Ghost Riders of the Pony Express

By:

Cathy Larsen

Dianne Smith

WANTED
Young, skinny, wiry fellows, not over 18. Must be expert riders, willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred. Wages $25 a week. . .

TABLE OF CONTENTS
RIDERS
ROUTE STATIONS PURPOSE HORSES MOCHILA

TIMELINE

INTERESTING FACTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Works Cited

RIDERS
ROUTE STATIONS PURPOSE HORSES MOCHILA

TIMELINE

INTERESTING FACTS

RIDERS
Most riders were around 20 years of age
Youngest rider was 11 Oldest rider was mid-40s

Many riders were orphans Riders usually weighed around 120 lbs. Riders Pay = $25 per week New riders took over every 75-100 miles
Riders changed horses about 3 times

183 men are known to have ridden for the Pony Express
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ROUTE
Trail length almost 2,000 miles
St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California Through the present day states of Kansas, Nebraska, northeast corner of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and California

Only two were states in 1861 Missouri and California The other states were territories Took 10 days to go from St. Joseph, MO, to Sacramento, CA
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HORSES
600 horses purchased to stock the pony express route Thoroughbreds, mustangs, pintos, and Morgans were often used Horses traveled an average of 10 miles per hour Horses were exchanged every 10-15 miles.
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STATIONS
Approximately 165 stations Home stations were 65-100 miles apart
Home stations were used as a rest place for riders before they made the return trip to where they came from

Relay (or swing) stations were 12-15 miles apart

Used for riders to just change horses

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MOCHILA (mo-chee-ya)
About the size of a saddle blanket A single rectangular piece of leather with a hole for the saddle horn and 4 pockets (cantinas) to hold the mail Three pockets were locked with keys only at the end of the route, the divisional headquarters in SLC, Utah, and at the Army posts along the way. Could carry 12-15 lbs. of mail The rider would sit on the mochila during the ride
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PURPOSE
Telegraph lines only reached from the Atlantic coast to St. Joseph, Missouri. The 2000 mile mail route from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California took 20 days by stagecoach (in good weather)
The fastest pony express delivery was 7 days and 17 hours

The Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company hoped to gain a million dollar government mail contract
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TIMELINE
January 27, 1860 April 3,1860 October 24, 1861

Horses bought

First Rider, Johnny Fry, leaves on the Pony Express going west First Rider, James Randall, leaves on the Pony Express going east

Telegraph completed Official end of the Pony Express

Riders chosen

Route planned

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INTERESTING FACTS
One mochila lost and one rider killed Cost of mail:
$5.00 per ounce at the beginning $1.00 per ounce at the end

Longest drive was made by Pony Bob Haslam who rode 370 miles Buffalo Bill Cody was one of the famous riders of the Pony Express.
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 Background found at: Graphics found at:

Works Cited

http://www.mountedsquadhorses.com/graphics1.htm

Mochilla - http://www.xphomestation.com/mochila.html Galloping horse http://www.clipart.co.uk/html/anim.shtml Station - http://www.xphomestation.com/bunkhouse.html Money - http://dgl.microsoft.com

Map background found at:

http://www.xphomestation.com/frm-maps.html

Content found at:

http://www.americanwest.com/trails/pages/ponyexp1.htm http://www.xphomestation.com/

Pony Express Rider Advertisement found at:

http://www.co.el-dorado.ca.us/stories/ponyexpress.html

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