What is a Pony Express station?
What is a Pony Express station?
Pony stations were generally located between 5 to 20 miles apart. The terrain and its effect on horse travel determined the number and the distance between stations. Stations that already existed for the stagecoach line were also used for “The Pony”. Ranches in the area were used, if the location fit.
Why is it called the Pony Express?
The term ‘pony express’ had been used before, and, indeed, Americans had transmitted information on the backs of fast horses since colonial times. Historians of mail service always note that Genghis Khan used mounted couriers. It was from the first a madcap if wonderfully romantic idea.
Were there any black pony express riders?
The history of Black people in the Wild West is often pretty murky. We know of figures such as hard-as-nails coach driver “Stagecoach” Mary Fields and notorious outlaw Cherokee Bill. However, little is known about two Black pony express riders.
Who was the first black pony express rider?
George Monroe
Who were the first mailmen?
On July 26, 1775, the U.S. postal system is established by the Second Continental Congress, with Benjamin Franklin as its first postmaster general. Franklin (1706-1790) put in place the foundation for many aspects of today’s mail system.
How much did it cost to send a letter in the 1800’s?
For a single-sheet letter, the rates were as follows: Distances less than 30 miles: 6 cents; 30 to 80 miles: 10 cents; 80 to 150 miles: 12½ cents; 150 to 400 miles: 18¾ cents; over 400 miles: 25 cents. If a person wanted to write to the folks back East, it would take 25 cents postage.
How long did it take to send letters in the 1900s?
2 Answers. It took about two weeks. By 1890 postal unions had been formed allowing mail to transit around the world to most places. The domestic rate in the US was 2¢ per ounce.
How did they write in the 1600s?
In the early 1700’s, most writing was done with a pen on paper. It sounds pretty normal, except that the pen was made out of a goose feather, and the paper… Well, that wasn’t quite the same as ours either. Paper, as most of us know, was invented by the Chinese.