Why Did The Pony Express In The United States

Words: 632
Pages: 3

The pony express was founded by three men: William H. Russel, Alexander Majors, and William B. Wadell. With the increasing population in California they needed a fast mail system. In 1860, the population grew to 380,000. They delivered from St. Joseph, Missouri, across the Great plains, over the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada to Sacramento, and California. This was all done on horseback with a series of relay stations. The original name for the pony express was the Leavenworth Pike’s Peak Express Company of 1859. At the end of their 19th month operation they deliver mail between the Atlantic and pacific to about less than 10 days. On April 3, 1860 to October 1861, the telegraph was established in the United states but, mostly impacted in California. When …show more content…
Russel was a very important business man. Was very well respected by the community. Wadell was Co-Owner of the Firm Morehead. Later, they merged their company’s together and named it Russel & Wadell. In 1855, they found a new partner and changed the name again to Russel, Majors, and Wadell. They supplied people with army supplies. Then Russel got an idea for supplying men with mail. By taking action of a short route and using horse riders rather than stagecoaches, they established a fast mail service between St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California, with letters delivered in 10 days. Russell, Majors, and Waddell put together the Pony Express in two months. Russell was a religious man so he supplied all the riders with a bible giving them the “help of god”. In 1860 about 157 were 10 miles apart from each route. At each station the riders would switch out their horses for new ones that can last to the next station. The pouch or mochila was really important to the riders. The mail was placed in a cantina or pocket. When they rode to deliver mail the horses had to carry 165 pounds of stuff around to the next