William H Russell, Alexander Majors and William B Waddell were partners. In 1849 they had a freighting business called Leavenworth & Pikes Peak Express Company. In 1850, the name changed to Central Overland and Pikes Peak Express Company. By 1858, the men had 4,000 men, 3,500 wagons and 40,000 oxen. They held government contracts for moving army supplies to the Western frontier. Russell had an idea for something similar with express mail delivery.
The idea was that using mounted riders rather than traditional stagecoaches, they could speed delivery of the mail from St Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California in 10 days. Many thought that that was impossible, but the founders hoped to win a government contract for mail delivery service and took the gamble.
In two months, during January and February 1860, the routes, 120 riders, 184 stations and 400 horses were set up.
Riders had to weigh less than 125 pounds, be quick, wiry and capable. Advertisements for riders encouraged orphans, although it is not known if any of the riders were orphans. The youngest rider was 11. The oldest was 26.
Alexander Majors had acquired more than 400 horses for the project. The horses averaged 14 1/2 hands and about 900 pounds, making the term pony accurate, if not entirely correct. The horses were chosen for swiftness and endurance. Horses on the east end of the route were usually selected from US Calvary units, commonly Morgans or thoroughbreds. Horses on the west end were usually short, coupled stock called "California horses" and in the middle of the route, the commonly used horses were mustangs or something similar.
A rider would change horses about every fifteen miles and during a single ride would change horses eight to ten times. Since weight was important to the endurance and speed of the animals, the riders couldn't weigh more than 125 pounds. The horses were expected to trot, canter or gallop, depending on the need. Most of the horses averaged 10 to 15 miles per hour, and occasionally reached 25 miles per hour. Between the rider, the saddle, the mochila (pouch for the mail) and the supplies, the total could not weigh more than 165 pounds. The mochila, when full, weighed about 20 pounds. The other items the rider carried were a water sack, a bible, a horn for alerting the next station master, a revolver and a choice of a rifle or another revolver.
In 1844, Joseph Landis established a small saddle and harness shop in St Joseph. As the town grew, so did his business. He was the ideal candidate to create the special saddles needed and wanted for the Pony Express. The saddles were made in a similar style to those being used in the west at that time for stock saddles. It had less leather, wood and metal to minimize the weight and the mochila fit with the saddle.
Although the Pony Express proved that a central/northern route was possible, Russell, Majors and Waddell did not get the hoped for government contract. In March 1861, the contract was given to Jeremy DeHut who ran the Butterfield Overland Mail Stage Line. This stage line took over the Pony Express stations for the stagecoaches.
Shortly after the contract was awarded, the Civil War broke out. This in turn caused the Stage Line to cease operations. The Pony Express continued to run between Salt Lake City and Sacramento until 26 Oct 1861, two days after the transcontinental telegraph reached Salt Lake City, connecting Omaha, Nebraska with Sacramento, California. Other telegraph lines connecting other cities followed.
The Pony Express grossed $90,000. However, it lost $200,000. After the Civil War, in 1886, the remaining assets from the Pony Express and Butterfield Stage Line were sold to Wells Fargo for $1.5 million.
Since the Pony Express lasted for just a short time, it is phenomenal to think of the items from it that still exist. The lore and the stories from the riders and the station workers still live on.
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