A SHORT HISTORY OF THE PONY EXPRESS AND OVERLAND MAIL
IN WHITE PINE COUNTY, NEVADA
Prepared by Glenn Terry and Mike Bunker,
April 1998 © Glenn Terry 1998
Click on pony & rider to return to Pony Express Page
Somewhere in White Pine County, a long time ago and not
too far away, a frontier traveler could have experienced the following event. A solitary
rider on horseback appears on the horizon and rapidly approaches. He draws near and makes
a brief sign of recognition with a tip of the hat, then quickly recedes from view on the
distant horizon . . .
. . .Let's go back further in White Pine history to the time before the
beginning of the Pony Express. From 1851 to early 1858 overland mail service west of Great
Salt Lake City followed the Humboldt River route to northern California, or the Mormon
Trail route to southern California.
In 1855 Major Howard Egan, a Mormon pioneer and great explorer of the west, laid out a trail through the central portion of the far western states and territories, including White Pine County. This later became known as the Egan Trail, and eventually formed much of the Pony Express Trail. In White Pine County this trail went to the western edge of the Ruby Mountains, then veered northwest to intercept the Humboldt River near Gravelly Ford.
George
Chorpenning, the operator of the "Jackass Express" or "Jackass Mail",
who had the postal contract shifted his operations to Egan's Trail in 1858. This route
shortened the trip by normal conveyance about 10 days, from 39 to about 30 days. Early in
1860, through no fault of his own, Chorpenning's mail contract was terminated by the
postal service and awarded to the gigantic western freighting firm of Russell, Majors and
Waddell.
In 1859 Captain James Simpson and his soldiers followed Egan's Trail to
the Ruby Mountains where he explored a shorter and more direct trail that went almost due
west to California. This more efficient route became known as Simpson's Trail, and was
eventually used by the Pony Express. The central overland route followed by the Pony
Express was called Egan's Trail by Mormons, and Simpson's Trail by non-Mormons. The Pony
Express Trail was eventually approximated by U.S. Highway 50, the Loneliest Road, except
for the segment within eastern Nevada.
On April 3, 1860 the Russell, Majors and Waddell firm started the Pony
Express mail service. These pioneer mail operators established a business subsidiary known
as the "Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company." Since this
company name was quite a mouthful, it was promptly abbreviated as COC&PP. As a result
of the company's eventual financial troubles, Bill Trotter, a wag of a driver interpreted
the initials as meaning "Clean Out of Cash and Poor Pay."
An important thing to know is there were all kinds of conveyances
operating on the trail at the same time as mail riders during the Pony Express era. The
Pony Express carried the fast and expensive mail, much like the air mail of today. Mule
wagons or mounted riders with pack strings were carrying the inexpensive slow mail on a 20
day contract schedule between Salt Lake and California. In addition to supply wagons,
horses and personnel for the Pony stations, there were slow moving oxen-powered emigrant
trains, and roving troops of U.S. Cavalry soldiers on the trail during 1860.
The Civil War began heating up in 1861 and war, as always, hastens
development. By 1861 the telegraph was being constructed at a rapid pace alongside the
Pony Express Trail. Due to completion of the telegraph line, as well as poor economic
returns and bad business practices by the operators of the Pony Express, the pounding
hooves of the galloping ponies and their intrepid riders were stilled forever after a
short business span of about 19 and 1/2 months.
Even though the Pony Express is long gone, the memory of this thrilling
episode in American history is preserved by the important efforts of modern day riders in
White Pine County, Nevada. Today, a dedicated band of horse riding enthusiasts recreate
the history and romance of the Pony Express. Come rain or shine, day or night, these
members of the National Pony Express Association, known as the Schellbourne
Re-riders, help
carry the mail across this segment of Nevada.
This ride is part
of the annual commemorative event between California and St. Joseph, Missouri. Special
commemorative letters are carried in a replica of the mochila (pronounced mo-chee-lah) by
the riders. The mochila is similar to the special mail pouch that could be rapidly
transferred between horses, and was used by the Pony Express during 1860 and 1861.
The annual commemorative ride on the Pony Express Trail is held during
mid-June each year.
White Pine Historical and Archaeological Society
P.O. Box 151725
Ely, NV 89315
webpanda.com
Pages designed by