Today, the Nevada State Quarter Coin remembers the beginning of the Pony Express and the subsequent advancement of Nevada.
From the Report on the Internal Commerce of the United States by the Treasury Department Bureau of Statistics for the year 1890:
=====
The Pony Express
In the spring of 1862 the celebrated pony express was established by Jones, Russel & Co.
W. W. Finney, as agent, organized the line between Sacramento and Salt Lake.
The express came to Sacramento from San Francisco by steamer, and was there immediately taken by a man on horseback.
The old emigrant route was followed across the Sierra till the valley of the Carson was reached, when the Simpson route was adopted.
This led to the east, through the desert in Churchill County, crossing the Reese River at Jacobsville; thence northeast to Ruby Valley, and thence southeast, passing out through Deep Creek and around the south end of Great Salt Lake to Salt Lake City.
The time between Sacramento and Salt Lake by the pony express was 3 1/2 days; relay stations every 25 miles; one rider covering 75 miles, and he was given but 2 minutes at each station passed.
The average rate of travel was 9 miles per hour.
The schedule time from New York to San Francisco was 13 days, via St. Joseph, Mo.
The first express left Sacramento April 4, 1860, at 2:45 p. m., and carried fifty six letters from San Francisco, thirteen from Sacramento, and one from Placerville, at $5 per letter.
The first express arrived from New York April 13, 1860, bringing eight letters.
The time from St. Joseph was 10 days.
The third trip of the express brought news of the result of the prize light in London between Heenan and Sayres; also of the adjournment of the Democratic national convention at Charleston, S. C, to meet at Baltimore the 18th of June following, as there had been no agreement upon a presidential candidate.
The quickest time on record made by the pony express was with President Lincoln’s first message.
The time taken to bring it from St. Joseph to Carson City, a distance of 1,780 miles, was 5 days and 18 hours.
It was done with double sets of horses, i.e., with fresh horses between stations.
OVERLAND MAIL STAGE COMPANY.
The year following the establishment of the pony express, the Southern Daily Overland Mail, which had been established in 1859 through northern Texas to California, was transferred to the Central or Simpson route, its regular trips commencing on the 1st of July, 1861.
The reason of this transfer was the anticipated disturbances along the southern line, consequent upon the war of the rebellion.
The transcontinental telegraph was also built along this line.
The work of constructing it was commenced in 1859 pushed rapidly forward in 1860 and 1861, and completed the 22d day of September the latter year.
Previous to the establishment of the whole line, that portion between Placerville and Virginia City was built and operated by the Placerville and Humboldt Telegraph Company , and was known as ” Bee’s Grapevine Line,” having been projected and built by Col. F. A. Bee.
Over the Sierra the wire was attached to the trees, and their swaying by the wind caused the wire to stretch until in many places it lay along the ground between the points of support.
It is said that teamsters would sometimes cut out pieces of the line wire and use it in repairing the wheels of their wagons.
One teamster being remonstrated with for this said he supposed the wire had been placed there by the Toll Road Company to be used for that purpose.
In consequence of these breaks messages were often delayed.
If there were important messages passing through and the line was broken the message would be transferred to the Pony Express, and in this way the telegraph was often beaten into Sacramento by the pony rider.
This was the case with President Lincoln’s first message and the news of his first election.
From the date of the removal of the Southern overland mail to the Central route, and the establishment of the daily stage-line, the mail facilities and means of transportation into and through the Territory began to improve rapidly.
New roads were constructed, and the old ones were improved, so that heavy loads of merchandise could be transported and faster time made over them.
Two toll-roads wore built over the Sierra, one called the Placerville and the other the Dutch Flat or Donner Lake route.
These were wide enough so that teams could pass on the narrowest places.
The overland ran with great regularity, and its business was conducted with promptness and dispatch.
The discovery of silver and the development of the mines at Virginia City gave rise to a rapid increase of trade, and other and competing lines of stages were started.
Quick trips from Virginia City were often required to be made by parties on special business to Sacramento, and they were sometimes made in an incredibly short time.
On the 20th of February, 1864, the Pioneer line is reported to have made the trip in 5 minutes less than 24 hours.
The fastest time recorded was on June 20, 1864, when the Larue line is reported to have made the trip over the mountains, from Virginia City to Sacramento, in 12 hours and 23 minutes, carrying the mail and William M. Lent, John Skea, and S. Cook, as passengers, they having chartered the coach.
So great and so regular was the increase of business and travel by the Overland stage, that the company was compelled from time to time, to add new stations, and increase the number of horses and coaches, till, in the spring of 1865, they had, between Virginia City and Austin, a distance of 180 miles, 13 stations, 8 drivers, 78 horses, and 15 mud wagons and coaches.
Between Austin and Salt Lake, there were 36 stations, 60 wagons, 190 horses, and 22 drivers — distance from Virginia City 550 miles.
This was called the western division, and was owned by the Overland Mail and Stage Company.
The distance from Salt Lake to the eastern terminus on the Missouri River was 1,220 miles, termed the eastern division, which was owned by a New York Company, and managed by Ben. Holliday.
OVERLAND STAGE FARM.
In consequence of the exorbitant prices demanded by the Mormons for hay, grain, and other kinds of provisions, together with the great expense of transportation, the Overland Stage Company determined to make the experiment of raising their own fodder, and selected Ruby Valley as the best place for this purpose.
The success of the enterprise has so far developed its advantages, that in the spring of 1865 they employed 100 men, 30 plows, 90 yoke of oxen, and sowed 90,000 pounds of grain.
As a result they harvested 8,575 bushels of barley, 8,745 bushels of oats, 1,655 bushels of potatoes, 1,854 bnshels of turnips, 1,000 bushels of carrots, and 78 bushels of beets.
Theirs was the first experiment and the beginning of farming in eastern Nevada.
=====
The Nevada State Quarter Coin shows with an image of the Holliday Overland Stage Office, circa 1865.
