Out here in the middle of nowhere Granpa sees a roadside something, so he whips in to stretch his legs. Turns out to be a pretty interesting stop...
If you watch really closely to the right you might see a Pony Express rider come galloping through being chased by Indians. (Well, that is, if you have a vast and vivid imagination you might see them!)
Split Rock Meadows was a landmark for the Pony Express and for anyone traveling the Oregon Trail. Shoshone, Arapaho, Crow and Sioux made this valley home long before we started pouring through here. Lots of game around here, and I'm certain there were a lot of buffalo, before we killed most of them off.
At the base of Split Rock a log station was built along with a pole corral. The Pony Express stationed horses here and the Overland Stage would stop for the night, for fresh horses, food and water. It was actually used as a post office until 1940's! Here, in the middle of nowhere...
Holy cow! Can you imagine the lawsuits something like this would engender today... Lawyers take all of the fun out of life, ya' know. All the glory, too.
Mail relay stations were established 10-15 miles apart housing two to four men and fresh horses - the fastest and best horses in the west as proven by their cost - up to $200 each! Each rider would cover the distance between three stations - unless there wasn't a new rider waiting at the final stop. In that case, the rider would continue to another station on a fresh horse. Day and night, every season, rain or shine, hot or cold.
I'm guessin' it was ol' (or should I say "young") Buffalo Bill Cody that holds the record. From Red Buttes Station to Rocky Ridge and back, Cody, in one ride, covered a total of 322 miles in 21 hours and 40 minutes on 21 horses. Seems his relief rider up and died...
At another time, Cody also rode through here on a single horse at full gallop for 24 miles due to the Indians being hot on his tail from Horse Creek Station to Plant's Station. (Now you know why I asked if you had enough imagination to "see" those Indians!) That's pretty cool of Cody - but I'm really impressed with the HORSE!
The Pony Express lasted only 19 months (April 1860 - October 1861) due to the Pacific Telegraph line being completed. But those were an important 19 months. That was the beginning of the Civil War and the Pony Express was California's main source of news. (How awesome would it be to have had an ancestor get a piece of mail via the Pony Express, keep it, and pass it down to you? Now THAT would be a piece of history for sure!)
The entrepreneurs that dreamed up this plan lost over $1 million overall, but a lasting legacy was created and imbues a pioneer spirit of freedom and daring in all who read about it now.
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