1. Ghost Riders of the Pony Express

2. WANTED Young, skinny, wiry fellows, not over 18.
Must be expert riders, willing to risk death daily.
Orphans preferred. Wages $25 a week. . .

3. TABLE OF CONTENTS RIDERS ROUTE HORSES MOCHILA STATIONS PURPOSE
TIMELINE
INTERESTING FACTS

4. TABLE OF CONTENTS RIDERS ROUTE HORSES MOCHILA STATIONS PURPOSE
TIMELINE
INTERESTING FACTS

5. RIDERS Most riders were around 20 years of age
Youngest rider was 11
Oldest rider was mid-40s
Many riders were orphans
Riders usually weighed around 120 lbs.
Riders Pay = $25 per week
New riders took over every miles
Riders changed horses about 3 times
183 men are known to have ridden for the Pony Express

6. ROUTE Trail length – almost 2,000 miles
St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California
Through the present day states of Kansas, Nebraska, northeast corner of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and California
Only two were states in 1861 – Missouri and California
The other states were territories
Took 10 days to go from St. Joseph, MO, to Sacramento, CA

7. HORSES 600 horses purchased to stock the pony express route
Thoroughbreds, mustangs, pintos, and Morgans were often used
Horses traveled an average of 10 miles per hour
Horses were exchanged every miles.

8. STATIONS Approximately 165 stations
Home stations were miles apart
Home stations were used as a rest place for riders before they made the return trip to where they came from
Relay (or swing) stations were miles apart
Used for riders to just change horses

9. MOCHILA (mo-chee’-ya)
About the size of a saddle blanket
A single rectangular piece of leather with a hole for the saddle horn and 4 pockets (cantinas) to hold the mail
Three pockets were locked with keys only at the end of the route, the divisional headquarters in SLC, Utah, and at the Army posts along the way.
Could carry lbs. of mail
The rider would sit on the mochila during the ride

10. PURPOSE
Telegraph lines only reached from the Atlantic coast to St. Joseph, Missouri.
The 2000 mile mail route from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California took 20 days by stagecoach (in good weather)
The fastest pony express delivery was 7 days and 17 hours
The Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company hoped to gain a million dollar government mail contract

11. TIMELINE January 27, 1860 April 3,1860 October 24, 1861 Horses bought
First Rider, Johnny Fry,
leaves on the
Pony Express going west
Telegraph
completed
Official end of the
Pony Express
Riders chosen
First Rider, James Randall,
leaves on the
Pony Express going east
Route planned

12. INTERESTING FACTS One mochila lost and one rider killed Cost of mail:
$5.00 per ½ ounce at the beginning
$1.00 per ½ ounce at the end
Longest drive was made by Pony Bob Haslam who rode 370 miles
“Buffalo Bill” Cody was one of the famous riders of the Pony Express.