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The Pony Express begins
April 3, 2022
|Recurring Event (See all)
An event every year that begins at 12:00 am on day 3 of April, repeating indefinitely
On April 3, 1860, the first rider for the Pony Express departed St. Joseph, Missouri. Each of the famed riders rode 75-100 miles straight, handing off letters to another waiting horseman. Letters reached Sacramento, California in a speedy 10 days.
Though the Express lasted less than two years, it remains famous as a fixture of the Old American West. Why such a short run? Freshly connected telegraph lines canceled out the need for such fast mail service.
Did you know? Like modern-day jockeys, Express riders had to be light for the sake of speed. Most riders were wiry young men, weighing 100-120 pounds.
