The Pony Express April 1860-October 1861

THE PONY EXPRESSAPRIL 1860-OCTOBER 1861By April Medina-Sutton

Why this is important Because this is really cool stuff here Recreational Sites Beautiful Utah and Wild Life in the Utah

Desert Beginning of Communication between

states Water Who Doesn’t hate the government?

Pony Express Historical Trail

Location The eastern terminus of the trail is

located at Stagecoach Inn State Park in Fairfield, Utah, 55 miles southwest of downtown Salt Lake City. The western terminus of the trail is located at Ibapah, Utah, 60 miles south of Wendover, Nevada.

A Little Bit About It Fourteen station sites, markers, or ruins are spaced

every 6–13 miles along the trail, which crosses broad valleys and mountain passes, and links small, isolated settlements.

The first 5 miles are asphalt, as are the last 2, but in between lie 126 miles of what the pioneers called “Piute Hell.” 

The trail crosses 2 million acres of extremes including forests and desert hot springs. The exact routes taken by the Pony Express riders are unknown; the trail shifted frequently with changes in weather, schedule, or the rider’s whim.

Fairfield, Utah Camp Floyd Runs right along the Pony

Express Trail Believing Mormons were rebelling

against the laws of the United States, President James Buchanan dispatched 3,500 troops, nearly one-third of the entire U.S. Army, to suppress the rumored rebellion in Utah.

There was never any war in Utah. The Army stayed in Utah anyway to

‘monitor’ the Mormon’s.

More…. Camp Floyd was the largest military installation

in the United States. The population of Camp Floyd and the town of

Fairfield grew to 7,000, making it the third largest city in the Utah Territory.

In 1861, tensions between the north and south resulted in civil war. Troops were ordered back East for the emergency. Nearly all the built by the army were dismantled or demolished before their departure. Today, the only remnants are the cemetery and the Commissary building.

Originally called ‘Frogtown’. After the Army left, only 18 families

remained in Fairfield. The Stagecoach Inn founded by John

Carson and his four brothers remained near the commissary.

Frogtown became Fairfield in 1861 The Stagecoach Inn, located in Fairfield

and now a museum, was used by travelers passing through via stage coach, military personnel, and riders on the Pony Express trail.

The Stagecoach Inn at Camp Floyd was an overnight stop on the historic

overland stage and Pony Express route. The two-story adobe and frame hotel has

been restored with original period furnishings.

In between Fairfield & Foust There’s another Historical Marker in the

middle of the desert.

But the plaque was gone so I’m not sure what was there. I’m sure it was another station, but the man at the Stagecoach Inn said the next station was in Foust.

Foust, Utah

Made it to Foust, which is south of Tooele about 40 or so miles.

The Pony Express Trail

And here, we begin our dirt road adventure!

Lookout Pass The most dangerous part of The Pony

Express Trail. Travelers were told to “LOOK OUT!” for ambushing Indians.

Porter Rockwell (the biggest baddest gunman, remember) was stationed here to fight off the Indians. Mainly Piute.

Lookout Station .7 miles past the pass Historical marker marks the site 20 ft behind the marker was the station

which is no longer there. The station was there because of a small

spring that ran behind it.

Libby’s Pet Cemetery Just south of the station site Porter Rockwell’s sister in-law (his

brother Horace’s wife) They didn’t have any children, but they had many dogs, in which she treated like her children.

According to the Tooele County Website, just outside of the pet cemetery walls, there are also three pioneers that passed on their way to California and were buried where they perished.

Historical Markers and Posts Every mile to mile and a half John (my husband) and I GPS’d some of

the coordinates for the first ten or so. We began to lose them because the Pony Express Trail isn’t on the road.

Some of the Markers have been ruined obviously by humans shooting at them.

Simpson Springs “Three names” the Army called it

“Simpson’s Springs,” the Mormons called it “Egan’s Springs” and Gentiles called it “Lost Springs.” Whatever you called it, Simpson’s Springs was the last chance for good water and grass for nearly 100 miles across what was know as the “Great American Desert.”

No one wants to agree with the Army?

One of the most dependable watering sites in Utah’s deserts Founded by J.H. Simpson 1858 while searching for

mail route between SLC and California George Chorpenning established a mail station in

1858 used by The Pony Express and Overland Express

1893 until 1920’s during gold mining times, Simpson Springs was a station for freighters and stages

Andin the 1930's, the spring became the water supply for the Civilian Conservation Corps Camp located just south of the springs.

Water

Simpson Springs Today 20 unit campsite that offers picnic tables,

fire pits, charcoal grills and vaulted toilets. It will cost you $5.00 per night and you are

limited to 2 vehicles per campsite. Max stay is 14 days and checkout time is at 2:00PM. 

While visiting Simpson Springs you can enjoy many desert attractions such as, rock hounding, four-wheel-drive trails and wide open country waiting for you to explore. 

Recreation

Rock walls, dirt floors, wooden posts, and desert lizards make up this station.

Utah The Beautiful Wild mustangs roam the land. It’s been

said they are descendants of the pony express horses or riders/Indian’s who either died or lost theirs in the desert.

Antelope Pronghorn Antelope graze the Great Basin Run up to 53 MPH They can run for miles on end They eat grass and sagebrush They mate in the fall and gift birth in the Spring The babies can out run a human at two days old Here we hunt them and they make a great meal

(Yum!) They have a ‘wilder’ taste than deer or elk.

recreation

Many of the Stations are gone But there are historical markers in their

place I didn’t get the GPS coordinates for this marker, but I know it’s somewhere between Simpson Springs and the Dugway Geode Beds.

While we were out We found Geodes Camping ATV’s Hunting: Antelope (said previously) and

Rabbits are a couple Hiking

Recreation

Pony Express Facts: The objective was to provide the

fastest mail delivery between St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California. To draw public attention to the central route in hope of gaining the million dollar government mail contract for the Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company.

183 men are known to have ridden for the Pony Express during its operation of just over 18 months.

Ad in California newspaper read: "Wanted. Young, skinny, wiry fellows. Not over 18. Must be expert riders. Willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred." Most riders were around 20. Youngest was 11. Oldest was mid-40s. Not many were orphans. Usually weighed around 120 pounds.

$100 per month. Riders got a fresh horse every 10 to

15 miles.

New riders took over every 75 to 100 miles.

Horses traveled an average of 10 miles per hour.

400 horses purchased to stock the Pony Express route. Thoroughbreds, mustangs, pintos, and Morgans were often used.

The fastest delivery was 7 days and 17 hours between telegraph lines. Lincoln's Inaugural Address.

October 24, 1861. Official end of the Pony Express, which is when the telegraph was completed.

Financially, the owners spent $700,000 on the Pony Express and had a $200,000 deficit. The company failed to get the million dollar government contract because of political pressures and the outbreak of the Civil War.

*BUT* Improved communication between east

and west. Proved the central route could be traveled all winter. Supported the central route for the transcontinental railroad. Kept communication open to California at the beginning of the Civil War. Provided the fastest communication between east and west until the telegraph. Which is why this is relevant to this class

The End