THE PONY EXPRESS

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 Our next stop in Gothenburg Nebraska was at an actual Pony Express station. The Pony Express was begun on April 3, 1860 by three investors and ended on October 26, 1861 after the company went bankrupt. The advent of the telegraph in October 1861 rendered the Pony Express obsolete. California had experienced a population boom after the Gold Rush in 1849 and it took mail a long time to reach the west coast from the east coast. The Pony Express made it possible for a letter to reach California in ten days as opposed to months. The starting point was the Pony Express headquarters in St. Joseph Missouri where we spent our last night on the road returning from Yellowstone. A Pony Express route roughly followed the old route of the Oregon Trail and the Mormon Trail. It crossed from Missouri into Nebraska across, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and ended at Sacramento California.

  A Pony Express station  was placed every ten miles. These were called swing stations and the rider would mount a fresh horse, or pony and continue his ride. The rider rode night and day for up to 180 miles until he reached a home station and a new rider would take over from there. Once a rider reached Sacramento the mail pouch was placed on a boat which then took it to San Francisco. The Pony Express used existing buildings such as a military fort for their stops. We also stopped at Fort Kearny which was a Pony Express station but in sparcely populated areas the Pony Express stations had to be built like the first station we stopped at in Nebraska. The rider was taught that no matter what happened to him or his mount the mail pouch was to remain safe. Riders were paid well by the standards of the day. Much more than the average laborer. It was not cheap to send mail through the Pony Express. One of the owners of the Pony Express was a religious man and each rider had to swear the following oath to God. I, ... , do hereby swear, before the Great and Living God, that during my engagement, and while I am an employee of Russell, Majors, and Waddell, I will, under no circumstances, use profane language, that I will drink no intoxicating liquors, that I will not quarrel or fight with any other employee of the firm, and that in every respect I will conduct myself honestly, be faithful to my duties, and so direct all my acts as to win the confidence of my employers, so help me God."

A swing station in Gothenburg Nebraska




Pony Express swing station

Inside the swing station


Fort Kearney Nebraska

Fort Kearney Nebraska



St. Joseph Missouri

St. Joseph Missouri

Pony Express school in St. Joseph Missouri

 
Pony Express Stamp

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