Pony Express
E11796
The Pony Express was a short-lived but legendary 19th-century American mail service that used relays of horseback riders to rapidly carry messages across the western United States.
Observed surface forms (2)
| Surface form | As subject | As object |
|---|---|---|
| Pony Express mail service | 0 | 1 |
| Pony Express route | 0 | 1 |
Statements (50)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
historical organization
→
horse relay system → mail service → |
| averageDeliveryTime | about 10 days between Missouri and California → |
| cargo |
government dispatches
→
letters → newspaper reports → |
| country |
United States of America
→
surface form:
United States
|
| duration | about 18 months → |
| endDate | 1861-10-26 → |
| financialStatus | unprofitable → |
| founder |
Alexander Majors
→
William B. Waddell → William H. Russell → |
| heritageRecognition | commemorated by historic trails and monuments → |
| historicalReputation | legendary symbol of the American Old West → |
| languageOfOperation | English → |
| legacy | subject of numerous books, films, and folklore → |
| notableFeature |
fastest mail service across the American West at the time
→
relay system of riders and horses → |
| notableRider |
William F. Cody
→
William F. Cody →
surface form:
“Buffalo Bill” Cody
|
| operatedBy | private company under U.S. government mail contracts → |
| operatedIn | western United States → |
| operatingPeriod | 19th century → |
| operator | Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company → |
| peakDeliveryTime | about 7 days between Missouri and California → |
| purpose |
communication between eastern and western United States
→
rapid mail delivery → |
| reasonForEnd | completion of the transcontinental telegraph → |
| replacedBy | transcontinental telegraph → |
| requiredRiderOath | yes → |
| riderRequirements |
expert horseman
→
lightweight → willing to face danger → |
| routeEnd |
Sacramento
→
surface form:
Sacramento, California
San Francisco →
surface form:
San Francisco, California
|
| routeLength | approximately 1,900 miles → |
| routeStart | St. Joseph, Missouri → |
| startDate | 1860-04-03 → |
| traveledThrough |
California, United States
→
surface form:
California
Colorado →
surface form:
Colorado Territory
Nebraska →
surface form:
Nebraska Territory
Nevada →
surface form:
Nevada Territory
Utah →
surface form:
Utah Territory
Wyoming →
surface form:
Wyoming Territory
|
| usedEquipment |
mochila for carrying mail
→
special lightweight saddle → |
| usedInfrastructure | relay stations → |
| usedTransport | horseback riders → |
Referenced by (10)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.
this entity surface form:
Pony Express route
this entity surface form:
Pony Express mail service