The Pony Express was a fast mail delivery system that operated for 18 months from April 1860 to October 1861, covering over 600,000 miles. It aimed to create a central mail transportation route between St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California, but failed to secure the government’s million-dollar contract due to the onset of the American Civil War. The service employed 183 riders who changed horses every 10 miles and were known for their riding skills and daring in the face of hostile Indians. The cost to send mail started at $5 USD per 0.5 ounce but decreased to $1 USD towards the end of the service. Despite only losing one mail envelope, the service was a financial disaster, resulting in a loss of nearly $200,000 USD for the owners.
The Pony Express was a mail delivery system established in April 1860. It lasted just 18 months until October 1861, during which time riders traversed over 600,000 miles (965,600 kilometers) of rough and dangerous terrain. The owners employed a total of 183 riders over the course of her entire operation.
From the beginning, the purpose of the Pony Express has been to create the fastest and most efficient mail delivery system between two vital transportation points: St. Joseph, Missouri and Sacramento, California. The creators of the service hoped to win the government’s million-dollar mail contract to service Central Overland California and the Pikes Peak Express Company by promoting a central mail transportation route.
The delivery service worked at all times, 24 hours a day, all year round. A relay system of horses and riders was a key aspect of its efficient operation. The riders changed horses approximately every 10 miles (16 km), and many of the riders chosen were local heroes.
Pony Express riders had to be of a certain weight, about 120 pounds (54 kilograms), and averaged about 20 years of age. The riders were known for their riding skills and daring in the face of hostile Indians encountered along the mail route. Buffalo Bill Cody, just 14 years old, was among the riders hired from the service.
The first piece of mail ever received via Pony Express arrived in Sacramento on April 13, 1860. It cost $5 US dollars (USD) per 0.5 ounce (14 gram), but towards the last days of the service, the cost to send the same piece of mail was down to $1 USD. At the time, 80 of the 300 people employed by the service were motorcyclists, whose average performance was around 75 miles (121 km). Approximately 400 horses of different breeds were purchased and used by the riders as they traveled between the 165 designated stations of the 2,000-mile (3,219 km) postal route.
Considering the fact that only one mail envelope was lost in 18 months, the service was still a financial disaster. The owners, William Russell, Alexander Majors and William Waddell had invested a total of $700,000 USD and dissolved it at a loss of nearly $200,000 USD. To make matters worse, the men failed to secure the government’s million-dollar contract due to the onset of the American Civil War and political pressures at the time.
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