Mail Across the Miles

By Mrs. Rovirosa

Trails Heading West After Lewis and Clark returned, people began moving to this western

region. Many who believed in the idea of Manifest Destiny began moving their families west by wagon train. These pioneers fled towards the Rocky Mountains for three main reasons: to purchase the cheap land or claim the land that was offered for free, to find gold, or to gain religious freedom. Since there were no roads at that time, pioneers traveled with their wagon trains on the same trails, then split off when they got closer to their destinations. Two of the most­traveled trails were the California Trail, which primarily led miners to CA in search of gold, and the Oregon Trail, which guided travelers to Oregon in search of land and freedom. Over 22 million people traveled west from the mid 1800’s­1900 during this pioneer movement now known as the time of Westward Expansion.

Early Forms of Communication With people becoming increasingly spread out, communication became more challenging. It took months to send letters out west with the pioneers traveling in wagon trains, so people began using an early vehicle called a stagecoach, which was a carriage pulled by horses. This “oxbow route” took a southwesterly course to avoid crossing the mountains, and went from Fort Smith, AR to San Francisco, CA. Butterfield’s Stage Line was the primary mail company at the time. Though this 25­day trek was faster than sticking with the wagon trains, the stagecoach was still challenging for the horses to pull, and they were difficult to repair when they frequently broke down on the rocky trails. People started brainstorming ways to increase the efficiency of the current communications, which led to the development of a mail system called the Pony Express and later, the Transcontinental Telegraph.

The End of Westward Expansion By 1890, the United States declared that the west had been explored

and many areas had been settled by the brave men and women who journeyed west. The United States consisted of 44 states and included farms, ranches, towns and cities and stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. With our country so large, it was essential that communication be maintained from east to west. The Pony Express was the short­lived system which enabled our country to stay united during the time of its expansion.

Chapter 2: The Pony Express– A Wild Ride

On April 3, 1860 hundreds of people lined the streets of St. Joseph, Missouri as a young man mounted a sturdy horse laden with a mail sack. At 7:15 a.m. with the thunder from a cannon, he struck the horse with his spurs and rode off like the wind. His purpose: delivery of the United States mail half way across the continent to California, the farthest state in the West. The Pony Express was underway.

What was the Pony Express? The Pony Express was not the first mail delivery service of its time,

but it was a much needed alteration of the current practices. As the Westward Expansion movement continued, there were half a million people living in California by 1860. While much of the land west of the Mississippi River was only considered territories of the U.S. and not states yet, the number of people heading that direction continued to grow, as did their desire for communications from the East. To add to their need for news, the Civil War was brewing at this time, there was to be a presidential election, and in 1858 the postmaster general cut back on the amount of mail being sent south and west.

Seeing this need and hoping to make a profit, William H. Russell convinced his business partners – William Waddell and Alexander Majors – that they could pull current overland freight company out of debt by creating a faster mail delivery system. Needing funding from the government, he relied upon hype to get the people and government interested. Since the current practices of using ships, wagon trains, stagecoaches or mules took a minimum of 25 days, Russell promised that his pony delivery system could get mail from St. Joseph to Sacramento in a mere ten days. They were already They were already familiar with the trails headed west and had a multitude of employees, so they were ready to get started. The route

would stretch 1,996 miles from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California, with the mail traveling in both directions. Since the United States was still in its infancy at the time, these were the only two states along the trail, but it passed through the Kansas, Nebraska, and Utah territories in what are now known as Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada. Without any real roads, much of the route followed the Oregon Trail, so pioneers moving westward were often on the lookout for the famous Pony riders.

To be successful at their deadlines, the horses would have to travel at top speed and therefore would tire easily, so they set up a system of stopping points. Relay stations were set up every 15 miles with a station master who would be in charge of switching out the mail, and stables where tired horses were rested and fed while a new one was sent out. Within just a few minutes the rider was on a fresh horse and off running again. The riders themselves did get a break too, but only every 50 miles. At these home stations, the rider and horse would stop to break, while a new horse and rider were sent out in their place. The young man was then able to relax his sore legs and recover until the rider heading the opposite direction reached the home station. Then he headed back out, retracing the steps he had just taken from the last home station. The journey was long, dangerous, painful and fast, but it was a well­planned experiment in delivering mail faster than ever before.

In attempt to prove their worth, on April 3 Russell, Majors, and Waddell sent Johnnie Frye west to Sacramento; about the same time, Sam Hamilton was heading east with mail from California. As the chain of riders completed their first delivery within the promised deadline, it seemed as though Russell’s company would become successful, and Californians would be in closer contact with the rest of their nation.

How Did It Work?

Though it may seem at first to be a simple plan to send a horse and rider to deliver mail, the Pony Express required specific planning of the riders and their supplies. To make the venture a success, approximately 400 men were employed to man relay stations, many of whom were already employed by Russell, Waddell, & Majors. The riders themselves, required several more specifications. A common advertisement would read, “Wanted: Young, skinny, wiry fellows not over 18. Must be expert riders willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred. Wages: $25.00 per week.”

The weight of the rider was crucial to the endurance of the horses, so they enacted a limit of 125 pounds, though that (and the age minimum of 20 years) were sometimes ignored to employ particularly expert horsemen. It took 30 riders to complete the relay to California, so 80 men and boys were hired to brave their assigned portions of the route. According to one source, “An unwritten code of the

Pony Express was to take care of the mail first, his horse second, and himself third.” Some of the most famous of these committed men include the first two riders, Johnnie Fry & Sam Hamilton, as well as the later­famous showman Buffalo Bill Cody (though there is some speculation about the level of his true involvement with the Pony Express).

Each of these men were equipped with strategically­ planned supplies so that they could carry out their duty yet not weigh down their horses. The total load for each horse was 165 pounds: relatively 125 pounds for the rider, 20 pounds of mail, and 25 pounds for the saddle and the rider’s belongings, which included a pistol for self­defense. Most prominent of their supplies was the specially­designed mochila. This mail bag had 4 pockets for the mail, one of which was padlocked and covered in a weather protectant. It fit well over the saddle and was secured only by the rider’s weight, which made it easy for them to quickly trade when they switched riders. The key for the lock was held only by the military and station masters.

The horses, too, were specifically chosen from the strongest, fasted breeds. Each section of the route was fitted with ponies which could best race in that specific terrain and environment. In the western portion of the route mustangs were used; pintos in the middle; and morgans and thoroughbreds for the eastern sections. The horses had to be able to bear 165 pounds while racing through desert, treacherous mountains, and unpredictable weather, often also outrunning Native Americans who were trying to attack. They were traded out every 25 miles and given particularly good care during their time to rest. Many horses were injured and some killed during the short span of the Pony Express, but the namesake of this endeavor proves their invaluableness.

The route itself was not without challenges. As it is true today, the mail was delivered, come rain, sleet, hail, or snow, which led to slippery

“roads” which often caused horses to slip and fall. Riders rode day and night until they reached their destination, crossing rivers, tromping in mud, and even climbing mountains such as the Sierra Nevadas. Yet the terrain was the least of their worries. The Native Americans were none too pleased with the white Americans claiming their lands and disturbing their natural resources as they passing through, and often they retaliated. Part of the Utah territory included land belonging to the Paiutes, who were one such disgruntled tribe. In May of 1860 they actually declared war on the settlers, and the Pony Express was caught in the mix. Stations were burned, ponies were stolen, and one rider and fifteen station workers were killed. Other less extreme situations involved individual riders being attacked along their way, which is why they were given a gun for protection. Through all of this, it is amazing to think that those were the only casualties and only one bag of mail was ever lost!

For being a short­lived pursuit, the Pony Express involved quite a bit of planning. Riders and horses had to be hand­selected to fit the needs of this dangerous journey. The supplies they carried were designed to help riders accomplish their goal of speedy, effective mail delivery across a mostly unsettled­country. Without this foresight, the Pony Express very well could have drowned itself before ever being replaced by the telegraph.

Chapter 3: The Impact of the Pony Express

The Pony Express was only in business for 18 months, yet it is one the most significant events in the history of the United States’ expansion out West. By 1860, the people living in California were becoming frustrated with the lag in communication, but their only alternative was to wait until the telegraph lines were complete, which could take a year or more. That is, until the Pony Express came along. After April 3, 1860 when the first riders set out, Californians were able to receive important news from the East in record time. Thanks to the pony riders, Westerners received word about President Lincoln’s election, and the start of the Civil War each in a mere eight days. Throughout its short span, the Pony Express delivered 34, 753 pieces of mail (NONE of which were lost!), and distance covered by riders equates to approximately 24 laps around the Earth. It may be safe to say that communications were definitely better off thanks to the Express.

It has been said, however, that all good things must come to an end, and so it is true with the Pony Express. Even when they began organizing this adventure, Russell, Waddell, and Majors knew that it would soon be replaced by the completion of the Transcontinental Telegraph, yet thankfully they did not let that stop them. The first telegraph to be sent to San Francisco, CA was on October 24, 1861, and the Pony Express was out of business within a few days. The telegraph system allowed news to be shared cross­country within minutes, which far outdid they once­impressive 10­day trip from pony riders. As our nation was being divided, the Pony Express fulfilled its purpose of bringing people together in a way they never knew before. The longevity of this endeavor has proven to be miniscule compared to the importance it played in the Westward Expansion of the United States.

Glossary Louisiana Purchase– Area purchased by President Thomas Jefferson from France which doubled the size of the United States. The goal was to get the Port of New Orleans, which they received along with all the land from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains.

Manifest Destiny– the belief that people were destined to settle throughout the North American continent, and that it was their duty to do so.

Pioneers– People who moved to settle the Western frontier.

Westward Expansion– time period in American history when thousands of people began moving and building settlements west of the Mississippi River.

Stagecoach– 18th and 19th century transportation device which included a covered carriage pulled by a team of horses and made trips between set stations.

Transcontinental telegraph– A near­instant form of communication involving sending typed messages through a wire.

Territories– Political sections of land as they were being developed into official states.

Relay station– Located every 15 miles along the Pony Express route, these stations provided a fresh horse for riders and possibly a quick bite to eat or drink.

Home station– Located every 50 miles along the Pony Express route, at these stations riders were able to sleep, eat, and await the next rider coming from the opposite direction.

Mochila– A specially­designed mail bag used in the Pony Express which included four weather­protected pockets for mail, one of which was padlocked. It slid easily on top of the saddle for quick transfers at each station.

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