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Pony Express

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A horseback mail relay service that operated from April 1860 to October 1861 between Missouri and California, using a chain of riders and remount stations to cut cross continental mail delivery time to about ten days. It operated at a financial loss and closed within days of the completion of the first transcontinental telegraph line, which made it obsolete.

Facts
Founded Year
1860 1
Significance
During its eighteen months of operation beginning in 1860, it cut the time for a message to travel between the east and west coasts of the United States to about ten days, before the transcontinental telegraph made it obsolete. 1
Cross-Tradition Connections

Part Of

Sources
1. Wikipedia: Pony Express
WikipediaOverviewView the Source
1. Wikipedia: Pony Express
WikipediaLead section
Quote, Lead section
During its 18 months of operation beginning in 1860, the Pony Express reduced the time for messages to travel between the east and west US coast to about 10 days.
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1. Wikipedia: Pony Express
WikipediaPart Of: Road TransportView the Source
1. Wikipedia: Pony Express
WikipediaPart Of: Animal-Powered Transport, How it worked
Quote, Part Of: Animal-Powered Transport, How it worked
At each station, the express rider would change to a fresh horse, get a bite to eat, and would only take the mail pouch called a mochila (from the Spanish for pouch or backpack) with him.
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