We have all heard of the Pony Express - the way in which messages were carried from the east to the west before the first telegraph line was completed in 1861. What we don’t know - is the REAL reason this American tradition was founded. Contrary to text-book history, The Pony Express was actually a band of robbers, that were heading west to avoid prosecution in Missouri and felt that California would give them the safe harbor they were desiring. They traveled through the western plains and stopped in Salt Lake City, Utah. While in Salt Lake Utah, Mormon settlers heard these men were going to be traveling west - and gave them messages to take with them. Seeing that people were able to pay for this service, and pay well for that matter, the light flashed - and they became entrepreneurs. Thus - they Pony Express service was born.
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November 16th, 2007 at 8:06 pm
the ture story is of the gay pony express. they rode fast so the gay indians did not catch them.
August 29th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Sorry, pure Bunk. While it is true that some of the riders of the Pony Express did eventually become outlaws, the actual beginning of the Pony Express was in missouri and started by a large freight company.
It was founded in 1860 by the Missouri freight company of Russell, Majors, and Waddell to prove that there was a viable alternative to the southern route into California for the transportation of overland mail.
Many of the Riders were young and while traveling through towns they were prone to drinking after a hard ride on the trail, Drinking leads to fights, fights lead to running from the law. Some deaths did occur.