pony express mail service delivering messages newspapers mail small packages missouri rocky_mountains sierra nevada sacramento california horseback series relay stations officially operating pike firm founded notable business months operation reduced time messages travel atlantic pacific coasts days april october west direct means east west communication telegraph established vital tying new state california rest united_states inception founding idea fast mail route pacific_coast prompted largely california newfound prominence rapidly growing population gold discovered thousands investors businessmen way california time new territory california entered union free state population grown demand faster way mail communications westernmost state greater american_civil_war approached late 1850s founders business peak operations employed men owned thousands wagons warehouses plus plant bank insurance company russell prominent businessman respected peers community owner firm bought retired merged company russell changing took new partner founded company held government contracts delivering army supplies western frontier russell similar idea contracts fast mail delivery utilizing short route mounted riders traditional proposed establish fast mail service missouri sacramento california letters delivered days duration said impossible initial price set july founders hoped win exclusive government mail contract come organized pony express months winter undertaking assembled riders stations horses personnel january february religious man resolved help god overcome difficulties presented rider special edition bible required oath required sign swear great living god engagement employee circumstances use language drink quarrel fight employee firm respect conduct honestly faithful duties direct acts win confidence employers help god demonstrated unified system communications established operated year round replaced telegraph quickly lore american west reliance ability endurance individual young hardy riders fast horses seen evidence rugged american frontier times logo freight company provided secure mail service trademark postal services freight link international services based russia adopted trademark logo similar operation stations miles apart route roughly distance horse travel station stop express rider change fresh horse taking mail called spanish employers stressed importance said came horse rider thrown saddle held place weight rider sitting corner pocket mail placed safety hold pounds mail pounds material carried horse included pounds water sack bible horn relay station master prepare horse revolver eventually revolver water sack removed allowing total pounds horse riders weigh pounds changed miles rode day night given rider ride stages hours quickly moving horse unknown riders tried crossing sierra nevada winter certainly crossed central nevada telegraph station nevada riders received month pay comparable wage labor time day founders acquired horses project selected horses west paying average averaged hands feet inches meters high averaged pounds pony appropriate strictly correct cases route approximately mile long route roughly followed oregon california trails wyoming known salt_lake_city utah followed nevada passing sierra sacramento california route started missouri followed modern day highway kansas turned northwest following nebraska nebraska followed great river road cutting nebraska edge colorado colorado passing arriving fort wyoming followed passing south pass salt_lake_city salt_lake_city generally followed central nevada route captain route roughly follows today nevada utah crossed near lake arriving sacramento mail sent steamer san_francisco instances steamer missed riders took mail horseback oakland california stations stations long route stations station keepers essential successful timely smooth operation mail system stations fashioned existing structures located military forts built remote areas living conditions basic route divided divisions maintain rigid schedule relay stations located miles apart terrain allow swing station riders exchange tired mounts fresh ones home stations provided room board riders runs technique allowed mail continent record time rider rode miles day journeys westbound trip left april arrived days later san_francisco california april letters sent cover east joseph directly entered mail system today single letter known exist inaugural westbound trip missouri san_francisco california depicted pre stamped envelope issued years later messenger delivering new_york missed connection detroit arrived missouri hours late railroad cleared track dispatched special locomotive called missouri car train mile trek state record hours minutes average miles hour arrived olive 8th street blocks company new headquarters hotel 12th company nearby stables penn street contained letters private papers san_francisco intermediate points joseph mayor gave speeches handed ride began joseph gazette newspaper included bag identity rider long dispute april reported rider credited sources rider nonetheless westbound rider carried ferry kansas horse ridden leg express mile express stables railroad area missouri river ferry foot street reports indicated horse rider crossed river later rides crossed river horse picked mount stable westbound reached destination san_francisco april eastbound eastbound trip left san_francisco california april arrived destination days later missouri letters placed delivery eastern destinations letters known exist inaugural eastbound trip san_francisco mail service existed briefly consequently surviving examples mail contributing surviving mail cost send letter beginning today standards end period price dropped considered expensive equivalent mail letter mail service frontier enterprise removed general population east largely rates consequently pieces surviving mail hands collectors museums known examples mail added mail carried point departure fastest mail service senior partner russell majors biggest investors presidential election way promote fast deliver prior election russell hired extra riders ensure fresh riders relay horses available route november rider departed fort end eastern telegraph line election results riders sped route snow covered trails end western telegraph line california newspapers received word lincoln election seven days hours east_coast papers feat time attacks war minor series raids initiated tribe nevada resulted disruption mail services pony express took place june sporadic violence continued period afterward brief history operated mail completing weekly trips sacramento forced suspend mail services outbreak approximately nevada suffered winter fierce year spring tribe ready embark war chief named days argued peace raiding party attacked williams station station located near present day lake account says raid deliberate attempt provoke war says raiders heard men station kidnapped women fighting broke went investigate free women way war party killed men station burned following weeks isolated incidents occurred whites country ambushed killed special target seven express stations attacked employees killed approximately express horses stolen driven war cost company livestock station equipment mention loss life june year uprising ended intervention government troops delayed mail shipments east finally brought san_francisco june brief war left san_francisco july immediately reach destination mail reach subsequently new_york years later famous riders riding difficult work riders tough lightweight famous advertisement allegedly read wanted young eighteen expert riders willing risk death daily preferred estimated riders traveling east west points route given time addition employees including station keepers stock route young men applied jobs eager face dangers challenges lay delivery route majors easily hired lesser rate instead paid handsome sum time dollars month famous american author saw action hand described riders travel memoir usually little bit man riders small lightweight generally teenage boys record proved heroes american west needed dangerous service provided nation establishing complete list riders virtually impossible official list riders kept express company newspapers route contributed absence information american_civil_war broke forgotten entirely consequently interest pursuing searching information years following time simply vanished course everyday affairs partial list riders compiled book riders identity westbound rider depart disputed currently historians narrowed hired joseph lewis division ran kansas distance miles covered average speed miles hour including stops mail delivered rider april time taken ceremonies speeches mayor gave brief speech significance event addressed gala crowd precursor construction railroad conclusion speeches approximately russell turned mail rider cannon fired large assembled crowd rider landing foot street ferry boat denver head steam alerted signal cannon waited carry horse rider missouri river april rider east reached salt_lake_city utah april mail reached nevada riders raced california sacramento midnight april mail delivered san_francisco bringing letter president california governor official government communications newspapers new_york chicago important mail banks commercial houses san_francisco pieces mail delivered trip credited eastbound rider telegraph office steamship sacramento mail left san_francisco carried horse rider waterfront sacramento picked rider william sam hamilton rider begin journey sacramento rode way hall station gave filled mail california registered historical landmark plaque site reads site hall known mile house hotel operated late john stopping place stages teams relay station central overland april sam hamilton riding handed express mail minutes later sped way eastward probably rider better known legend folklore fact fiction numerous stories told young adventures rider age way west california met agents way signed company helped construction way stations employed rider given short mile delivery run township lay west months transferred division wyoming longest non stop ride rocky ridge station found relief rider killed distance miles dangerous sections entire trail completed hours minutes horses required complete section present significant chapters early western history including gold rush building railroads cattle great plains career scout army general following civil war earned nickname established notoriety brave best known riders born january london england came united_states teenager hired helped build stations given mail run friday station near miles east greatest ride miles hours minutes wounded important contribution fastest trip mail carried lincoln inaugural address indian problems led record breaking ride received eastbound mail probably mail san_francisco friday station reached station relief rider badly frightened indian threat refused mail agreed mail way total distance miles rest rest hours route westbound mail found indians raided place killing station keeper running stock ride shot jaw indian arrow losing teeth finally reached station making mile round trip longest record continued work rider civil war scouted fifties later accompanied good friend diplomatic mission negotiate surrender chief sitting bull december drifted public mention eventually died chicago winter age deep poverty suffering stroke paid friend street sacramento chicago far south hired division age nineteen run big sandy rode entire nineteen months existence longest ride doubled rider ended taken saddle sound asleep ridden miles thirty hours stopping rest eat disbanded went salt_lake_city engaged mining died october buried wrote following letter excerpt man ride nephew superintendent stage line denver called pike superintendent stand hardships retired months trial died months retiring second rider fourth longest ride stop change horses said miles minutes inside hours distance correct division superintendent said distance given taken english attached wheel travel division year old rider rode express trail nevada near uprising chased band horseback forced retreat hills rocks killed seven shoot killed body found arrows sign honored enemy horses estimated horses total deliver mail horses selected endurance east end route horses usually selected units west end route california purchased head short coupled stock called california horses purchased native great salt lake valley horses ridden quickly stations average distance miles relieved fresh horse exchanged arrived run route miles rider change horses times horses ridden fast miles hour times driven speeds miles hour horses purchased missouri iowa california western territories types horse ridden riders included eastern end trail western rugged end mail route saddle years came opened small saddle harness shop business expanded town grew pony express came town ideal candidate produce newly founded riders rode horses quick pace distance miles stations consideration reduce overall weight horse carry help reduce load special lightweight designed crafted leather fewer metallic wood components fashioned saddle similar design regular stock saddle generally use west time mail separate component saddle unique standard mail horses employed size shape time consuming saddle causing delay changing mounts stops delayed time station accumulate proportions difficulty covering leather thrown saddle saddle horn projected holes specially cut size attached broad leather skirt box shaped hard leather compartments letters carried journey closing brief time operation delivered approximately letters missouri sacramento california proved central northern mail route viable contract deliver mail route contract instead awarded march taken southern favored called king acquired russell majors stations shortly contract awarded start american civil war caused stage line cease operation march ran mail salt_lake_city sacramento announced closure october days telegraph reached salt_lake_city connected nebraska sacramento california telegraph lines connected points line cities east west coasts grossed lost civil war sold assets remnants million issued stamp depict actual historic event subject chosen faces george_washington found face mistaken actual stamp pony express stamp issue released years service ended honor men rode long dangerous journeys commemorate service provided nation commemorative stamps issued 100th respectively non profit volunteer led historical organization purpose preserve original trail continue memory importance american history partnership national_park_service oregon california trails association april anniversary located missouri headquarters hosted events celebrating anniversary historical research foundation history rests areas records papers letters yielded historical evidence 1950s known short lived product accounts folklore generally true overall aspects lacking areas wanted explore history surrounding founders riders station keepers interested stations forts route complete books story pony express settle account unique writer historical researcher use founder papers collection library california settle wrote mid-1950s writer settle work published generally notes writer background unique settle excellent settle prepared publish researched account good volume prepared editors chose use instead opted expensive approach print publish released accurate simplified account settle pleased new sudden development time effort account settle wrote definitive considered best account history historians legacy logo guard armored car service logo continued companies took security business 1990s logo longer security businesses business sold air mail route designated national approximately historic sites trail eventually open public including stations station ruins popular culture continued remembrance popularity pony express linked wild west book dedicated solely published autobiography published claims express rider claim recently come dispute primary keeper pony legend premiered scene film pony express frontier lady pony riders pony express rider days pony express spirit pony express television range rider season episode pony express season episode ride wind young riders west gallery
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