AY Honor Pony Express Requirements

Pony Express

Skill Level

Unknown

Year

Unknown

Version

15.10.2024

Approval authority

Upper Columbia Conference

1. Learn about the history of the Pony Express, discovering the following:

a. What year was it created and by whom?

b. How many miles long was it?

c. Where was the start of the route, and where did it end?

d. How long was it in service?

e. Why was it started?

f. How many stations were along the route?

g. How many people did it employ?

2. Trace the Pony Express route on a map. What states did it cross?

3. How long did it take for the mail to get from one end of the route to the other?

4. Answer the following questions about the riders of the Pony Express:

a. What were the requirements for someone to get hired to ride?

b. What did they carry with them?

c. How many miles did they ride each day?

d. Repeat the loyalty pledge that the riders had to take before becoming an Expressman.

5. How much did it cost to send a letter through the Pony Express? About how many letters were delivered during the Pony Express's service?

6. Discuss the challenges that each of the following could cause the Pony Express riders:

7. When was the Pony Express closed and why was the use of the route ended?

8. Choose and research a Pony Express rider, and give a short presentation about their work on the Pony Express to a group.

9. Do one of the following:

a. Create and perform a song, poem, story, or skit about the Pony Express.

b. Create a display of pictures, articles, and information about life on the Pony Express.

c. Visit a section of the Pony Express route and write or discuss what you saw with your instructor.

d. Participate in a conservation project for the preservation of the Pony Express route.

10. How were messages and letters sent in the Bible? Find three stories about Biblical letter carriers or messengers and discuss them with instructor.