Living History: Pony Express due Wednesday in Lyon County, Carson City, Genoa and Tahoe
The famed horseback ride across the West that briefly delivered pre-Civil war mail and covered terrain that spanned nearly 2,000 miles will arrive in Western Nevada and Lake Tahoe with stops Wednesday in Silver Springs, Carson City, Genoa and Stateline.
Even though the Pony Express, which traveled daily and lasted just 18 months before being replaced by the transcontinental telegraph line, the lore and legend lives on. In its short history, the Pony Express has become synonymous with the Old West. In the era before easy mass communication, the Pony Express was the thread that tied East to West, lasting from April 1860 to October 1861. The Civil War began in April, 1861.
Just as they did in 1860, a rider left St. Joseph, Missouri on June 10, 2019, as part of the National Pony Express Association's annual 1966 mile-long re-ride. Hundreds of riders will move along the same trail, the Pony Express National Historic Trail, just as they did 159 years ago, 24-hours-a-day. Riders will travel through Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and California.
Since this is an odd-numbered year, the re-ride began at the end of the original route, St. Joseph, Missouri on June 10. On June 20 the final rider will pull into Old Town Sacramento (even-number years they travel the opposite direction).
On Wednesday, June 19, riders will reach Fort Churchill State Park in Silver Springs at around 7:45 a.m. and Carson City at around 12:30 p.m. on Carson Street between 2nd and Fifth streets. Last year's Mochila exchange was near Second and Curry streets. We will update on exact locations the Express draws closer to the capital city. Go here for the Nevada ride schedule.
Then the ride heads to Genoa at the courthouse from around 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. and over Kingsbury Grade and arrive at Stateline at Lake Tahoe at 5:30 p.m. Riders can get delayed so it's best to follow their progress. After the South Shore, they'll head over Echo Summit for a planned arrival in Placerville at 6:56 a.m. June 20.
For a complete schedule, visit https://nationalponyexpress.org/annual-re-ride/current-reride/ and you can go here to follow the ride in real time.