Adventure: 051, Site 059 – Pony Express, Western Termenus – Old Sacramento

Capture California, the Game-2012

Adventure: 051, Site 059 – Pony Express, Western Termenus – Old Sacramento

California Landmark Number: 366

National Registry ID: 1966000220

Team: Thing One, Thing Two

Date:  September 25, 2012

Location:

Antelope Steamer Coordinates: 38° 34.946′ N, 121° 30.377′ W

Statue Coordinates: 38° 34.98′ N, 121° 30.251′ W

Wall Plaque: 38° 34.986′ N, 121° 30.251′ W

Address: 1002 2^nd St, Sacramento, CA

Description:

The Pony Express was all over. We have seen leavings in Fairfield, in Sacramento and about every five miles. But today we came across a plaque which said that this was the western end of the line. While housed in the BF Hastings building, we came across two plaques in our walk around Old Sacramento. The first was actually west of the Hastings Building. It was where the route would board the Delta King for its trip down the river. The second was a plaque close to I-5.



The application for national historic recognition states that the building is not what is historic, but the events which took place. The Hastings building was used only for about a year in 1860-1861 as the end of the line. But it was the beginning of an era is what is being represented. The monument close to the river shows the expansion of the Pony Express to San Francisco. Even though it was an economic failure, it changed how communications were made across the vast stretches of the Western frontier. Prior to the Pony Express, mail would take three months to travel by ship. The Pony Express changed this to being able to do this in 10 days, sometimes. The route would cover 1,838 miles with 157 stations between 5 and 20 miles apart. The cost? A ten cent stamp, and a $5 Pony Express stamp.



There are three monuments to the pony express. The first one we came upon is where the Pony Express boarded a boat. This one shows the “Antelope” ship (currently the Delta King is permanently docked here.) The monument was placed here by the various groups, including the Pony Express Trail Association.



The second plaque we came across is for the Pony Express in general. There is a statue with this plaque of a Pony Express horseman and his horse rearing up.



Lastly there is a plaque talking about where the western ending of the Pony Express was.
NO. 366 PIONEER TELEGRAPH STATION - Erroneously called the Pony Express Terminal, this was the location of the office occupied by the State Telegraph Company, 1863-1868, and the Western Union Telegraph Company, 1868-1915.
Location: 1015-2nd St, Old Sacramento, Sacramento



References:

• 
  
• HMDB.org – Antelope Steamer
  
• HMDB.org – Staute
  
• HMDB.org – Wall Plaque
  
• National Registry of Historical Places-Documents and Photos
  

Overall Landmark References:

• David Schmitt's California State Historical Landmark (Schmitt)
  
• Wikipedia: California's National Landmarks (WCNL)
  
• State of California's California Historical Landmarks (CHL)
  
• Wikipedia: California State Landmarks (WCSL)
  
• State of California Historical Resources (CHR)
  
• National Registry of Historical Places (NRHP)
  
• Noehill (NOE)
  
• Historical Marker Database (HMDB)