Pony Express, 1860–1861

The Pony Express began service in April 1860, using relay riders and stations to carry mail between St Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California. The route crossed plains, mountains and territories where weather and isolation placed riders and station keepers at continual risk.

The enterprise lasted only until October 1861, when the transcontinental telegraph offered faster communication, but it became an enduring symbol of the western frontier. Stations also served stage traffic, local trade and government communication.

Historical fiction often uses the network as a setting for crime, pursuit and concealed identity. The Express Bride centres on a Utah Territory station and a counterfeiting investigation.