The Pony Express
(1860–1861)
This stamp celebrates the
100th birthday of the Pony Express. This famous mail service used riders on
horseback to carry letters and news between Missouri and California.
To move the mail fast,
riders worked in a relay team. Each person rode about 75 miles before passing
the mail bag to the next rider. This system cut the delivery time across the
country down to just ten days.
The Pony Express only
lasted for 18 months. It shut down in 1861 as soon as the telegraph was
finished, because messages could then be sent instantly over electric wires.
