The founders of the Pony Express are William H. Russell, William B. Waddell, and Alexander Majors. He traveled from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California. The route along the Pony Express began at the Platte River, then Fort Bridger, then the Great Salt Lakes and finally the Sierra Nevada. The journey totaled one hundred and ninety-four miles. They changed horses every ten to fifteen miles. With one hundred and ninety stations, the Pony Express traveled quickly over the rugged terrain. It lasted only eighteen months, from April 3, 1860 to October 1861. Although the Pony Express experience was short, the delivery time was even shorter. It took only ten days or less to deliver mail across the coasts, depending on the distance. They had four hundred fast horses and about eighty riders, but there were about four hundred other employees. Other employees worked as station guards, stock salesmen and route superintendents. A station guard is a person who works around home stations. They mainly used four types of horses such as pintos, mustangs, thoroughbreds and Morgan horses. The Pony Express was dangerous, encounters with rowdy Indians and outlaws were common, and this was no surprise. "A group of fifteen Indians jumped on me..." said Buffalo Bill Cody. Buffalo Bill Cody was one of the most famous Pony Expresses, as he put on his famous Wild West shows. keyser 2The Pony Express connected the east and west coasts. Before this messaging system, no one could quickly connect with people from other states. Back then they didn't have a phone they could just pick up...... middle of paper ... keyser 3 estimates the pressure the boilers could handle. Their estimates were not always correct, as explosions were frequent. Building and maintaining 19th-century steamboats was expensive. The Pony Express made it possible to connect the two coasts. He traveled from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California. The mail system was the fastest at that time. It was faster than stagecoaches and steamboats. Cross the country in ten days or less depending on distance. With four hundred fast horses, one hundred and ninety stations and about eighty riders. People could connect with loved ones who have moved or talk to important people about upcoming wars or government news. The Pony Express helped people spread the word about travel faster than ever.