The Pony Express rides again

This year's Pony Express Re-Ride passed through Sweetwater County right on time Monday, stopping to change riders and horses in Granger at 3 p.m., the Sweetwater County Historical Museum said in a special release.

The Pony Express operated from April 3, 1860, to October 26, 1861. Lone riders working in relays carried mail both ways from St. Joseph, Missouri across Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada to Sacramento, California - a dangerous trip of nearly 2,000 miles in an average of 10 days. One hundred and fifty-seven relay stations were established across the country, including one in Granger. During its brief life, the Pony Express carried about 35,000 pieces of mail.

The National Pony Express Association (NPEA), a non-profit, all-volunteer organization founded in 1977 and headquartered in Pollock Pines, California, recreates the Pony Express ride over the route's entire length with volunteer riders and their horses, with over 700 riders participating. Generally, the route follows the California-Oregon Emigrant Trail. It enters Sweetwater County about four and a half miles southwest of Granger and continues on from there to the Lombard Ferry site on the Green River, Big Timber, Big Sandy, Little Sandy, and Dry Sandy. The riders carry specially-commissioned and stamped commemorative letters.

The first rider left Sacramento on June 7, and the last is scheduled to arrive in St. Joseph on June 17.

For more information about the National Pony Express Association, the Pony Express, and the 2023 Re-Ride, go to the NPEA website at nationalponyexpress.org.