Memorial plaque dedicated by the National Pony Express Centennial Association to 1860 Pony Express, Fort Laramie, Wyoming, USA
A memorial to the Pony Express and its founders, owners and operators (Russell, Majors, Wadell), dedicated by the National Pony Express Centennial Association in 1960. From April 1860 to October 1861 Fort Laramie was a major post on the Pony Express Route between , Missouri, and Sacramento, California. 120 riders rode 650,000 miles with only 1 rider killed by Native Indians, 1 schedule not completed and 1 mail lost. William H. Russel, Alexander Majors and William were already in the freighting business in the late 1850s, in response to the 1848 discovery of gold in California and the thousands of prospectors, investors and businessmen making their way there. The Pony Express, as a fast mail delivery service, ended, after only 18 months, when the first high speed transcontinental telegraph line was opened on 24 October 1861. After its demise, it entered American folklore, being much romanticised in books and films.
Size: 4592px × 3056px
Location: Pony Express Memorial, Fort Laramie Historic Site, Wyoming, United States
Photo credit: © robert harrison / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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