ST. JOSEPH, Mo.— People lined Penn Street to watch as Pony Express riders, led by Penny Orrick of Easton, Missouri, put hooves to pavement and made haste for the Missouri River, the Pony Express Bridge and Sacramento, California.
Following a speech by Maj. M. Jeff Thompson, recited by local historian and former News-Press reporter Marshall White, the crowd shouted three cheers for the Pony Express, and the horses were off, following a St. Joseph Police Department motorcade.
Orrick, who is making the ride for the 26th time this year and this time with her daughter, said she hopes to continue making the ride for the next 26 years.
The two were the first to sign the mochilas, specially crafted bags designed to fit a horse’s saddle and carry larger quantities of mail.
“It would be great to be able to do this with a future granddaughter or grand son,” Orrick said.
Gary Chilcote, a history preservationist with the Patee House Museum — once the headquarters of the Central Overland California & Pikes Peak Express Co., a hotel and now a National Historic Landmark — spoke to the crowd, introducing speakers from the National Pony Express Association, including President Fred Leslie of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Treasurer Lyle Ladner of Frankfort, Kansas.
Leslie told the crowd about the forthcoming trip and how more of the trail is becoming asphalt every year. He said some of the more than 300 riders who will help carry the mochilas to Sacramento will experience mild weather and ride through sparsely populated areas, while others will travel through the heart of major cities.
Ladner said the weather Monday was perfect for the ride, with ideal humidity.
Chilcote told the crowd that a U.S. flag celebrating the country’s 250th anniversary will accompany the ride the entire way.
People from all over the country joined the event, including at least one visitor who was surprised and thankful to be in town.
Penny Loll of Frederick, Maryland, told the News-Press that she happened to be in town to visit the St. Joseph Museums, which she called “incredible,” when she learned of the event.
“We just fell into it, total surprise,” she said. “We were supposed to be heading out to Independence, but we’re not. We’re going to watch this. … We’ve had a great time in St. Joe.”
Retired, she and her traveling companion took 10 days to make an experience out of the FIFA World Cup. She said they visited the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, which she had never seen before, and traveled to Abilene, Kansas, to explore the area’s history.
“We’re just kind of spending our days until the World Cup tomorrow,” Loll said.
The National Park Service, which serves as the Pony Express Trail administrator, offered youths an opportunity to be sworn in as Junior Rangers.
Angélica Sánchez-Clark, partnerships and outreach coordinator for New Mexico, told the News-Press that the agency usually sends representatives to the beginning and end of the ride, but staffing shortages this year prompted officials to focus on the first few stops to answer questions about the ride and the service.
She, along with her interns, stamped booklets and offered small wooden badges to new Junior Rangers, who swore to write a letter in honor of the Pony Express.
Kineo Memmer of AmeriCorps and Sanai Broxton of ACE helped at the table.
“We cannot do what we do without our interns,” Sánchez-Clark said.
Another table offered youngsters an opportunity to create art with a Pony Express-themed coloring sheet. Several members of the Orrick Acres Horse Day Camp held down their pages against the wind while adding their own personal touches.
Running through June 25, the reenactment commemorates the courage, innovation and determination that helped shape a young and growing nation, now preparing to celebrate the United States semiquincentennial.
The Pony Express, though it operated for only 18 months from 1860 to 1861, became a symbol of American ingenuity and resilience. At a time when communication across vast distances was slow and uncertain, the Pony Express connected the eastern and western United States with unprecedented speed, carrying vital news, personal letters and government dispatches across nearly 2,000 miles of rugged terrain.
“The Pony Express represents the spirit of perseverance and unity that continues to define America,” event organizers said in a news release. “As we approach the 250th anniversary of our nation, this re-ride reminds us of the determination it took to connect people across great distances — physically, culturally and politically.”
GPS devices in the mochilas will send signals to satellites every five minutes, and National Park Service technicians will translate those signals into an interactive map for people to follow online.
To follow the ride, you can see video of the rider exchanges on the National Pony Express social media page: facebook.com/expressrider.