Most of us know that Thomas Owen King, an early settler in Almo, was a Pony Express Rider. Though short lived, operating from April 1860 to October 1862, the Pony Express delivered mail from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California. The delivery of mail between East and West was vital to the growing nation. During its eighteen months of operation, the riders generally made the nineteen hundred mile trip in 10 days. There were 157 relay stations, manned by hardy station keepers, to support the route. Wikipedia reports that the "Riders who could not weigh over 125 pounds, changed about every 75-100 miles, and rode day and night. In emergencies, a given rider might ride two stages back to back, over twenty hours on a quickly moving horse...".The exploits of those courageous boys and young men were amazing as they battled the elements, hostile Indians, wild animals and robbers. It was an impressive feat.
At our last Heritage Hub Meeting, we learned that there was an attempt to establish a "Swift Pony Express" in 1857, three years before the Pony Express. The Mormons early recognized the importance of a mail delivery between the east and the Great Salt Lake City. Brigham Young envisioned a four point project. Riders would deliver mail. Stagecoaches would transport passengers quickly and easily. Freight wagons would haul supplies to the Utah Territory at a reasonable rate. Way Stations would be set up along the way to support all of the enterprises, with food and feed being grown to provide sustenance and resources for the travelers. Brigham Young, as President of the Church, was awarded the bid, operating under the name of YX Company and employing an agent not recognized as being a Utah Mormon. He was able to underbid his competitors by asking for donations from the members of the Church. In return for whatever they could contribute, the members would benefit by better mail service and cheaper goods and share in whatever profits were made. Four hundred people participated. One man donated a horse. Another gave several dollars of hard earned money. One lady donated a pair of socks that she knitted for a needy rider. The Church borrowed $12,000 to help fund the venture.
In April of 1857, Brigham Young called nineteen riders to ride the mail and sent out others to set up way stations and plant crops to provide feed and supplies. The service lasted only a few months. The men who had lost the contract to the YX Company were angry and used anti-Mormon sentiment to persuade the newly elected President of the United States, Buchanan, to cancel the contract with the company. By the first of July, the riders from Salt Lake reached Independence and were denied the Utah bound mail. They had noticed many heavy freight wagons headed west as they had traveled to Missouri, and discovered that they were loaded with supplies to support Johnston's Army of about 2500 soldiers which was headed to Utah to install a new governor and straighten out affairs in the Utah Territory. The lead rider told those manning the way stations to abandon them and return to Utah.
Historian Leonard J. Arrington suggested that if the YX Company had been allowed to continue the history of the West would be very different. The Willie and Martin Handcart Companies could have had a place to winter. The harsh and demanding exodus of members of the Church from Salt Lake and areas north to the Grantsville/Tooele/Provo area would have been avoided. Emigrant travel would have been facilitated. The economy of Utah Territory would have blossomed.
We discovered at Heritage Hub that Henry Dennison Durfee was one of the nineteen riders called to ride for the YX Swift Pony Express. There are no known stories of those riders, but they were part of a historic and challenging undertaking!
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