In these times of instant messages, email, and Skype, the regular postal service, what is often called "snail mail" appears to be on its way out. But carrying the mail across the country has a rich history that we should remember, even as it begins to disappear. 
And there are some history lovers who are doing their part to remember the very beginnings of mail delivery to California.
The Pony Express ran for less than two years, from April 1860 through October 1861. But for the past 20 years hundreds of riders have participated in an annual ten-day reenactment of delivering mail by horse along the original route from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California.
The first ride arrived in Sacramento on April 13, 1860, 10 days and nearly 1900 miles after it left St. Joseph, Missouri. President Buchanan had sent a message of congratulations to the Governor of California by telegraph to St Joseph, which was as far as the telegraph lines went at that time.
The message was them carried in a saddlebag by the Pony Express. Six riders rode at top speed for 60+ miles each, and 6 fresh horses were ridden by each rider along his route. Each rider was given 6 hours to complete his leg of the journey.
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Times were tough then, and in addition to the rough terrain, the riders had to dodge unfriendly Indians, robbers, and other dangers. They also rode in every kind of weather, year around. Wild Bill Hickok and Buffalo Bill were among the riders, and it is their exploits along the trail that formed the mystique around their personalities.
Although the Pony Express was very popular because it cut the delivery time at least in half from what it had been, and boat service could then take mail overnight to San Francisco from there, it really lasted for less than two years. By then the railroad had nearly caught up to them and telegraph wires were being completed. And the cost of sending a letter on tissue thin paper from St. Joseph to San Francisco by Pony Express and boat was about $5, which was a lot of money back then!
After awhile, Wells Fargo purchased the Pony Express, so that it could offer 20 day service by stagecoach or 10 day service by horseback. A visit to the Wells Fargo Museum in Old Sacramento is fun and informative. Here is a video they produce about their conneciotn to the Pony Express.
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Each June, the National Pony Express Association organizes a reenactment of the famous ride. Volunteer riders from all over the United States gather for the ten-day event. They carry a mochila, a leather saddlebag designed to hold mail, riding day and night delivering commemorative letters along the route.
The modern ride traces the original Pony Express route, through eight states and over 1,966 miles (3,145 kilometers). This year, the ride began on June 3 in St. Joseph and ended June 13, in Sacramento.
While the original Pony Express had somewhere between 80 and 100 riders, now over 500 horses and riders participate in the reenactment each year. And where a rider may have traveled as much as 75-100 miles before handing off the mochila, each leg in the reenacted ride is only two or three miles.
Still, that doesn't put an end to the potential hazards of the trail. Pat Hearty, the national trails chairman for the National Pony Express Association, says the annual reenactment has generated some interesting stories.
"We had a guy stuck out here on one side of a cattle guard and no way to cross. There wasn't a gate and finally someone came back and they loaded the horse into the truck, drove him across the cattle guard, and out again."
Even though the modern ride may not be entirely authentic, it's the fact that it is so close to history that draws in many of the riders. And it kind of gives them a
connection with history.
Along the route there are picnics, parades, and other celebrations as the riders arrive.
What a wonderful thing it is to keep our nation's history alive in such a friendly way.
It's fun too to be in Old Sacramento when the ride begins and the first riders take off on their journey. If you want to learn more about the Pony Express, there are a couple of websites to check out. The Official Pony Express site and The National Park Service site that has some great brochures and maps of the route.
And if you will be in Sacramento, check out the statue of one of the riders in Old Sacramento, just across from the Wells Fargo Museum - another great place to visit our history.
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Susan Neal
Broker / Realtor
Susan Neal Fine Properties
Century 21 Noel David Realty
Fair Oaks, California
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