| On This Day in American History |
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On April 3, 1860, the Pony Express mail delivery begins. Two horseback riders, one in St. Joseph, Missouri, and one in Sacramento, California, departed simultaneously, one heading east and one heading west. During the 1,800-mile ride, each rider traveled between 75 and 80 miles, and the horses were changed every 10 to 15 miles. The westbound rider arrived in Sacramento on April 13, and the eastbound rider arrived in St. Joseph two days later. The riders carried up to 20 pounds of mail and charged $5 for every half ounce of mail. With the opening of the first transcontinental telegraph in October of 1861, the Pony Express was no longer needed.
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