Pony Express Launches: The West Connected in Record Time
The Pony Express launched on April 3, 1860, with rider Johnny Fry leaving St. Joseph, Missouri, carrying 49 letters and some newspapers westbound. The system used 400 horses, 190 relay stations spaced roughly ten miles apart, and about 80 riders, many of them teenagers. A rider covered 75 to 100 miles per shift at a gallop, switching horses every station. The fastest delivery took just seven days and seventeen hours, carrying Lincoln's inaugural address. The service was never profitable. Russell, Majors and Waddell lost money from the start. When the transcontinental telegraph was completed on October 24, 1861, the Pony Express shut down two days later, having operated for just 18 months.
April 3, 1860
166 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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