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.

All labels observed (5)

Label Occurrences
Pony Express canonical 21
Pony Express riders 2
Overland Mail Company 1

How this entity was disambiguated

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

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (26)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Roughing It subjectMatter Pony Express
Nebraska historicTrail Pony Express
this entity surface form: Pony Express route
William B. Waddell notableWork Pony Express
this entity surface form: Pony Express mail service
William B. Waddell coFounded Pony Express
William H. Russell notableWork Pony Express
William H. Russell coFounded Pony Express
Alexander Majors coFounded Pony Express
South Pass usedBy Pony Express
this entity surface form: Pony Express riders
Fort Bridger, Wyoming hasCategory Pony Express
Knott's Berry Farm hasAttraction Pony Express
Echo Canyon, Utah usedBy Pony Express
The Young Riders mainSubject Pony Express
Pony Express National Museum dedicatedTo Pony Express
this entity surface form: Pony Express riders
Butterfield Overland Mail alsoKnownAs Pony Express
this entity surface form: Overland Mail Company
William Hepburn Russell notableWork Pony Express
William Hepburn Russell coFounded Pony Express