Wednesday morning, we started our day at the Cracker Barrel around the corner from our motel. We don’t have one close to where we live, so it is always a treat to be able to enjoy a meal there!
We arrived at the Pony Express Museum about 9:30. The mural (above) is on the wall of a building facing the parking lot. The museum is located in the original Pikes Peak stables used in 1860 after the military supply firm headed by William Russell, William Waddell, and Alexander Majors was picked by California Senator William Gwin to head up a new mail service. (Photo below: Display of the three men at their office.)
Below is the contract between the Citizens of St. Joseph and the Central Overland California & Pikes Peak Express.
This is the location where Johnny Fry, thought to be the first Pony Express rider, left on April 3, 1860 to pick up the mail he would carry 90 miles westward – the first leg of the ride.
Photos above top to bottom left to right: Blacksmith display showing
how the horses were shoed; Johnny Fry ready to leave the stable;
“Moment in Time” plaque above stable door; Johnny Fry on horse
Below are pictures of what was carried inside the covered wagons as people moved westward. They would hang a few articles of clothing from the spokes inside the cover.
Inside the wagons were bags of sugar and flour, mold to make candles, a chair, tools, a large pot, a jug, rope, a washboard, a grater, (this model has a) bottle of whiskey, other food-stuffs, bucket, bedrolls/blankets, and more items that were necessary for such a long journey.
Contrary to what many think, everyone walked beside the oxen pulling the wagons instead of riding inside.
A Relay Station (pictured above) was a small building used by Riders to stop for just a few minutes to get a drink and change horses. These were located about 10 to 15 miles apart, and usually two men stayed there and took care of the station. The photos above show two bunks at one end of the station and a fireplace at the other end separated by a table.
The mochila pictured above was used by one of the Pony Express riders and donated to the museum by a descendant. This is what was used to carry the mail. It had three pockets that locked but the keys were at the other end of the ride. There was also a place to put military dispatches that were picked up along the way. Only 20 pounds of mail could be carried by a rider due to weight limitations of the horse.
This well inside the museum was used to water the horses during the Pony Express era in St. Joseph. It was capped in 1881, and during an archeological dig in the 1990s, it was uncovered. There are several layers of bricks built on the top in order to make the wooden platform, but all the rest is original. The bottom picture shows all of the items that were found in the well when it was excavated.
The sculpture pictured above is “The Long Trail Home” by Vic Payne. “Old Blue” – a Texas longhorn leads the chuck wagon crew home from a cattle drive.
A sixty foot diorama fills one entire wall of the museum, and the attention to detail is extraordinary. The scenes depicted show the types of terrain and weather that Pony Express riders had to endure on their rides – boat rides across rivers, prairie lands, Salt Lake Desert, mountains, prairie fires, thunderstorms, tornadoes, encounters with the Palute Tribe, and snowstorms.
A Hall of Riders has stories about 22 Pony Express riders – some famous and some not. There is a display about the telegraph and currency from the 1860s and Confederacy.
The Pony Express Museum has a chidren’s area and programs specifically designed for school children which includes a One Room School house built recently.
In conclusion, the story of the Pony Express is important in the history of our country, and the museum is designed for both young and old alike. Please visit if you are in the St. Joseph area. The admission is less than $5 per person and is well worth it. For more information visit the Pony Express Museum website.
(All photos taken by Wendy Littrell. Information on several exhibits – Pony Express Pocket Tour Guide, Pony Express Museum, St. Joseph, Missouri.)
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