pony express

n. A system of rapid mail transportation by relays of horses that operated from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California, in 1860-1861.

pony express

n (Historical Terms) (in the American West) a system of mail transport that employed relays of riders and mounts, esp that operating from Missouri to California in 1860–61

po′ny express′

n. a system of carrying mail by relays of riders on ponies, esp. the system in use between Missouri and California in 1860–61. [1840–50, Amer.]

Thesaurus

Noun

pony express - express mail carried by relays of riders on horseback; especially between Missouri and California around 1860express, express mail - mail that is distributed by a rapid and efficient system

pony express

See also: National Parks and Monuments (table)National Parks and Monuments

National Parks
Name Type¹ Location Year authorized Size
acres (hectares)
Description
Acadia NP SE Maine 1919 48,419 (19,603) Mountain and coast scenery.
..... Click the link for more information.

pony express,

in U.S. history, relay mail service. At its inception in Apr., 1860, the pony express operated between St. Joseph, Mo., the western end of a telegraph line, and Sacramento, Calif. Riders carried the mail a distance of nearly 2,000 mi (3,200 km) in about eight days, often traveling through hostile Native American territory. Stations where the riders changed horses were roughly 10 to 15 mi (16–24.1 km) apart. After a rider had covered a certain distance, the mail was turned over to another rider; this continued until the destination was reached.

The pony express was operated by the freighting firm of Russell, Majors, and Waddell. As a business venture, it was unsuccessful. Before the pony express, letters to and from California had been carried by ships, wagon trains, and stagecoaches and had required much more time for the journey. The first telegram to San Francisco was transmitted Oct. 24, 1861, and the pony express was then gradually discontinued. Its existence was brief but picturesque, and the pony express lives in legend as well as in history. In 1992 the Pony Express National Historic Trail, which covers the entire route followed by pony express riders, was designated part of the National Trails System (see National Parks and MonumentsNational Parks and Monuments

National Parks
Name Type¹ Location Year authorized Size
acres (hectares)
Description
Acadia NP SE Maine 1919 48,419 (19,603) Mountain and coast scenery.
..... Click the link for more information. (table)).

Bibliography

See L. R. Hafen, The Overland Mail (1926); A. Chapman, The Pony Express (1932, repr. 1971); R. W. Settle and M. A. L. Settle, Saddles and Spurs (1955, repr. 1972); G. D. Bradley, Story of the Pony Express (2d ed. 1960); M. Mattes and P. Henderson, The Pony Express from St. Joseph to Fort Laramie (1989).

Pony Express

speedy relay mail-carrying system of 1860s. [Am. Hist.: Flexner, 276]See: Messenger

Pony Express

relay mail service during frontier days. [Am. Hist.: NCE, 2190]See: Wild West

pony express

pony express

pony express

po′ny express′

pony express

pony express,

Bibliography

Pony Express

Pony Express

pony express

Words related to pony express

noun express mail carried by relays of riders on horseback

Related Words