26 June 2018 - Tuesday

26 June 2018 - Tuesday

Today we were assigned to the Visitors' Center from 11:00am until 6:00pm.  That gave us a very relaxing morning to prepare for our day's work.  We took advantage of the extra time this morning, after our morning prayers and scripture reading, to take the three mile walk together.  The early morning temperature was in the very low 50's and was quite invigorating.  

We left the house at 10:15am for the 11:00am assignment.  We had the casual ride to Martin's Cove, as we watched carefully for the antelope that love to run in front of cars along the ten mile stretch of roadway between Missionary Village and Martin's Cove.  We have seen several antelope along the road that have been hit by cars or trucks.  I keep thinking that I do not want our car to hit one of these animals!  So we take the ride a little below the speed limit to give me some additional reaction time.

Once we arrived at the Visitors' Center there was a lot of chatter about the reenactment of the Pony Express ride from Sacramento, California, to St. Joseph, Missouri.  For the last 40 years, they have held this reenactment by riding the horses as close to the original Pony Express Trail as possible.  That trail went through seven states between April 1860, and November 1861.  

The Pony Express was a mail delivery service that ran between Missouri and California. Using the Pony Express, mail could arrive in California in as few as 9 days rather than the weeks it took to arrive when sent by horse carriage. 
How did it work? 

The Pony Express used a planned out route with a number of stations along the way. Riders would carry the mail from station to station, switching to fresh horses at each station. Every hundred or so miles the rider would be replaced. This allowed the mail to be constantly moving at a good speed. 
The Route 

The route used by the Pony Express went from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California. There were 184 stations along the 1,900 mile route. It followed the Oregon Trail for a ways, and then used the Mormon Trail to Salt Lake City. The trail traveled over the Rocky Mountains, the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and finally to California. 

The Riders 

The riders of the Pony Express made $100 a month, which was pretty good money for the time. They worked hard, riding in bad weather, rough terrain, and in dangerous situations. In order to keep the weight down that the horses had to carry, the riders had to weigh less than 125 pounds. A lot of the riders were young, tough, skinny, teenagers who were willing to face the dangers of the ride for the excitement of the job and the money they could earn. 

When did the Pony Express run? 

The Pony Express was a business. Despite its place in American history, it didn't stay open very long. It opened on April 3, 1860 and closed on October 24, 1861. At the height of its business it had over 400 horses and around 180 riders. 

Pony Express Poster 
by Unknown

Why did it end? 

The Pony Express was forced to close after the opening of the transcontinental telegraph. Telegraphs could be sent much faster and with less expense. In the end, the business venture that was the Pony Express lost a lot of money and became outdated fairly quickly.

Interesting Facts about the Pony Express

• The first riders left from Sacramento and St. Joseph on April 3, 1860. They each arrived around 10 days later.
• In the winter, the trip generally took around two days longer than in the summer.
• The most famous of the Pony Express riders was Buffalo Bill who earned fame putting on Wild West shows.
• The initial cost to send a ½ ounce letter was $5. That was a lot of money back in 1860. Prices were lowered to $1 for a ½ ounce letter by the end of the Pony Express.
• Only one rider and one shipment of mail were lost during the running of the Pony Express.
• Riders would travel 75 to 100 miles a day, switching horses every 10 to 12 miles.
• The fastest delivery in the history of the Pony Express was seven days and seventeen hours. It was to deliver President Abraham Lincoln's inaugural address.
• The Pony Express was started by William H. Russell, William B. Waddell, and Alexander Majors.

The National Historic Trails include the Pony Express Trail, the California Trail, the Oregon Trail and the Mormon Trail.  They all go through Martin's Cove, and the emigrants all used the same trails back then.  So when we got to work this morning, at around 10:30am, they were just getting organized to switch riders right in from of the Visitors' Center, and continue on through Rattlesnake Pass.  Here are some pictures I took on this exciting event, that mom and I knew nothing about until the brief announcement yesterday in the correlation meeting;

The lady on the left was the next rider on the express trail

Two Senior Missionaries with some long term cowboys on this reenactment

Lee Anne and her Mustang ride, Finn

Mom and Lee Anne (who is riding the next part of the trail)

The exchange of drivers at Martin's Cove

The dismount and the transfer of the mail pouches

Loading the mail pouches on the fresh horse

Lee Anne ready to mount Finn

The exchange is almost complete

The next leg of the trail is started!

Mom and I had never heard of the Pony Express reenactment.  It was quite by chance they even mentioned it in the correlation meeting.  So when we were assigned the Visitors' Center today, and scheduled to be there at the same time as the transfer of riders, we were excited.  Most of these riders are not members of the Church, and they know so little about Martin's Cove and the history here.  

I had a chance to talk to Lee Anne about this history and the significance of it to the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  She politely listened, but I am not sure what she may have retained.  However, I did find out later that one of her close friends, who is LDS, rides horses with her back in her home town in Nevada, so maybe another seed was planted????

The balance of the day was spent sharing the history of the area to visitors from all over.  Mom and I had a good day, but there were no significant stories to share other than the Pony Express story.  And that is such a great part of the United States history so I hope you enjoy this brief!  

Thank you for joining with us tonight!  Mom and I are the Trek Hosts for a group from the Sandy Crescent Stake in Utah.  We will host 195 trekkers and we start at 7:30am tomorrow morning at the Trek Center at the Homestead!