The Pony Express was a mail relay service run by mounted riders between Missouri and California from April 3, 1860, to October 26, 1861. It was operated by the Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company and stopped when the transcontinental telegraph was complete in 1861.
For decades, mail had been carried by stagecoaches, but with the California gold rush and the migration of prominent business people, many wanted a faster mail service. The company innovated by hiring young, rugged mounted riders to gallop mail pouches across the western United States, allowing mail to move much more quickly.
A rider would typically sit on a pouch containing 20 pounds of mail across 75–100 miles, switching to fresh horses as necessary. For the first time ever, mail could travel across the country in just 10 days.
Riders were required to have high personal integrity, refrain from swearing and drinking liquor, and not fight amongst themselves. They were usually small, lightweight teen boys (under 125 pounds) and made very good money for their day. They were later considered heroes of the American West.
The Pony Express included 80 riders, 184 stations, 400 horses, and several hundred personnel while it was in operation.
Today, the Pony Express National Historic Trail runs through Lehi, Utah, where the Pony Express Chapter, NSDAR often meets.
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