Pony Express

On April 3, 1860, a new cross-country mail carrier called the Pony Express began operation. William H. Russell (1812–1872) backed the service, hoping to earn a lucrative government contract to carry mail from the Missouri River to California . Before the Pony Express began, all mail to California traveled an indirect route through the South and generally took twenty-two days. Russell hoped to prove that a central route was both feasible and faster.

The Pony Express began in Saint Joseph, Missouri , the western end of the nation's rail system, and ended in Sacramento, California. The route was nearly 2,000 miles long and operated much like a long relay. Just over 150 stations were built at distances of 10 to 15 miles from each other. Stables of ponies were kept at each station, and carriers rode quickly from one station to the next. Upon reaching a station, a carrier transferred his saddlebags to a fresh pony in two minutes. After riding 75 to 100 miles, a carrier finished for the day and a new carrier continued the trip. Each horse and rider made only one journey each day.

The Pony Express could carry mail from Missouri to California in just ten days. The record of seven days was set when news of President Abraham Lincoln 's inaugural address was carried in March 1861. The success of the Pony Express, however, was short-lived. Telegraph lines soon spanned the nation, with the last connection being made on October 24, 1861. The telegraph eliminated the need for the Pony Express, and Russell failed to win the mail contract for which he had worked. The Pony Express stopped two days later, on October 26, 1861.