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Map of the Pony
Express Route
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Map of the Pony Express Route
The map of the Pony Express route indicates just how far
a distance of 2,000 miles stretches. The Pony Express
crossed eight different states: California, Nevada,
Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri.
A larger map of the Pony Express Route is shown lower
down the page.
Map of the Pony Express
Where did the Pony Express start and end? The starting
point was in the east at St. Joseph, Missouri and ended
in the west at Sacramento, California. However riders
started each end of the route simultaneously.
The Reason the Pony Express was
Established
The Pony Express was established following the migration
of many people to California following the
California Gold Rush
and the discovery of silver in Nevada in 1859.
Temporary solutions were needed to improve communications between
the east and the west until the
Transcontinental Telegraph was completed. The Pony Express
service was only in existence for 18 months before instant
communication via the telegraph was made possible. But the exploits
of the brave, determined pioneering spirit of the riders ensured
that the Pony Express would forever hold an important place in the
History of the United States and part of the legend of the American
West.
Pony Express Mail Service
The Pony Express mail service was originally scheduled
for once a week in each direction, but after a few months it was
extended and riders left St. Joseph, in Missouri, and Sacramento, in
California, twice a week.
Pony Express Facts for kids: FAQ's
There are several FAQ's (frequently asked questions) asked about the
Pony Express and this is a good place to start when learning about
fast and interesting facts about this important event in the history
of the United States.
Questions about the
Pony Express - Answers about the
Pony Express
When was the Purpose
of the Pony Express? -
Its purpose was to
provide a fast mail service from the Atlantic coast in
the east to the Pacific coast of California in the west
What did the Pony
Express carry? -
Its riders carried
mail, messages, newspapers and small parcels
Who started the Pony
Express? - The names of the
three founders were William Russell, Alexander Importants
and William Waddell
When did the Pony
Express start? -
It started on April
3, 1860
When did the Pony
Express end? -
The service only ran
for 18 months and ended on October 24, 1861
Who were the Pony
Express Riders? -
The job called for
"Young, skinny, wiry fellows, not over 18. Must be
expert riders"
What was the Pony
Express motto? -
The famous motto was
"The mail must go through."
The Route: Where did
the Pony Express start
and where did it end? -
The route started
from St. Joseph, Missouri and ended IN Sacramento,
California
What were the Pony
Express stations? -
The stations were
relay points along the route where the riders would
quickly change their horse for fresh steeds. Some relay
stops were 'home stations'
Why did the Pony
Express end? -
It ended when the
Transcontinental
Telegraph was completed
The
Pony Express Riders: The 24/7 Service
Each
of the riders had their own starting point and finishing point.
The distance was
divided into a series of relays 75 to 100 miles from one Home
Station to the next. The Pony Express rider would race, changing his
horse every 10-20 miles before
handing the mail to the rider from
the opposite direction at the next Home station. After the exchange
of mail bags the Pony Express rider would then take his mail,
and return to his starting point. The
actual mail carried by the Pony Express riders therefore covered
about 250 miles every day by working in relay shifts who raced all
through the day and the night. The Pony Express was one of the first
US businesses to offer a 24/7 service; 24 hours a day 7 days a
week. To put the speed of the Pony Express into perspective, a
stagecoach would take 50 days to cover 2000 miles compared to just
10 days via the Pony Express.
Map of the Pony Express: The Route from Missouri to
California
The route of the Pony Express, starting from the east in
Missouri, at first took the same route as the
Oregon Trail and followed the
Platte River Valley through Kansas, Nebraska, and Wyoming. The Pony
Express route passed the famous landmarks of Courthouse Rock,
Chimney Rock, Fort Kearney, Fort Laramie, Denver, Platte Bridge
(Colorado), Sweetwater Station and Independence Rock in Wyoming.
After crossing through South Pass in Wyoming the route then moved
away from the Oregon Trail, south towards their destination of
California. The route then passed through the Wasatch Mountains of
Utah into the Great Salt Lake Valley and then along the Overland
Stage route to Carson City in Nevada. The route then cut southwest
through the Wasatch Mountain range in Utah and crossed the Sierra
Nevada mountain range into California, on to Fort Sutter and the end
of the east-west route at Sacramento, California.
Map of the Pony Express: The Stations
There were 157 relay stations along the route of the
Pony Express. The distance between stations was between - 10 and 25
miles. Home stations were 90-120 miles apart. The most famous
stations, by state are as follows:
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Stations in Missouri: St Joseph
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Stations in Kansas: Hollenberg, Marysville, Laramie
Creek, Seneca, Log Chain and Grenada
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Stations in Nebraska: Chimney Rock, Fort Kearney, Scotts
Bluff, North Platte and 32 Mile Creek
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Stations in Colorado: Julesburg
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Stations in Wyoming: Fort Laramie, Sweetwater Station,
Fort Bridger, South Pass, Devil's Gate and Independence Rock
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Stations in Utah: Utah Desert Station, Salt Lake House,
Black Rock, East Canyon and Needle Rock
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Stations in Nevada: Carson City, Jacobs Well, Friday’s
Station, Sulphur Springs, Desert Station
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Stations in California: Sacramento, Fort Sutter, Five
Mile House, Fifteen Mile House and El Dorado
Pony Express Facts for kids
Interesting Pony Express facts for kids are detailed below. The history of Pony Express is told in a factual sequence consisting of
a series of short facts providing a simple method of relating the
experiences of the riders who delivered mail along the Pony Express
route.
Pony Express
Facts for kids
Pony Express Fact 1:
Riders were given a
uniform of red shirts and blue pants but these were
often discarded and replaced with buckskins
Pony Express Fact 2:
Riders were kitted
out with a pistol, a bugle, a rifle, gloves, boots and a
Bible. As a rider approached a station he would blow his
bugle, alerting the stocktender to prepare a fresh horse
Pony Express Fact 3:
Every rider had to
take utmost care of the mochila (lightweight saddlebag)
that contained the mail quick and efficient when
transferring from one horse to another
Pony Express Fact 4:
The mail pockets of
the mochila were called "cantinas", which were locked
with a type of small padlock. The mochila had four
locked compartments for the mail
Pony Express Fact 5:
Security: The only
keys for the mail pockets of the mochila were at St.
Joseph and Sacramento, and only the agents at each end
could open the mochila
Pony Express Fact 6:
The rider had to
swear an oath on the Bible promising honesty and
devotion to duty
Pony Express Fact 7:
Each station employed
two men who attended the horses
Pony Express Fact 8:
The rider could
change horses in 2 minutes
Pony Express Fact 9:
The route had more
than 100 stations, 80 riders and between 400-500 horses
Pony Express Fact 10:
The wages of the
riders were $25 per week - the job paid well but their
were many dangers
Pony Express Fact 11:
Dangers: The hazards
and dangers included attacks from hostile Native
Americans, robbers, extreme weather conditions,
hazardous terrains
Pony Express Fact 12:
The name of the first
rider was John Upson
Pony Express Fact 13:
During the 18 months
it operated riders had covered 650,000 miles and carried
34,753 pieces of mail. Only one mail delivery was ever
lost.
Pony Express Fact 14:
The mail service was
under the direction of the Central Overland California
and Pike's Peak Express Company.
Pony Express Fact 15:
Important items of
news were spread by the service including the election
of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 and the outbreak of the
American Civil War in 1861 reached California via the
Pony Express.
Pony Express Fact 16:
The mail service was
very expensive (e.g., $1-$5 per half ounce)
Pony Express Fact 17:
Buffalo Bill: William
F. Cody, "Buffalo Bill", who later became famous
for his Wild West Show, is the most well-known of all
the riders and was said to have covered 384 miles
without any real rest period
Pony Express Fact 18:
Wild Bill Hickok:
Wild Bill Hickok was a friend of "Buffalo Bill" and
worked as a stocktender for the Rock Creek Pony Express
station
Pony Express Fact 19:
On May 9, 1860 Pony
Bob Haslam made an historic run of 380 miles between
Friday’s station and Smith’s Creek station. It was a
brave run as Paiutes were attacking his part of the
route, the Paiute uprising erupted in May 1860
Pony Express Fact 20:
The only rider to
refuse to do a run was Johnson Richardson, because of
the danger of the Paiutes
Pony Express Fact 21:
Wells Fargo became
the temporary agent for the western route until the
Overland Mail Company took over
Pony Express Fact 22:
Mail was first
covered with oiled silk before being placed in the mail
pockets "cantinas" so they wouldn’t be damaged by water
or sweat
Pony Express Fact 23:
It was important to
keep the weight on the horse down and the specially
designed saddle with its mochila weighed less than 13
pounds
Pony Express Fact 24:
Riders had to weigh
less than 125 lbs and their age ranged from 11 to the
mid-40s
Pony Express Fact 25:
Youngest Rider:
According to legend Bronco Charlie Miller was eleven
years old when he first rode for the mail service
Pony Express Fact 26:
The Fastest Run: The
Fastest Run was made in 7 days and 17 hours carrying
news of President Lincoln's Inaugural Address
Pony Express Fact 27:
The founders of the
service, William H. Russell, William B. Waddell, and
Alexander Importants went bankrupt
Pony Express Fact 28:
The government
contract had stipulated the service would be
discontinued after the Overland Telegraph Company
completed its construction of the telegraph line
Pony Express Fact 29:
Their company was
sold at auction to Ben Holladay in March 1862. Four
years later Holladay sold out to Wells Fargo for
$2,000,000.
Pony Express Fact 30:
The regular service
was discontinued in October 1861, when the Pacific
Telegraph Company completed its line to San Francisco
Pony Express
Facts for kids
Pony Express - President James Buchanan Video
The article on the Pony Express provides an overview of one of the Important
events during his presidential term in office. The following
James Buchanan video will
give you additional important facts and dates about the political events experienced by the 15th American President whose presidency spanned from March 4, 1857 to March 4, 1861.
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Interesting Facts about Pony Express for kids and schools
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Definition of the Pony Express in US history
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The Pony Express, a Important
event in US history
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James Buchanan Presidency from March 4, 1857 to March 4, 1861
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Fast, fun info about the Pony Express
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Foreign & Domestic
policies of President James Buchanan
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James Buchanan Presidency and
the Pony Express for schools,
homework, kids and children
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