Griffith Park in Los Angeles in Los Angeles County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Special Delivery
Autry National Center
| | Griffith Park | |
Photographed by Richard E. Miller, April 26, 2014
1. Special Delivery Marker
The Pony Express was an ultra-fast but short-lived mail service that ran between the East and West from 1860 to 1861. The roughly 1,900-mile route began in Missouri and passed through Wyoming and Utah before crossing the Sierra Nevada mountain range to reach its destination in Sacramento. Riders exchanged horses at more than 180 stations during this journey, which took between nine and ten days, and for which they were paid around $25 a week (compared to the going rate of $1 a week for skilled labor).
"Special Delivery" depicts the critical moment when Pony Express riders carried Abraham Lincolns inaugural address from a telegraph station in Nebraska to newspapers in California in the record time of seven days and seventeen hours. Although it lasted only eighteen months, the image of the Pony Express lingers to this day as a symbol of the daring enterprise that many consider emblematic of the Western spirit.
Erected 2011 by Autry National Center.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Communications • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #16 Abraham Lincoln series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1860.
Location. 34° 8.924′ N, 118°
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Regionally, this marker is in California’s Transverse Ranges. 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 Mexicos Alta California.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Los Angeles River (within shouting distance of this marker); Rodger Young Village (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Birth of The Curse (approx. half a mile away); 100 Years of Golf in Griffith Park (approx. half a mile away); Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail (approx. 0.6 miles away); Amirs Garden (approx. 0.8 miles away); Riverside Drive - Zoo Drive Bridge (approx. 0.9 miles away); Tragedy in Griffith Park (approx. 0.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Los Angeles.
Additional keywords. Gene Autry, "The Singing Cowbo Special Delivery
Photographed by Richard E. Miller, April 26, 2014
2. Special Delivery: bronze sculpture by Douglas Van Howd, cast 2007
Photographed by Richard E. Miller, April 26, 2014
3. Special Delivery: marker, and sculpture by Douglas Van Howd
Donated by Lance and Nina Holt - Autry Historical Center, 2011-641.
Photographed by Richard E. Miller, April 26, 2014
4. Main entrance to The Autry with the Special Delivery sculpture, lower right
Photographed by Richard E. Miller, April 26, 2014
5. "The Singing Cowboy", Gene and his horse, Champion
Statue in front of the Wells Fargo Theater at "The Autry"
Credits. This page was last revised on February 26, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 13, 2014, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. This page has been viewed 1,126 times since then and 28 times this year. Last updated on August 16, 2014, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on May 13, 2014, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
