "Pony Bob" Haslam rode 370 miles in one trip.”

“186 men are known to have ridden for the Pony Express during its operation of just over 18 months.”

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Buffalo Bill road for the Pony Express

http://historyday.crf-usa.org/1714/riders.htmlhttp://www.iowadot.gov/kidspages/images/buffalo%20bill.jpg

“Riders were paid $100 to $125 per month.”

$125 per month in the 1860s is equal to about $2450 per month today. http://www.coinlink.com/News/images/

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“Although the spotlight of admiration and praise often is focused upon the Pony Express riders, their success was impossible without the humble, mostly obscure, and forgotten station keepers and stock tenders.”

The stations keepers stayed in these remote stations performing many jobs and facing much danger. This particular station is located in present day Nebraska.

http://realneo.us/live-vicariously-the-life-of-the-many-from-the-beginning

Fastest Delivery Made“The fastest delivery of mail by the Pony Express took 7 days and 17 hours. The message was Abraham Lincoln's first inaugural address. The speech was telegraphed to Fort Kearny, Nebraska, taken by Pony Express to Folsom, California, and telegraphed to Sacramento.”

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The Mail

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The Stamps

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The Success• “Proved the Central Route to California was

usable year round.” • “Keeping the lines of communication open

and the flow of mail going influenced California's remaining in the Union.”

• “The government moved the Overland Mail Company, who had the mail contract, from the southern/Butterfield Route to the Central Route in 1861.”

The Failure• “The founders of the Pony Express spent

$700,000.00 on the Pony Express and had a $200,000.00 deficit.

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No Contract

“The company failed to get the million dollar government mail contract because of political pressures and the outbreak of the Civil War.”

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Technology Prevails“The Transcontinental Telegraph was completed on October 24, 1861. This date is considered the official end of the Pony Express.”

http://zondervan.typepad.com/.a/6a00e54fc7cbdb883401676287f499970b-800wi

Works Cited“History .” ponyexpress.org Web. 1 April 1 2012.

“Pony Express History.” officialponyexpress.org Web. 1 April 2012.

“Pony Express: Quick Facts.” historyday.crf.org Web. 1 April 2012.

“Pony Express Ride, 1861.” eyewitnesshistory.com Web. 1 April 2012.