NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (KNOP) – In the early 1860s, the Pony Express was established as an American express mail service, utilizing relays of horse-mounted riders to deliver mail between Missouri and California. Though it was the West’s most direct means of communication for a time, the service was short-lived, ending with the invention of the telegraph.
In Gothenburg, a community in Dawson County, residents proudly claim two original Pony Express stations and continue to honor this heritage in various ways, even decades after the last rider delivered mail. Recently, the local business community enlisted a Gothenburg native to update a mural of Pony Express riders in the town’s center.
“The mural ties in perfectly with the community I think, and it’s 40-some years old now and it really is a great piece of history for Gothenburg,” said local artist Alex Jorgenson.
Jorgenson emphasized that the project wouldn’t have been possible …