Pony Express Centennial Issue, St. Joseph Gazette, April 1, 1960

Archive

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St. Joseph Museums

Name/Title

Pony Express Centennial Issue, St. Joseph Gazette, April 1, 1960

Entry/Object ID

AM2020.1.297

Scope and Content

Pony Express Centennial Issue, St. Joseph Gazette, April 1, 1960. Special edition of the Gazette announcing the festivities surrounding the local celebration of the 100th anniversary on April 3, 1960 of the first Pony Express run. Includes articles about the Pony Express, Riders, other events of the period. Advertisement from local businesses include Pony Express references. Advertisement from local TV station that airs the weekly "Pony Express" TV show, announces the star of that show, Grant Sullivan, to be in town for the celebration. Articles include .--Gov. Blair to Attend Centennial. Governor James Blair Jr. has rearranged his schedule in order to be here Sunday to participate in the Pony Express Centennial celebration, Mayor Arthur J. Meers announced last night. Other notables will take part in the speaking program which precedes the start of the rerun to Salt Lake City are: Supreme Court Justice Charles Whitaker, Kansas Governor George Docking and Congressman William Hull. --First rider controversy There is an artist picture of the rider Billy Richardson on the front page. Lee Starnes of St. Joseph is the artist. The painting is on display at the Pony Express Museum. Two St. Joseph historians Bartlett Boder and Lee Starnes believe Billy was the first pony rider out of St. Joseph 100 years ago One of the reasons Billy was never credited with the ride earlier was that there was no record of him residing in this area. A recent check of the 1860 city directory for Elwood Kansas shows he resided across the river from St. Joseph, and his employment was listed specifically as expressmen for Russell, Majors and Waddell. On the basis of the evidence it is their opinion that Billy Richardson, not Johnny Fry, should go down in history as the first Pony Express rider. Johnny Fry was foreman of the Fish and Robidoux Delivery stables and Billy Richardson tended horses there. Lots were drawn to choose the first rider. Fry was selected but sprained his wrist attempting to ride an unbroken horse the day before the race was to start. At the last minute Billy was substituted. Johnny Fry was sufficiently recovered to take over his job by April 10, when the second run started, and also to carry in the first return mail from California April 13. This evidence was obtained by Mrs. Louise Platt Hauck of St. Joseph who interviewed many eyewitnesses to the Pony Express start. The study was made in the early 1920s. --History of the pony express, pictures of W, H. Russell, Alexander Majors and William Waddell, the pony Express riders Billy Richardson, Johnny Fry, and a picture of the pony Express Stables.

Lexicon

Nomenclature 4.0

Nomenclature Secondary Object Term

Newspaper

Nomenclature Primary Object Term

Serial

Nomenclature Sub-Class

Other Documents

Nomenclature Class

Documentary Objects

Nomenclature Category

Category 08: Communication Objects

LOC Thesaurus for Graphic Materials

Pony express

Search Terms

Pony Express Centennial, Pony Express Centennial in St. Joseph, 1960

Condition

Overall Condition

Good

Maintenance

Maintenance History

Date

Feb 9, 2016

Relationships

Related Person or Organization

Person or Organization

Broady Barlett

Person or Organization

Governor George Docking

Person or Organization

Johnny Fry

Person or Organization

Hauck, Louise Platt

Person or Organization

William Hull, Congressman

Person or Organization

Majors, Alexander

Person or Organization

Arthur Meers

Person or Organization

Rider Richardson

Person or Organization

W. H. Russell

Person or Organization

Lee Stranes

Person or Organization

Waddell, William

Person or Organization

Whitaker, Charles Supreme Court Justice

Person or Organization

Grant Sullivan