M. C. Hall
PONY EXPRESS by M. C. Hall
Vero Beach, Florida 32964
© 2010 Rourke Publishing LLC All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher. www.rourkepublishing.com Photo credits: Bridgeman Art, cover; Robyn Mackenzie/iStockphoto, cover, 5, 11, 17, 23, 29, 37; Deon Reynolds/Monsoon Images/Photo Library, 4; North Wind Picture Archives, 6, 12, 14; American School/Getty Images, 8, 27; Phil Schermeister/Corbis, 9; North Wind Picture Archives/Photo Library, 10, 22, 24, 33, 38, 39, 44, 45 (top); The Print Collector/Photo Library, 13; Red Line Editorial, 15 (left), 47; Library of Congress, 15 (right), 28, 30, 35, 36, 40, 45 (bottom); Used by permission, Utah State Historical Society. All rights reserved., 16, 20, 21 (left); Bettmann/Corbis, 19, 21 (right), 34; Diane Garcia/iStockphoto, 41 (left); John Kropewnicki/iStockphoto, 41 (right) Editor: Melissa Johnson Cover and page design: Becky Daum Content Consultant: Gary Chilcote, Patee House Museum Director
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Hall, Margaret, 1947The Pony Express / M.C. Hall. p. cm. — (Events in American history) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-60694-445-5 (alk. paper) 1. Pony express—History—Juvenile literature. 2. Postal service—United States—History—Juvenile literature. 3. West (U.S.)—History—1860-1890—Juvenile literature. I. Title. HE6375.P65H356 2010 383'.1430978—dc22 2009018089 Printed in the USA
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Table of Contents Chapter One
Off and Running 5
Chapter Two Growing Pains 11
Chapter Three A Bold Plan 17
Chapter Four
The Pony Express at Work 23
Chapter Five
Trouble on the Trail 29
Chapter Six
The End of the Line
37
Biographies 42 Timeline 44 Glossary 46 Websites 47 Reference Map 47 Index 48
Chapter One
Off and Running
A
huge crowd gathered in St. Joseph, Missouri on April 3, 1860. Bands played and flags waved in the air. Everyone was excited about the first run of the Pony Express. Would the plan work? Was it possible to deliver mail from St. Joseph to California in only ten days? The first Pony Express rider was due to leave at 5:00 that evening. However, the train bringing the mail was late. An hour passed, then another. Finally, a steam engine with a single car pulled into St. Joseph. A man hurried off the train with a bag of mail. The bag held letters, telegrams, and newspapers. All were made of thin paper to keep the weight down. The mail was quickly wrapped in oiled silk to protect it from rain.
Riders passed through long stretches of deserted country. This section of the Pony Express trail in Nevada still exists today.
5
Mystery Rider Many newspapers wrote about the first run of the Pony Express. However, none named the rider who left St. Joseph. Many believe the young rider was either Billy Richardson or Johnny Frey.
Although it was behind schedule, the mail did not leave right away. First, people made speeches. At last, a cannon boomed and the rider raced down the street to the Missouri River. There, he boarded a ferry for the short trip to the Kansas Territory. On the Kansas side, the young man rode on through the darkness. He stopped at Pony Express stations along the way. At each station, he quickly switched to a new horse and then started off again. Several hours ross a river. red wagon ac ve co rivers. a s ie rr rries to cross A ferry ca fe d se u so al riders Pony Express
6
later, he handed the mailbag, or mochila, to another rider. His part of the journey was over. More than 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) away, much the same thing was happening. A mochila filled with mail left San Francisco, California on April 3. It traveled upriver to Sacramento, arriving after midnight on April 4. Mail from Sacramento was added to the pouch. Then a rider set off toward the East. Later that day, he handed the mailbag to another rider. From one rider to another, the mail traveled on. From the East, riders crossed the grasslands of Nebraska Territory. They rode into Utah Territory and through Salt Lake City. They crossed the dusty deserts of what is now Nevada. They struggled up the steep and snowy Sierra Nevada Mountains. Riders from the West made the journey in reverse. Each rider stopped only to change horses and to pick up mail. At the end of one rider’s run, another took over. On April 13 a rider from the West reached the last Pony Express station in the Kansas Territory. He took the mailbag and rode to the river. A ferry carried him and the mail to Missouri. It was after dark when the rider arrived in St. Joseph. Still, there was a crowd waiting for him. People lit bonfires, rang church bells, and set off fireworks. At about the same time in Placerville, California another crowd had gathered. They were waiting for Billy Hamilton, who had the honor of being the last rider to 7
Last Train Stop Why did the Pony Express route begin in St. Joseph, Missouri? Trains could carry mail back and forth between St. Joseph and the East Coast. However, there was no rail service west beyond St. Joseph in 1860.
carry mail arriving from the East. Hamilton rode into Placerville from the Sportsman’s Hall station, where he had been given a mochila filled with mail. The crowd cheered as Hamilton rode out of town toward Sacramento. A few hours later Hamilton rode into Sacramento. The city went wild. Bands played, bells rang, and flags waved. ifornia cramento, Cal Sa f o le p eo p The Express the first Pony celebrate as . n w des into to messenger ri
8
This replica m
ochila is part
of a museum
exhibit.
The mail was sorted. Then another rider headed for the river with the mail for San Francisco. The steamer reached the city a little after midnight. Although it was late, cheering crowds waited here as well. Something unbelievable had happened. Until that time it had taken almost four weeks to deliver mail to California. The Pony Express cut the time to ten days! The Pony Express was a success. So why was it out of business only eighteen months later? The answer is not simple. It involves weather, money, two wars, some dishonesty, and the telegraph.
9
Chapter Two
Growing Pains
B
y 1860 California was booming. Twelve years earlier in 1848, gold had been discovered at Sutter’s Mill. Within months, thousands of prospectors poured into California. They hoped to make their fortunes in the goldfields. Most of these miners were from the eastern part of the United States. Many others came from countries around the world. Although some prospectors did strike it rich, most did not. Some went back home. Others stayed and settled in the area. Before long, San Francisco and Sacramento were cities with large populations. In 1850 California became the thirty-first state of the Union. Two thousand miles (3,200 kilometers) separated California from the eastern states. In addition, rugged mountains formed California’s eastern border. Beyond the mountains were the territories of Utah, New Mexico, Prospectors discovered gold in California in 1848.
11
Record Time In 1858 a record was set for delivering mail from New York City to San Francisco. The new record delivery took 21 days, 2 hours, and 13 minutes!
Nebraska, and Kansas. Few settlers lived there. The lack of good roads or train service made travel difficult. People in California were hungry for news from the East. They also wanted to be able to communicate with family members who lived
sco, California
Franci People in San mail. collect their
12
line up to
Before the 18 60s, steamsh ips slowly carr the East Coas ied th t.
e mail betwee
n California an
d
far away. In the eastern half of the country, mail trains and the telegraph made communication fairly quick and easy. However, beyond the Mississippi River it was a different story. There were no railroad tracks or telegraph lines west of the river. At first steamships carried mail back and forth between the eastern and western coasts. Some steamships sailed all the way around the tip of South America to reach California. Others went through the Caribbean Sea. They stopped at the Isthmus of Panama, a thin strip of land connecting North and South America. There, the mail was taken off the ship. In the beginning, the mail was 13
Meeting the Mail Steamships could carry a lot of mail. So everyone was excited when a ship reached San Francisco. When a ship was due, someone would keep watch on a hilltop. As soon as the ship was sighted, a signal went out. Then people rushed to the harbor to meet the ship.
carried across the isthmus. After railroad tracks were laid, trains took the mail to the other side. Then another ship carried the mail the rest of the way to California. Mail also traveled cross-country. By the late 1850s the main overland mail carrier was the Butterfield Overland Mail Company. The Butterfield route started in Independence, Missouri. From there, stagecoaches headed south to avoid
ecoach eeks for a stag w r u fo t u o It took ab issouri. ornia from M to reach Calif
14
Before a canal was built in Panama in the twentieth century, ships sailed around the tip of South America.
News in the East was tran smitted quickly by te legraph.
the mountains. Then they headed north to reach San Francisco. This route was easier than a direct route would have been. However, it was also much longer. In fact, whether mail traveled by land or by sea, the trip still took about four weeks. Naturally Californians wanted a faster system for getting mail and news. The demand grew even stronger as the issue of slavery threatened to divide the country. People were afraid there was going to be a war. They wanted to know what was going on. And they wanted to know quickly. 15
Chapter Three
A Bold Plan
I
n the 1850s in Missouri, three men were thinking about the problem of getting mail to California. William Russell, Alexander Majors, and William Waddell all had experience carrying freight. They had worked together before to transport supplies by wagon train for the United States Army. In 1859 the three men formed a new company called the Central Overland California & Pike’s Peak Express Company. They planned to turn their talents toward moving mail. Russell, Majors, and Waddell made a bold promise. Their company would use a Pony Express system to deliver mail between Missouri and California. Since their riders would use fast horses and switch mounts often, mail would arrive in just ten days. They would deliver the mail all year long. This was something stagecoaches could not do. In the winter, snow often made the
Some Pony Express stations were very isolated, like this station in Weber Canyon, Utah.
17
Adventure and Money Pony Express riders lived at the Pony Express stations. Their room and board was part of their pay. They were also given a salary. Riders with the hardest routes could earn more than $100 a month. At the time, that was a lot of money. However, most riders were more interested in adventure than money.
mountains impossible for stagecoaches to cross. The idea of carrying mail by a system of riders had been used before but never over such a long distance. It was almost 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) from the Missouri border to Sacramento. No single rider could go such a long distance. A horse could only run at a fast pace for about 15 miles (24 kilometers). It would take many riders and even more horses to make the entire trip. Russell, Majors, and Waddell planned out the route. The Pony Express would have two terminals, or starting and ending points. St. Joseph, Missouri would be the eastern terminal. Sacramento, California would be the western terminal. In between, there would be many stations where riders could get fresh horses. At the end of one rider’s route, another rider would take over. There were already some stations along the way. However, these stations were as much as 100 miles (160 kilometers) apart. The Pony 18
A Pony Expre ss rider leaves St. Joseph, M west. is
souri, the firs
t station on th
e route
Express needed stations every 15 miles (24 kilometers). The first task Russell, Majors, and Waddell faced was building more stations. The stations were made of whatever was available. In forested areas, they were made from wood. On treeless prairies, they were made of earth and sod. In the desert, they were built from mud bricks called adobe. The men bought horses. Then they advertised for stationmasters. These stationmasters would care for the 19
A Moral Man Alexander Majors was a very religious man. He wanted to protect the morals of men who worked for him. Majors gave every Pony Express rider a Bible. In his freighting business, his workers had to promise not to swear or get drunk. If they gambled or treated animals cruelly they could be fired.
horses and riders along the way. The company also wanted men who were excellent riders. Riders had to be lightweight, used to the outdoors, and willing to face danger. Many men from all over the country applied to be Pony Express riders. Most were very young. All wanted adventure. The company hired about 80 riders. Fish ress station in This Pony Exp ilt of stones. Utah was bu
20
Springs,
William Russell was one of the founders of the Pony Express.
Frank Webner (seated on h orse) was a Pony Expre ss rider in 18 61.
In late March 1860 newspapers in New York, Missouri, and California spread the news. The Pony Express was ready!
21
Chapter Four
The Pony Express at Work
T
he first mail delivery by the Pony Express was a success. After that, the Central Overland California & Pike’s Peak Express Company faced the real challenge. They had to keep things running as promised. The company set up a schedule. Every week, riders would carry mail between St. Joseph and Sacramento. Mail would leave St. Joseph every Friday morning and arrive in California ten days later. Mail would leave California every Tuesday evening and arrive in Missouri ten days later. Later this schedule changed, but the mail still went through regularly. Although the Pony Express made mail delivery much faster, it was not cheap. At first, it cost $5 per half-ounce to send a letter. Five dollars in 1861 was equivalent to almost $100 today. Later, people used a special
A Pony Express rider changes horses in this illustration by famous Western artist Frederick Remington.
23
Station Supplies Supplying the stations was a big job. Each station needed food for riders and stationmasters and feed for horses. It also needed everyday items such as brooms, buckets, cookware, scissors, stoves, nails, screws, hammers, and candles. In many areas, all of these things had to be brought to the station by wagon train.
lightweight paper, which made the cost of sending a letter less expensive. Pony Express riders also carried newspapers. Eastern reporters sent stories to St. Joseph by telegraph. Then the stories were printed on lightweight paper for the trip to California. ently so horses frequ ed g an ch s rider Pony Express uick pace. ep up their q ke ld u they co
24
The mochilas, or mail pouches, used by the Pony Express were an important part of the process. Each corner of a mochila had a box attached. Three of these boxes had locks. The only people who had keys were the station keepers in St. Joseph and Sacramento. They placed the mail into the “A rider would start out from a station, do his fifteen miles, and come on the run boxes at the beginning of a into the next station. When he was some run. At the end of a run, they distance from the station, he would blow unlocked the boxes to a horn . . . so they’d have a fresh horse remove the mail. waitin’, and a snack of food, and then the mail would go speedin’ on.” The fourth corner of the —“Broncho” Charlie Miller, mochila also had a box. This Pony Express rider was left unlocked. At each stop along the way, new mail could be added. The Pony Express covered a distance of almost 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers). The route was divided into five sections. Each section had home stations and relay stations. The home stations were anywhere from 65 to 100 miles (100 to 160 kilometers) apart. The distance depended on how hard it was to travel in a certain area. The relay stations were smaller stations in between the home stations. Most home stations had a stationmaster who was in charge. Several riders would be assigned to a home station. A rider’s route started at his home station. And that is where he returned after completing his run. 25
The Mochila The word mochila is Spanish. A mochila was a leather saddlebag with mail pouches at each corner called cantinas. It was flat in the middle so it slipped easily onto the saddle and the rider could sit on top of it. It was not hooked onto the saddle. That made it easy to quickly remove the mochila and put it on another saddle.
Each rider had a route that was 75 to 100 miles (120 to 160 kilometers) long. He could cover that distance in one day, because every 10 to 15 miles (16 to 24 kilometers), the rider stopped at a relay station to change horses. The rider would leap off one horse with the mail pouch. Then he would get on a fresh horse and take off. It only took about two minutes to make the switch. At the end of his route, a rider handed the mochila to a second rider, called a relief rider. While the relief rider rode off on the first leg of the next route, the first rider could rest before returning to his home station. It took about 130 horses to travel one way between Missouri and California. That meant a lot of horses had to be kept at the stations. Many of these horses were western mustangs. These horses were small and sturdy, making them perfect for traveling over rough ground. Rough ground was not the only difficulty faced by horses and riders. 26
This announce ment for the Pony Express day delivery advertises nin from San Fran ecisco to New York.
The Pony Express did not stop for bad weather. Riders carried the mail and news through rain and snow. They carried it over hot, burning deserts and through dust storms on the plains. Before long the system faced a problem bigger than weather or rugged land. This problem brought mail delivery to California to a stop. 27
Chapter 5
Trouble on the Trail
I
n the late 1850s gold and silver were discovered in Utah Territory. Hundreds of prospectors rushed into the area. These miners trespassed on land that belonged to Native American tribes. They used the limited water supplies. Their horses and mules ate the grass that the tribes needed to feed their own animals. The tribes were angry. They had signed a treaty with the U.S. government. The treaty said whites could not trespass on Native American land. Now whites were breaking the treaty. The Pony Express added to the problem. Many stations had been built on Native American lands. In some desert areas, the stations were next to the only watering hole. At first, problems between the tribes and the Pony Express were small. One group drove off the horses at a station. This delayed the mail but did not stop it. Miners and other white settlers pushed Native Americans out of their traditional homelands.
29
The Mail Goes Through Attacks by Native American tribes brought mail delivery to a stop. However, people in the East still heard about the attacks. The news was delivered as it had been before the Pony Express— by Butterfield stagecoach.
By May 1860 things grew serious. A Native American woman was badly hurt by a Pony Express stationmaster and his brothers. A group of angry Native Americans attacked the station. They burned the station house to the ground. Five men were killed. A group of whites banded together to punish the tribes. They pushed them back to Pyramid Lake
Pony Express fought with s an ic er m A of 1860. Native the summer t u o h g u ro th riders
30
on the California border. This was the beginning of what became known as the Pyramid Lake War. Native American tribes raided Pony Express stations. Several people were killed. Some stations were burned. And some Pony Express riders were attacked. For a few weeks, mail delivery stopped between Salt Lake City and Carson Valley in Utah Territory. It was the end of June 1860 before the entire Pony Express route was reopened. Now soldiers rode part of the way with Pony Express riders. This kept the riders safer, but it also slowed them down. The Pyramid Lake War continued throughout the summer. Native American war parties attacked Pony Express stations. United States soldiers attacked the Native Americans. People died on both sides. Meanwhile the Central Overland California & Pike’s Peak Express Company was having money problems. Running the Pony Express cost a lot. Dealing with Native American attacks added to this cost. The company had to rebuild stations. It needed horses to replace those taken by the tribes. It hired guards to keep the stations safe. Russell, Waddell, and Majors had hoped that the government would help to pay for the Pony Express. That still had not happened. The three men met. They decided that if the government would not help, the Pony Express would stop running in January. First, however, they wanted to show just how valuable the service was. They planned a special mail delivery. 31
Government Money Russell, Waddell, and Majors were not alone in hoping the government would help to pay for the Pony Express. Californians wanted the same thing. They hoped Congress would approve a plan to pay the Pony Express for every trip it made. However, Congress did not do so.
The Pony Express would carry news of the November presidential election to California as fast as possible. By this time, there were telegraph lines as far west as Fort Kearny in Nebraska Territory. News of the election would be wired to Fort Kearny. Riders would take the message from there to a telegraph station in the western part of Utah Territory. They would cover the distance in five days. A Pony Express rider left Fort Kearny on November 7, 1860. He carried the news that Abraham Lincoln was the next president. The message arrived in San Francisco in five days, as promised. Things were improving for the Pony Express. There were fewer problems with Native American tribes. Mail was being delivered on schedule. It looked like the company might survive. However, a terrible winter changed that. At times heavy snow covered the entire route from 32
Pony Express
riders traveled
in all conditio
ns.
California to Missouri. Sometimes the mail was delayed for days. Then on December 24, 1860 William Russell was arrested. He was accused of stealing from the government. It seemed he would go to jail. 33
new stations Some Pony Express stations were rebuilt after Native American attacks. The new stations were built like forts. They had stone walls that were as high as 8 feet (2.4 meters).
Russell was fortunate. Just days before his arrest, South Carolina had seceded from the Union. Other southern states followed. The Civil War was beginning. The government had bigger problems to worry about. Russell was soon allowed to go free. The good name of the company had been ruined though. The government shut down part of the the results ss letter tells re p Ex y n Po This tial election. 1860 presiden
34
of the
Stagecoaches and wagons similar to this before the Po Wells Fargo o ny Express beg ne delivered an. When th slower wago the mail e ns continued Pony Express to deliver the stopped runn ing, the mail.
Pony Express route and set up a new delivery route. It gave that route to the Overland Mail Company. The two companies agreed to work together. By the spring of 1861 mail delivery was back on schedule, but not for long.
35
Chapter Six
The End of the Line
T
he Pony Express survived Native American attacks. It survived having one of its founders arrested and money problems and weather delays. But it could not survive the arrival of a faster way to communicate. As riders and their ponies raced east and west, so did the telegraph. In June 1860 Congress approved adding telegraph lines from Missouri to California. Construction began in July 1861. One crew worked to lay wires from west to east. Another worked from east to west. Both crews raced to finish before winter set in. As crews were laying telegraph wires, Pony Express riders kept delivering the mail. They also filled in the gaps in the telegraph system. An operator in the east could send a telegram to the last telegraph station going west. Then Pony Express riders would carry the message to the
Buffalo Bill Cody’s show kept alive the memories of the Wild West.
37
Many Rides During its 18 months of operation, the Pony Express made 308 rides each way. Riders covered a distance equal to 616,000 miles (991,000 kilometers). They carried about 35,000 pieces of mail. Almost twothirds of the mail traveled from California to the East.
next telegraph station. From there, it was wired to a telegraph station in California. On October 24, 1861 the lines met. Telegraph wires now stretched across the continent. The first coastto-coast message went to President Abraham Lincoln in Washington D.C. It told him that the job was done. Instant communication across the entire country was now possible.
ps ss rider gallo A Pony Expre lines. up telegraph
38
past workers
putting
The telegrap
h uses an elec
tric current to
transmit mes
sages over te
legraph wires
.
The Pony Express was no longer needed. People had two ways to communicate across the country. They could send letters by Overland Mail Company stagecoaches, or they could send telegrams. Some people hoped that the Pony Express would continue to run. They worried that too many things could go wrong with telegraph lines. They thought the Overland Mail Company was too slow. Although riders carried mail for a while longer, the Pony Express was officially out of business on October 26, 1861—two days after the telegraph line was completed. It had only lasted for 18 months. However, it did prove that it was possible to have an efficient transcontinental mail system. The Pony Express was also important to U.S. history for another reason. It linked the eastern states and the West Coast during the start of the Civil War. This link helped keep California and its newfound gold with the Union when the southern states seceded in early 1861. 39
Buffalo Bill William Cody was born in Iowa in 1846. He was only 14 or 15 years old when he rode for the Pony Express. He also worked as a fur trapper and a gold miner. Cody earned the nickname Buffalo Bill when he hunted buffalo as a scout for the United States Army.
It was not long before the Pony Express became part of the legend of the American West. William Buffalo Bill Cody was one reason. Cody claimed that he was a Pony Express rider. In the 1880s he created Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. One of the show’s acts was a Pony Express ride. Interest in the Pony Express still continues. In 1923 60 riders brought the legend back by following the trail of the first riders.
est met in st and the W Ea e th m o fr ks train across Railroad trac ple to take a eo p g in w lo al , Utah in 1869 y. tr n u co the
40
Today this station in Simpson Springs, Utah is a part of the Pony Express National Historic Trail.
The U.S. Post al Service issu ed this stamp in 1960 on the one-h undredth anniversary o f the Pony Ex press.
In 1960 the Pony Express celebrated its one-hundredth anniversary. Special stamps and coins were issued. Horses and riders carried a mochila from St. Joseph, Missouri to San Francisco, California. Today, a trail of historical markers helps people trace the route of the Pony Express. Many of the markers show where Pony Express stations once stood. Some stations have been restored for visitors to see. The old Pony Express stable in St. Joseph was rebuilt as a museum. In 1978 interested people founded the National Pony Express Association (NPEA). The group works with the National Park Service to preserve the Pony Express trail. Each year, NPEA members dress like Pony Express riders and ride part of the trail. They help keep the Pony Express alive as a symbol of the American West. 41
Biographies Johnny Frey (1840?–1863) Pony Express rider Johnny Frey was born and raised in St. Joseph, Missouri. He was also known as Johnny Fry or Frye. He was an expert rider and shooter. Supposedly he was also popular with the young ladies in the towns he rode through. A story says that two sisters made doughnutlike cakes with holes in the middle so they could hold them out for Johnny to grab from horseback. Johnny fought in the Civil War and died in battle in 1863.
Robert Haslam (1840–1912)
Cowboy Bob Haslam was born in England. He set the record for the longest Pony Express run. In May 1860, Haslam started his usual run. The station where he was supposed to switch horses was deserted. So Haslam rode 15 miles (24 kilometers) to the next station where he was to be relieved. The relief rider was afraid of a Native American attack and refused to ride. So Billy did the next run too. He traveled 190 miles (305 kilometers), stopping only to change horses.
Alexander Majors (1814–1900) Alexander Majors grew up on the frontier. He started out as a farmer but was soon earning extra money delivering other farmers’ crops to market. Later he began delivering freight through Native American territory. Majors was a religious man who made his workers promise not to drink or swear.
42
Charlie Miller (1850–1955)
Broncho Charlie Miller claimed to be the last of the Pony Express riders. However, this was unlikely because he would have been 11 years old at the time. Still, Miller kept the legend of the Pony Express alive. He performed in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, appeared on television, and rode in the Macy’s parade. At 82, Charlie carried mail by horse from New York City to San Francisco to celebrate the Pony Express. He died at the age of 105.
William Russell (1812–1872) William Russell was born in Vermont but moved to Missouri as a boy. With little education, he managed to become a successful businessman. By the time he was in his thirties, Russell was a rich man. He saw an opportunity in the settlement of the West and began delivering supplies to the army and to settlers.
Billy Tate (1846?–1860) Billy Tate carried mail through what is now Nevada. On one run, Billy was attacked by a Native American war party. Some reports say that Billy’s attackers were so impressed with his courage that they did not scalp the young rider. Billy was likely only 14 years old when he died.
William Waddell (1807–1872) As a young man, William Waddell was a lead miner in Illinois. He then ran a dry goods store. After his marriage, Waddell tried farming and then opened a store in St. Louis. Later he moved his family farther west, to Lexington, Missouri. There he became friends with William Russell. The two men formed a partnership to haul supplies for the army.
43
Timeline 1844
April 13, 1860
Samuel Morse sends the first telegraph message from Washington D.C. to Baltimore, Maryland.
1850 California becomes the thirty-first state. As outlined in the Compromise of 1850, it enters the Union as a free state.
The first Pony Express mail delivery arrives in Sacramento, California and in St. Joseph, only a few minutes behind schedule.
1859 Silver is discovered in Utah Territory. Miners who come to the region trespass on Native American lands.
June 1860 Attacks by Native American tribes shut down parts of the Pony Express route in Utah Territory.
April 3, 1860
1851
The first Pony Express run starts in St. Joseph, Missouri and in California.
A treaty between the United States government and Native American tribes is signed. Native American leaders agree not to attack settlers and miners. The government promises that people who enter Native American land will pay a fee.
1848 ➤ Gold is discovered at Sutter’s Mill, California. Gold seekers from around the world begin to pour into the area as the gold rush begins.
44
May 7, 1860 The Pyramid Lake War begins when Native Americans attack a Pony Express station after a Native American woman is badly hurt.
February, 1861 Southern states form their own government, the Confederate States of America.
August 12, 1860 October 24, 1861
➤
Native Americans surround a Pony Express station and take horses. U.S. troops then attack and kill 17 Native Americans.
Telegraph lines meet in Salt Lake City, completing a transcontinental communication system.
December 20, 1860 South Carolina secedes from the Union over the issue of slavery.
December 24, 1860 William Russell is arrested and accused of cheating the government.
November 6, 1860 Abraham Lincoln wins the presidential election; news of the election reaches California by Pony Express in five days.
June 25, 1860 ➤ The Pony Express gets back on schedule for mail delivery to San Francisco.
45
October 26, 1861 The Pony Express is officially discontinued.
April 12, 1861 Southern forces attack Fort Sumter, South Carolina; the Civil War begins.
Glossary adobe (uh-DOH-bee): brick made by mixing sand, clay, and straw ferry (FER-ee): a boat used to carry people, vehicles, or goods across a river or other narrow body of water
isthmus (ISS-muhss): a narrow strip of land that connects to larger areas of land
mustangs (MUHSS-tangs): wild horses from the American plains prospectors (PROSS-pekt-urs): people who search for gold or other minerals
relief rider (ri-LEEF RIDE-ur): rider who takes over for another rider
seceded (si-SEED-id): withdrew from a group or organization stagecoaches (STAYJ-kohchiz): heavy, enclosed wagons that carried people and freight from one “stage” or portion of their journey to another
terminals (TUR-muh-nuhls): ending points or stations at either end of a transportation or communication line
territory (TER-uh-tor-ee): land that is under the control of a government but is not a state
treaty (TREE-tee): a formal agreement between two groups often meant to keep peace between conflicting parties
46
Websites American West http://www.americanwest.com /trails/pages/ponyexp1.htm
The Pony Express National Museum www.ponyexpress.org
Museum of the City of San Francisco www.sfmuseum.org/hist1 /pxpress.html
The Pony Express Stations of Utah http://www.nps.gov/history /history/online_books/blm/ut/2 /contents.htm
National Park Service Pony Express National Historic Trail www.nps.gov/poex Pony Express Headquarters Patee Museum www.stjoseph.net/ponyexpress
Reference Map NORTH DAKOTA
MONTANA
IDAHO
OREGON
MINNESOTA WYOMING
San Francisco
NEVADA
IOWA
NEBRASKA
Great Salt Lake
Sacramento
SOUTH DAKOTA
Plat
te R
.
Saint Joseph
UTAH
MISSOURI COLORADO
CALIFORNIA
47
original trail route change
KANSAS
Index attack(s) 30, 31, 34, 37, 43, 44, 45
schedule 6, 23, 32, 35, 44, 45 snow 17, 27, 32 St. Joseph 5, 6, 7, 8, 18, 19, 23, 24, 25, 41, 42, 44 stagecoach(es) 14, 17, 18, 30, 35, 39 station(s) 6, 7, 8, 17, 18, 19, 20, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 34, 37, 38, 41, 43, 44, 45 stationmaster(s) 19, 24, 25, 30 steamships 13, 14
cantinas 26 Central Overland California & Pike’s Peak Express Company 17, 23, 31 Civil War 34, 39 Cody, William Buffalo Bill 40 distance 18, 25, 26, 32, 38 Frey, Johnny 6
telegraph 9, 13, 15, 24, 32, 37, 38, 39, 44, 45 terminal(s) 18 train(s) 5, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 24, 40
Hamilton, Billy 8, 9 Majors, Alexander 17, 18, 19, 20, 31, 32 mochila(s) 7, 8, 9, 25, 26, 41 mountains 7, 11, 15, 18
Waddell, William 17, 18, 19, 31, 32, 42 weather 9, 27, 37
Native American tribes 29, 30, 31, 32, 44 Overland Mail Company 14, 35, 39 prospectors 11, 29 Pyramid Lake War 31, 44 route 8, 14, 15, 18, 19, 25, 26, 31, 32, 35, 41, 44 Russell, William 17, 18, 19, 21, 31, 32, 33, 34, 42, 45 Sacramento 7, 8, 9, 11, 18, 23, 25, 44 San Francisco 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, 27, 32, 41, 43, 45 48
The discovery, growth, and development of the United States of America can be traced through a series of historic events. Learn about the amazing discoveries, fierce conflicts, and dynamic cultures that helped shape this country.
Books in This Series Include: Columbus and the Age of Explorers
Reconstruction
The French and Indian War
Remember the Alamo
Great Battles of the Civil War
Slavery in America
Industrial Revolution
Spanish Missions of the Old West
Panama Canal
Trappers and Mountain Men
Pilgrims in America
Washington Ablaze: The War of 1812
Pony Express
Yankee Whalers
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