The Pony Express

In 1860 The Pony Express was a major player in the Atlantic to Pacific movement of information. Before the telegraph reached across the nation, people relied on the network of fresh horses and dedicated riders and stagecoach drivers to get messages and mail across the Plains, the Rocky Mountains and all the way to California. In essence they were the first courier service, helping to bridge the Airport Taxi Service Sacramento communication gap. With a turnaround time of ten days, they were dedicated to being the fastest.California's entry to the Union, as a political ally to the North prior to the Civil War and the emergence of great wealth in Sacramento and San Francisco due to the discovery of gold, the secure flow of information and messages were the driving force behind the need for quick and trustworthy communication networks. A cross country ride took weeks in many cases, with messages and mail needing to travel by rail or wagon train across treacherous terrain and through some areas of the country not always considered safe. With a partnership between telegraph operators on the east coast and the Pony Express in the middle and mountainous sections of the western United States, the first national delivery services was created.

The Pony Express actually had a very short life span, lasting only 18 months, while a nationwide telegraph service was being built. After that Wells Fargo used the Pony Express logo for their "secure mail and freight" service. So while the Pony Express at it's origin was about moving information, in the years following the telegraph linking the coasts, Wells Fargo using the Pony Express name, were the real pioneers of what many people think of as a courier service.In modern times businesses and individuals have a number of choices when it comes to courier services and national delivery service but what all good local and nationwide couriers have in common are the same values that drove the Pony Express, a commitment to timely delivery and the safety and security of the information and goods being transported.While the Pony Express riders had to safeguard "the pouch" at all costs, often asked to sacrifice themselves and their horses for the sake of the client's mail, modern day courier services employ technology and a checks and balance system to ensure that people's envelops and packages reach their intended destinations in an agreed upon amount of time. With the help of GPS and computers, there is little chance of that precious cargo or delivery personal getting lost, ambushed or drowned while crossing a river.

Whether looking for a same day delivery service or a nationwide courier, professionals in the information and freight transport industry can look back and see that their profession is deeply rooted in the values of those very first Pony Express riders and their horses.