Canceled United States stamp commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Pony Express. (Getty Images)
MARYSVILLE, Kan. (KSNW) – The Pony Express will run again, at least for 10 days in June.
The Pony Express was an express mail delivery service that traveled between St. Joseph, Missouri and Sacramento, California. It was the most direct means of communication between the East Coast and West Coast during the brief period it operated.
Almost 200 stations were installed along the route. Depending on the terrain, they were spaced 5 to 20 miles apart. At each season, a rider would trade for a new horse and could have a meal.
Between trips, 25 points of origin provided boarding. Typically, passengers traveled 75 to 160 kilometers per day.
Mail could be delivered in just 10 days, when previously it could take months. The expansion of the telegraph led to the end of the Pony Express, which ran for just 18 months between April 1860 and October 1861.
One of its first and best-known pilots is buried in Kansas. Johnny Fry enlisted in the army after the company was disbanded and died in the only Civil War battle fought in Kansas, the Battle of Baxter Springs.
Starting June 17, more than 700 passengers will deliver mail across the country, from St. Joseph to Sacramento. Passengers will cross into Kansas via US Highway 36, passing through Atchison and traveling 149 miles before entering Nebraska. From Nebraska, passengers will deliver letters through Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and finally to California on June 27.
There will be two opportunities to see the riders in Kansas on June 18th. The first is at 9 a.m. at the Marysville Pony Express Barn in Marysville and 11 a.m. at the Hollenberg Pony Express Station in Hollenberg.
If you are unable to make the trip, you will be able to accompany passengers as they travel across the country thanks to a GPS tracker that will be carried in the mailbag. An interactive map will be available from 3pm on June 17th by clicking here.
For more information about the annual Pony Express Re-Ride, visit the National Pony Express Association website.
