Rancho Cordova in Sacramento County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

The Pony Express

"Connecting the Country"

Photographed by Joseph Alvarado

1. The Pony Express Marker

Inscription. The famed Pony Express was an overland mail service delivering messages, newspapers, mail, and small packages from St. Joseph, Missouri, across the Great Plains, over the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada to Sacramento by horseback, using a series of relay stations spaced about 10 miles apart over 2,000 miles.

The Pony Express never stopped at this site, but certainly passed by. The first two stations out of Sacramento were Five Mile House and Fifteen Mile House, located near or in what is Rancho Cordova. Five Mile House was located on the south side of Folsom Boulevard one block west of Power Inn Road. Fifteen Mile House was located on the south side of White Rock Road one block east of Sunrise Boulevard.

The first Pony Express rider to pass this spot was Sam Hamilton, who raced past at 3:45 a.m. on April 4, 1860, heading east. After riding seven miles from Sacramento, he followed the road on the north side of the Sacramento Valley Railroad tracks on what closely follows today's Folsom Boulevard. Past here, the route turned east onto White Rock Road towards Placerville. All eastbound and westbound trips, which sometimes included moving the mail by rail and river steamer, followed this route.

The completion of the transcontinental telegraph and lack of profit doomed the Pony Express after only 19 months

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of operation. Wells Fargo & Co. took charge of the Pony Express segment from San Francisco to Placerville on July 1, 1861, and Pony Express mail was mostly delivered by train in both directions between Sacramento and Folsom until the last delivery to San Francisco on Nov. 20, 1861. The last Pony Express rider to pass this place was a westbound trip on June 30, 1861, closing this chapter of the remarkable story of the Rancho Cordova Heritage Corridor.

Brought to you by the City of Rancho Cordova's Community Enhancement Fund

Erected by City of Rancho Cordova.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Communications. In addition, it is included in the Pony Express National Historic Trail series list. A significant historical date for this entry is April 4, 1860.

Location. 38° 35.059′ N, 121° 18.671′ W. Marker is in Rancho Cordova, California, in Sacramento County. It can be reached from Mills Station Road west of Mather Field Road, on the right when traveling west. The plaque is mounted to the north side of a kiosk in the Mills Station Plaza. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 10191 Mills Station Road, Rancho Cordova CA 95670, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in California’s Sacramento Metro,

in Sacramento Valley,

and specifically in the Central Valley.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Sacramento Valley Railroad (here, next to this marker); The Lincoln Highway

Photographed by Joseph Alvarado, January 21, 2023

2. The Pony Express Marker

(here, next to this marker); Mills Station (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named Pony Express (approx. 0.2 miles away); Mather Field (approx. 1.2 miles away); F-105G “Wild Weasel” (approx. 1.2 miles away); Edward Kelley School (approx. 2.1 miles away); American River Grange #172 (approx. 2.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Rancho Cordova.

Also see . . .
1. The Story of the Pony Express. Smithsonian Institution: National Postal Museum

"The Pony Express is one of the most colorful episodes in American history, one which can be used to measure not only the growth of the nation, but the pioneering spirit of our predecessors. The name "Pony Express" evokes images of courageous young men crossing long stretches of country, frequently under harsh conditions, facing the constant threat of death. And, like so many legendary events of the "Old West," there have been wild exaggerations of the facts."

(Submitted on January 22, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.)

2. The Pony Express National Museum. Historical Timeline (Submitted on January 22, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.)

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Credits. This page was last revised on January 22, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 22, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. This page has been viewed 867 times since then and 58 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 22, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.