Name/Title
Illustrated London News: American Pony Express October 12, 1861Entry/Object ID
AM1983.1.21Scope and Content
Illustrated London News: American Pony Express October 12, 1861. The picture in the paper is of the American Pony Express, enroute from the Missouri River to San Francisco--from a drawing by G. H. Andrews.
The great importance of maintaining a rapid communication between the State of the American Union situated on the Atlantic and Pacific seaboards has long been felt and numerous projects for connecting them by railways have been continually before Congress, but to the present time scarcely anything has been done towards the railway or telegraph. Between the Missouri River and California--a distance of 2000 miles--there exists a huge wilderness of prairies, arid plains, mountains, forests, and two huge mountain chains--the Rocky and the Cascade Ranges.
Mr. W. H. Russell, of the firm of Russell, Major and Waddell had the bold idea of running a pony express from the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean, carrying a telegram from New York, or any other part of the States, to San Francisco in eight days, and a letter in thirteen.
On April 9, 1860 two ponies started simultaneously, one from San Francisco ant the other from St. Joseph, Missouri. The run took 7 1/2 days.Lexicon
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G. H. AndrewsPerson or Organization
Russell, W. H.Person or Organization
Majors, AlexanderPerson or Organization
William Waddel