Name/Title
Pony Express & Other St. Joseph Historic Clippings Notebook, Pony ExpressEntry/Object ID
2009.3.599 HDescription
Pony Express & Other St. Joseph Historic Clippings Notebook, Re: Pony Express
News Clippings most probably from an old scrapbook in the possession of Don Reynolds that he dismantled and saved certain St. Joseph-related articles. Clippings were fragile & crumbling. Photocopies made of the articles and compiled into a notebook. 09.3.559
1. Pikes Peak Trail Follows Old Roads, 1916
News story on Pikes Peak Ocean to Ocean highway Annual Meeting in St. Joseph, Feb. 13-14, 1916. The group plans to have the entire map of the highway ready. St. Joseph is near its center, espousing 20 miles of road in Buchanan County. The Road begins east along the Old Cumberland or National Road through to Hannibal, MO and then across the state to St. Joseph (old 36 highway). From St. Joseph through to Belleville, KS and on to Pikes Peak, Salt Lake City and San Francisco. It generally follows the old Pony Express Route.
2. The Early Freighters, undated.
News story describing the significance of St. Joseph as a depot for merchandise that served country stores and merchants from the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean. Freighting by wagon was the means to get stock to these merchants. The article includes examples of persons who freighted in large and small manners. The article includes information on the Overland Stage, Pony Express and Telegraph, mentioning the first telegraph office in Troy, KS near the Higby Hotel.
3. Morse Telegraph Outmoded but Still Is Valuable on Occasions, Aug. 6, 1950
News article with news photo of Wm Robbins, manager of Western Union office in Livestock Exchange Building at a telegraph key. Instead of using the modern teletype machine, on election night the Associated Press sent out results on the Morse telegraph. Western Union had stopped training in Morse Code in 1929, although the railroads still had some operators. The St. Joseph Western Union office boasted that 50% of its employees knew the code, but used it only about 20% of the time. The article also explains the teletype machines and teleprinters in use in St. Joseph.
4. St. Joseph Urged to Preserve Barn Pony Express Used, 1935
News story encouraging preservation of the barn across from Patee Park on Penn Street and describing a commemoration at that time by the Boy Scouts. Dr. Howard Driggs, president of the Oregon Trail Memorial Association, was speaker. He among others made pleas for action. There was a current effort by civic leaders to have the State take over the building. During the commemoration a Boy Scout rider came in from Elwood with a packet of mail for President Franklin D. Roosevelt. W. H. Jackson, the noted western photographer, also spoke. Dr. W.W. Duke, great-grandson of W.W. Waddell talked about his ancestor. The master of ceremonies read an historical sketch of the Pony Express written by Louise Platt Hauck.
5. News article on Pony Express (c. 1913)
Excerpt from article noting the dedication of the Pony Express marker (by D.A.R.) in Patee Park, St. Joseph. The commemoration had been delayed because William (Buffalo Bill) Cody who was to come was ill. The D.A.R. had placed a tablet in memory of the Pony Express Riders in its memorial hall in Washington D.C. in 1908. Among those expected for the dedication was L.P. Evans of Wathena, a cousin of John Fry, the first rider out of St. Joseph. Missouri Gov. Elliott Major will appear. He is a direct descendant of one of Alexander Major. Cody was expected to unveil the monument; he being only 1 of 3 riders surviving in 1913--another being Charles Cliff.
6. Letter from Elizabeth Major, wife of Governor, March 25, 1913.
Letter of regret, not able to attend ceremony listed in #5 above to Mrs. H.A. Owen. Mrs. Major must have known Mrs. Owen's children as they are mentioned in the letter.
7. Recall Stories of Father as Pony Express Rider, 1961
News story about visit to St. Joseph by Ernest R. Jay, Custer, Mont. and his sister Mrs. Nora McCraig, Houston, TX, children of David R. Jay, said to have been one of the youngest Pony Express riders, joining the Express in Marysville, KS at age 13. His run was from Seneca, KS to Big Sandy and occasionally Julesburg, Co. He joined the Kansas 11th calvary in 1864 and later made his home in Atchison, KS where he died in 1930. He is featured in "Saddles & Spurs" by the Settles. The siblings are presenting a picture of their father to the Pony Express Museum. Ernest Jay had worked at the Metropole Hotel before moving to Custer, Montana.
8. Letter from B.C. Majors, a descendent of Alexander Majors, To Mrs. H.A. Owen, declining invitation to the Pony Express Marker Dedication, March 25th, 1913. He lists William H. Russel, Jr living in Corrington, Tennessee and a married daughter of Russell living in St. Louis. His PS recommends his step mother to Mrs. Owen as a better source of information about the Pony Express as he was only 15 at the time.
1/Notebook, 3-ring/Section 6Lexicon
LOC Thesaurus for Graphic Materials
Telegraph, Pony express, Railroads, HotelsSearch Terms
Higby Hotel. Troy Kansas, Trails, Pony Express Trail, Freighting, Troy, Kansas, Western Union, Live Stock Exchange Building, St. Joseph News-Press & Gazette, Teletype Machines, Teleprinters, Pony Express Rerun, 1935, Boy Scouts, Pony Express Riders, Metropole Hotel, Pony Express Marker Dedication, 1913Publication Details
Author
St. Joseph News-Press & other newspapersPlace Published
City
St. JosephState/Province
MissouriDate Published
1912 - 1961Call No.
PonyExpress STNotes
Date: 1961
Copy No.: 1Relationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Sol MillerPerson or Organization
William RobbinsPerson or Organization
Driggs, Howard, Dr.Person or Organization
Dr. W. W. DukePerson or Organization
W. H. JacksonPerson or Organization
Hauck, Louise PlattPerson or Organization
David Robert JayPerson or Organization
Ernest R. JayPerson or Organization
Nora McCraig