Russell, William Hepburn

Russell, William Hepburn

(1812–72) Pony Express founder; born in Burlington, Vt. He moved to Missouri, and, with Alexander Majors, formed the Pony Express (April 1860), which carried the mail from Missouri to California in ten days; the telegraph soon put an end to the service (in October 1861). He was involved in an embezzlement scandal (1861) and he lost a fortune when he sold his freight company in 1862.