10 Things about the Pony Express

You probably didn’t know.   • The idea behind a relay mail service didn’t originate with the Pony Express; it was first proposed in 13th-century China by Marco Polo. • St. Joseph, Missouri, was chosen because it was the Westernmost point the railroad and telegraph reached—and because its town leaders gave a generous “economic development” package to the Pony Express, including free railroad and ferry passage. • The mochila was designed by Israel Landis. • The Pony Express