Robert Stricklen and other riders of the Pony Express were recognized at the Denver School Open House held Saturday afternoon. Mr. Stricklen was also a Worth County resident as noted by the Worth County Reporter. He moved to Grant City in 1884 and lived in Worth County for the last 42 years of his life. He moved to Worth in 1904 and died there in 1926.
Before the Pony Express came along, mail from the rest of the country to California was taken either on fast packet ships sailing around Cape Horn or via Panama and then loaded on ships and delivered to their destination. But, as advertised in New York City, mail could be delivered to San Francisco in 10 days. The Gold Rush was on and there was more and more demand for a faster mail service.
Letters cost $1 for the first 1/2 ounce (after initially starting at $5) and each additional 1/2 ounce was another $1. A flyer on display at the Denver Schoolhouse Saturday advertised for employment for young riders. They had to be willing to risk death daily and orphans were preferred. Pay was typically $60/month. St. Joseph was the westernmost point of the US rail system in 1860 and the Pony Express ran for 18 months from St. Joseph to Sacramento. Kids as young as 11 rode the routes, which took 10 days in summer and 12-16 days in winter. Riders had to weigh 125 pounds or less. In 1861, the telegraph was built, which meant that news could travel much faster and the Pony Express was ended. But by its end, it had delivered 35,000 pieces of mail in its 18 months of operation.
Helen Foster gave a talk at the Open House about the Pony Express and about Western movies in general. Cookies and drinks were served.
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