PriortotheCivilWar,thefastestmailbetweentheWestCoastandtheEasttookalmostthirtydaysbystagecoachalongasouthernroutethroughTexas.SomeCaliforniansfearedtheirstatewouldnotremainintheUnion,separatedsofarfromthefreestates.ThenbusinessmanWilliamRussellinvestedinawaytodelivermailbetweenSanFranciscoandthefarthestwesternrailroad,inSaintJoseph,Missouri--acrosstwothousandmilesofmountains,deserts,andplains--guaranteedintendaysorless.Russellhiredeightyofthebestandbravestriders,boughtfourhundredofthefastestandhardiesthorses,andbuiltrelaystationsalongacentralroute--throughmodern-dayKansas,Nebraska,Colorado,Wyoming,Utah,andNevada,toCalifornia.InformedbyhisintimateknowledgeofhorsesandWesterngeography,RalphMoody’sexcitingaccountoftheeighteencriticalmonthsthatthePonyExpressoperatedbetweenApril1860andOctober1861paystributetothetruegritanddeterminationoftheridersandhorsesofthePonyExpress.
EXPRESS PONY RIDERS WYOMING Wyoming UTAH Utah
