28 Comments

Yes, how American. The Pony Express seems so unlikely today but, it was a short time band-aid when no other solution was yet available.

The Pony Express and all of its frailty, served its purpose until technology made it obsolete. Thank you Tara for another all American story.

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Only one package was ever lost in 18 months though. The ad recruiting riders ended with the words "Orphans preferred." 🐎

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USPS lost two of my packages in 18 days.

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I hate to send anything thataway. I'd take my chances with the Pony Express nowadays, if I could.

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I hate to use the PO also. I ordered commemorative stamps from the PO. Had to order them from CA, or some place. I got notification they were out for delivery with the daily mail. NOPE, filed a report and the local Post Master contacted me and told me to wait for a couple of days to see if they had been delivered to the wrong address. Nope, on the third day I emailed the PM and told them "no delivery". The PM started the procedure for the stamp place to resend the order(not her job). About four days later I got the notification it was out for delivery with the daily mail. Nope again. I emailed the PM and told her I was still waiting... It has been over a year and I'm still waiting for one of the mis-directed deliveries to show up, but my enthusiasm is fading fast...

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I once waited in line behind someone in a post office. No other workers or customers. There was a manager watching everyone though. But, because he was a manager, he refused to help me. He just stood there, looking at me like I was craZee.

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I saw a Fed Ex semi-truck turned over on I-40 in Arizona pulling two trailers full of packages burning uncontrollably. I wondered how many Christmas gifts would be late.

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One package lost ? Was it a soccer ball named Wilson ? Was the rider’s name Tom Hanks ? 🙂

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Castaway was really a terrible FedEx commercial, wasn't it?

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Ha, yes it was . . . but my Boy Scout Wood Badge (adult leadership) group used Castaway as our theme, even scattered FedEx boxes in the woods and more !

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Littering the woods with FedEx boxes as a sanctioned activity ? Wow ! 🤯

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Well, we did clean up after we won the event. BSA teaches “leave no trace” so all was good. 🙂 Wood Badge was a great learning event, as well as being a lot of fun.

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😬 🤭 😬 🤭 😬

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Just imagine the courage and rigor exhibited by those men who rode roughly across the plains and through the Rockies!

Thank you, Tara, for this incredible story!

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Never underestimate America’s ability to adapt. God has gifted America with innovators and inventors that always seem to rise to the challenge.

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Love your account of the Pony Express. Such an exciting time making progress in communication methods. Those riders were brave men. They certainly exemplified the American ingenuity and can do attitude. They were successful in the short term. We continued to achieve the impossible with the American spirit even reaching great heights in space and landing on the moon. It costs some lives, but it didn’t stop the forward march.

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Great horses,

Great riders,

Very cool stamp.

Another example of the kind of stories that should (and might be ?) taught in American History classes. Tara, you never disappoint.

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I am always amazed of the stories of Pony Express and the courageous riders. This is truly an American story and no where else has been duplicated.

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Great story! I actually wrote about this today as well. The lesson I found in it is that timing is everything. The founders had a world changing idea, but their timing was off because someone else implemented another world changing idea soon after.

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Thank you Tara for another amazing part of history! I never knew that the Pony Express was only in existence for 18 months.

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Great story of the American ingenuity and a story of True Grit and tenacity. Monetarily a failure, but the Pony Express is a story that History is built upon.

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We do it, not because it is easy, but BECAUSE it is hard! The spirit of can do.

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Just like at Panda Express, there’s no ponies in Pony Express, I think…

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Great story about American can do spirit!!!

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Thanks that was great

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What kid back then didn't want to be a pony express rider! Go west young man go west!

Thank you Tara for another great TDIH 👍 👌 😊

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Thank you, Tara.

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