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66-715: The Lafayette hillside memorial is a collection of religious symbols, accompanied by a large sign, in Lafayette, California . The memorial commemorates soldiers killed in the Iraq War and War in Afghanistan , with the sign containing a running total of the death count as recorded by the US Department of Defense . The monument began to raise controversy in November 2006. The hillside, overlooking State Route 24 and Lafayette BART station ,

132-426: A Pony Express station located on the then Carson River under present-day Lake Lahontan (reservoir) , not to be confused with the large endorheic Pleistocene lake of the same name ( Lake Lahontan ). One account says the raid was a deliberate attempt to provoke war. Another says the raiders had heard that men at the station had kidnapped two Paiute women, and fighting broke out when they went to investigate and free

198-510: A battle on what is currently Lafayette soil in 1797 between the Saclan and the Spanish, and eventually resulting in the subjugation of the native population. Most of what is currently Lafayette was given as a Mexican land grant, Rancho Acalanes to Candelario Valencia in 1834. The name Acalanes seems to have come from the name of a native village in the area, Ahala-n. American settlement started with

264-517: A competing, remembrance flag display annually on September 11 . The city ordinance allowed a 32-square-foot (3.0 m) sign on the property and did not limit the number of crosses. The organizers initially had an approximately 64-square-foot (5.9 m) sign, but reduced it to 32 square feet (3.0 m) to comply with the city ordinance. The sign is updated every week to show the new official death toll for soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan . As of 2014,

330-579: A fast mail service between St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California, with letters delivered in 10 days, which many said was impossible. The initial price was set at $ 5 per 1 ⁄ 2 ounce (14 g), then $ 2.50, and by July 1861 to $ 1. The initial price was 250 times the price of mail through the normal mail service, which was $ 0.02. The founders of the Pony Express hoped to win an exclusive government mail contract, but that did not come about. Russell, Majors, and Waddell organized and put together

396-608: A hill overlooking the Lafayette BART station and Highway 24 "to represent and memorialize the American soldiers who have died in the ongoing Iraqi war." As of January 2014, there are approximately 6,000 crosses in place, representing the US troops who have died in Iraq , and there is also a large sign displaying the total number of deaths. The memorial has generated public attention, media coverage and counter-protests due to its visibility from

462-508: A hotel in 1853 near Plaza Park and in 1854 was named postmaster of the Acelanus post office, an alternate spelling of the original land grant, Acalanes. The post office was short-lived, closing the following year. A school began in 1852 in a one-room schoolhouse, taught by a 25-year-old Kentucky migrant, Benjamin Shreve. By 1865 the school had expanded to 43 students in five classes, and so in 1868

528-476: A large sign that read: "In Memory of 2839 U.S. Troops Killed In Iraq". By February 26, 2007, the number of crosses, mixed with Stars of David , Islamic crescents , and other religious symbols, had passed 2,500. Crosses have been added by volunteers and some paid for by the Lamorinda Peace Group and Grandmothers for Peace . Protests of the memorial have been led by Lafayette Flag Brigade which organizes

594-538: A permanent memorial has been proposed on the site although the original intent was for the display to come down when U.S. troops came home from Iraq and Afghanistan. Lafayette, California Lafayette (formerly La Fayette ) is a city in Contra Costa County, California , United States. As of 2020, the city's population was 25,391. It was named after the Marquis de Lafayette , a French military officer of

660-609: A post office for the community, first requesting the name Centerville. When informed that a post office with that name already existed in California, Shreve suggested La Fayette, after the French general who became a hero of the American Revolution (probably not because his wife was a native of Lafayette, Indiana). The first LaFayette post office was established at 3535 Plaza Way. Shreve became the town's first permanent postmaster, holding

726-510: A quickly moving horse. Whether riders tried crossing the Sierra Nevada in winter is unknown, but they certainly crossed central Nevada. By 1860, a telegraph station was in Carson City , Nevada Territory . The riders received $ 125 a month as pay. As a comparison, the wage for unskilled labor at the time was about $ 0.43–1.00 per day, and for semi-skilled laborers like bricklayers and carpenters

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792-444: A sawmill, a meatpacking plant, a bank, and an insurance company. Russell was a prominent businessman, well respected among his peers and the community. Waddell was co-owner of the firm Morehead, Waddell & Co. In 1859, C. R. Morehead took the proposal for the Pony Express to President Buchanan. After Morehead was bought out and moved to Leavenworth to enter the mercantile business, Waddell merged his company with Russell's, changing

858-558: A tax levy of $ 1,000 was used to build a new schoolhouse; school expanded from a five-month year to a nine-month year. In 1893, a new schoolhouse was built to accommodate the increasing number of students; this building still stands today. On March 2, 1857, the LaFayette post office was established by the U.S. Postal Service. (The official document giving this exact date was supplied to the Lafayette Historical Society in 1993 by

924-689: Is in the Lafayette Elementary School District . A small portion is in the Orinda Union Elementary School District . All of Lafayette is in the Acalanes Union High School District . The following is a list of notable residents of Lafayette, past and present. City of Lafayette Pony Express The Pony Express was an American express mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders between Missouri and California . It

990-717: Is the Park Theater, which first opened in 1941, and then ceased operations in 2005. The Park Theater was originally a movie theater located on an intersection where the La Fayette statue was built. It then showed its last movie before ceasing operations in 2005. Recently, however, efforts have been made to reopen the Park theater for viewing. As of February 10, 2021, Lafayette has 19,151 registered voters with 10,177 (53%) registered as Democrats, 3,813 (20%) registered as Republicans, and 4,298 (22%) decline to state voters. Most of Lafayette

1056-594: The American Revolutionary War . Before the colonization of the region by Spain, Lafayette and its vicinity were inhabited by the Saclan tribe of the indigenous Bay Miwok . Ohlone also populated some of the areas along Lafayette Creek. The indigenous inhabitants' first contact with Europeans was in the late 18th century with the founding of Catholic missions in the region. These initial contacts developed into conflict, with years of armed struggle, including

1122-814: The Central Nevada Route blazed in 1859 by Captain James H. Simpson of the Corps of Topographical Engineers . This route roughly follows today's US 50 across Nevada and Utah. It crossed the Great Basin , the Utah-Nevada Desert , and the Sierra Nevada near Lake Tahoe before arriving in Sacramento. Mail was transferred and sent by steamer down the Sacramento River to San Francisco . An alternative overland route

1188-690: The Great Platte River Road , cutting through Gothenburg, Nebraska , clipping the edge of Colorado at Julesburg ; and passing Courthouse Rock , Chimney Rock , and Scotts Bluff , before arriving first at Fort Laramie and then Fort Caspar (Platte Bridge Station) in Wyoming. From there, it followed the Sweetwater River , passing Independence Rock , Devil's Gate , and Split Rock , through South Pass to Fort Bridger and then south to Salt Lake City, Utah . From Salt Lake City, it generally followed

1254-530: The United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 15.4 square miles (40 km ). 15.2 square miles (39 km ) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km ) of it (1.08%) is water. The city is part of the greater San Francisco Bay Area and has its own station on the BART public transit system. Lafayette is situated between Walnut Creek , Moraga , and Orinda , and, together with

1320-405: The mochila was handed off. The ride began at about 7:15 pm. The St. Joseph Gazette was the only newspaper included in the bag. The identity of the first rider has long been in dispute. The St. Joseph Weekly West (April 4, 1860) reported Johnson William Richardson was the first rider. Johnny Fry is credited in some sources as the rider. Nonetheless, the first westbound rider carried

1386-419: The 20 pounds (9 kg) of material carried on the horse. Eventually, everything except one revolver and a water sack was removed, allowing for a total of 165 pounds (75 kg) on the horse's back. Riders, who could not weigh over 125 pounds (57 kg), changed about every 75–100 miles (120–160 km), and rode day and night. In emergencies, a given rider might ride two stages back to back, over 20 hours on

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1452-675: The East were finally brought to San Francisco on June 25, 1860. During this brief war, one Pony Express mailing, which left San Francisco on July 21, 1860, did not immediately reach its destination. That mail pouch ( mochila ) did not reach St. Joseph and subsequently New York until almost two years later. In 1860, riding for the Pony Express was difficult work – riders had to be tough and lightweight. An advertisement allegedly read, "Wanted: Young, skinny, wiry fellows not over eighteen. Must be expert riders, willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred," but one historian, Joseph Nardone, claims that it

1518-447: The Great and Living God, that during my engagement, and while I am an employee of Russell, Majors, and Waddell, I will, under no circumstances, use profane language, that I will drink no intoxicating liquors, that I will not quarrel or fight with any other employee of the firm, and that in every respect I will conduct myself honestly, be faithful to my duties, and so direct all my acts as to win

1584-538: The Historical Division of the U.S. Postal Service.) Prior to 1857 the community that is now known as "Lafayette" actually had no official name but was sometimes called Dog Town, Brown's Corner, Brown's Mill, and (when Milo Hough was postmaster in 1854–1855) Alcalanus. The name "LaFayette" came together with the community's first post office. In 1857 Benjamin Shreve, owner and manager of a roadside hotel-general store (which faced today's Lafayette Plaza), applied for

1650-499: The Pony Express and how fast it could deliver the U.S. Mail. This was an important event because just four years earlier, in the prior election , it took months to get news of James Buchanan's win.   The election of Lincoln was important because the newly-named president would have to take the country into the Civil War. Prior to the election, Russell hired extra riders to ensure that fresh riders and relay horses were available along

1716-446: The Pony Express in two months in the winter of 1860. The undertaking assembled 80 riders, 184 stations, 400 horses, and several hundred personnel during January and February 1861. Majors was a religious man and resolved "by the help of God" to overcome all difficulties. He presented each rider with a Pony Express special-edition Bible and required this oath, which they were also required to sign. I, ... , do hereby swear, before

1782-447: The Pony Express mail service existed only briefly in 1860 and 1861, few examples of Pony Express mail survive. Contributing to the scarcity of Pony Express mail is that the cost to send a 1 ⁄ 2 -ounce (14 g) letter was $ 5.00 at the beginning (equivalent to $ 170 in 2023 , or 2 1 ⁄ 2 days of semi-skilled labor). By the end of the Pony Express, the price had dropped to $ 1.00 per 1 ⁄ 2 ounce but even that

1848-515: The Pony Express quickly became romanticized and became part of the lore of the Old West . Its reliance on the ability and endurance of hardy riders and fast horses was seen as evidence of rugged American individualism of the frontier times. The idea of having a fast mail route to the Pacific Coast was prompted largely by California's newfound prominence and its rapidly growing population. After gold

1914-621: The Pony Express was forced to suspend mail services because of the outbreak of the Paiute Indian War in May 1860. About 6,000 Paiutes in Nevada had suffered during a winter of fierce blizzards that year. By spring, the whole tribe was ready to embark on a war, except for the Paiute chief named Numaga . For three days, Numaga fasted and argued for peace. Meanwhile, a raiding party attacked Williams Station ,

1980-431: The age of 18 living in them, 5,871 (63.7%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 651 (7.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 273 (3.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 306 (3.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships , and 75 (0.8%) same-sex married couples or partnerships . 1,916 households (20.8%) were made up of individuals, and 802 (8.7%) had someone living alone who

2046-662: The approximately 1,900-mile-long (3,100 km) route roughly followed the Oregon and California trails to Fort Bridger in Wyoming , and then the Mormon Trail (known as the Hastings Cutoff ) to Salt Lake City, Utah . From there, it followed the Central Nevada Route to Carson City, Nevada Territory, before passing over the Sierra and reaching to Sacramento, California . From there mail

Lafayette hillside memorial - Misplaced Pages Continue

2112-454: The arrival of Elam Brown from St. Joseph, Missouri , in 1846. He purchased Rancho Acalanes in 1848. The settlement continued to steadily grow due to its proximity to San Francisco; starting with Brown's group of 18 settlers, by the census in 1852, 76 people were listed as living in the area. Brown founded a mill in 1853. One of the original settlers in Brown's party was Milo J. Hough. He built

2178-466: The climate differences can be striking: during the summer, temperatures can soar beyond 100 °F (38 °C) in Lafayette and its neighboring cities while the areas west of the hills and nearer to the bay remain up to 20 °F (11 °C) cooler. Summers are warm, dry and very sunny (although mornings can be foggy); winters are cool and damp, with occasional freezes. Most of the annual rainfall comes in

2244-496: The commuter thoroughfare below. Also, since the creation of the memorial, there have been several incidents of vandalism . While some show support for the protest, other residents complain that it is disrespectful to the US military in Iraq and that it is an eyesore to the community. The memorial is on private property and modifications and trespassing without consent of the owners has been common. Another historical site found in Lafayette

2310-462: The confidence of my employers, so help me God. In 1860, the roughly 186 Pony Express stations were about 10 to 15 miles (16 to 24 km) apart along the Pony Express route. At each station, the express rider would change to a fresh horse, get a bite to eat, and would only take the mail pouch called a mochila (from the Spanish for pouch or backpack) with him. The employers stressed the importance of

2376-595: The east to St. Joseph, and never directly entered the U.S. mail system. Today, only a single letter is known to exist from the inaugural westbound trip from St. Joseph to Sacramento. It was delivered in an envelope embossed with postage (depicted below) that was first issued by the U.S. Post Office in 1855. The messenger delivering the mochila from New York and Washington, DC , missed a connection in Detroit and arrived in Hannibal, Missouri , two hours late. The railroad cleared

2442-447: The job for 30 years. Spelling: On the original document from the U.S. Postal Service, dated March 2, 1857, the name “LaFayette” is unmistakably written as one word with a capital “F” in the middle. In 1864 the place name "Lafayette" first appeared on a map of the area, titled "Bancroft's Map of California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona (copyrighted 1863. Scale: 24 miles to 1 inch). Yet research by Ruth Dyer, Lafayette historian, shows that

2508-700: The latter two towns, is considered locally as part of " Lamorinda ". Lafayette is separated from greater Berkeley and Oakland by the Berkeley Hills (and the Caldecott Tunnel running beneath), a geographical boundary within the East Bay which also represents interesting meteorological, cultural, and political distinctions. Like the rest of the San Francisco Bay Area, Lafayette has a Mediterranean climate ( Köppen climate classification Csa ); however,

2574-403: The long and arduous route used by the Pony Express, 190 stations were used. The stations and station keepers were essential to the successful, timely, and smooth operation of the Pony Express mail system. The stations were often fashioned out of existing structures, several of them located in military forts, while others were built anew in remote areas where living conditions were basic. The route

2640-477: The mail and other communications to and from this westernmost state became even greater as the American Civil War approached. William Russell , Alexander Majors , and William B. Waddell were the three founders of the Pony Express. They were already in the freighting and drayage business. At the peak of the operations, they employed 6,000 men, owned 75,000 oxen, thousands of wagons, and warehouses, plus

2706-483: The name of the post office and of the new town itself soon began to be written as two words, “La Fayette.” By 1890 it had changed to one word, "Lafayette," and so appeared in an official communication from the U.S. "Post Office Department" in Feb. 1899. Then by 1905 it was back to two words. Finally on March 31, 1932, the name of the post office was officially changed to Lafayette, which has remained unchanged to this day. Lafayette

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2772-439: The name to Waddell & Russell. In 1855, they took on a new partner, Alexander Majors, and founded the company of Russell, Majors & Waddell. They held government contracts for delivering army supplies to the western frontier, and Russell had a similar idea for contracts with the U.S. government for fast mail delivery. By using a short route and mounted riders rather than traditional stagecoaches , they proposed to establish

2838-459: The other side. The first westbound mochila reached Sacramento, on April 14, at 1:00 am. The first eastbound Pony Express trip left Sacramento on April 3, 1860, and arrived at its destination 10 days later in St. Joseph, Missouri. From St. Joseph, letters were placed in the U.S. mails for delivery to eastern destinations. Only two letters are known to exist from the inaugural eastbound trip. As

2904-536: The population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 4,769 people (20.0%) lived in rental housing units. In 2016, the median household income in Lafayette was over $ 140,000. The Lafayette Library and Learning Center of the Contra Costa County Library is located in Lafayette. Oakmont Memorial Park is a cemetery in Lafayette. Oakwood serves as a country club/fitness center for Lamorindans. In November 2006, area residents began placing crosses on

2970-516: The pouch across the Missouri River ferry to Elwood, Kansas . The first horse-ridden leg of the Express was only about 1 ⁄ 2 mile (800 m) from the Express stables/railroad area to the Missouri River ferry at the foot of Jules Street. Reports indicated that horse and rider crossed the river. In later rides, the courier crossed the river without a horse and picked up his mount at a stable on

3036-399: The pouch. They often said that, if it came to be, the horse and rider should perish before the mochila did. The mochila was thrown over the saddle and held in place by the weight of the rider sitting on it. Each corner had a cantina, or pocket. Bundles of mail were placed in these cantinas , which were padlocked for safety. The mochila could hold 20 pounds (9 kg) of mail along with

3102-489: The route. On November 7, 1860, a Pony Express rider departed Fort Kearny , Nebraska Territory (the end of the eastern telegraph line) with the election results. Riders briskly traversed the route, over snow-covered trails to Fort Churchill, Nevada Territory (the end of the western telegraph line). California's newspapers received word of Lincoln's election only 7 days and 17 hours after the East Coast papers, an "unrivaled feat at

3168-469: The southwestern part of Lafayette, is the Lafayette Reservoir , and Briones Regional Park extends into the northern part of Lafayette. Lafayette's wildlife communities include mixed woods and oak woodlands . The 2010 United States Census reported that Lafayette had a population of 23,893. The population density was 1,552.8 inhabitants per square mile (599.5/km ). The racial makeup of Lafayette

3234-469: The stations had no one around, possibly for miles, to help defend against the attacks, making working at the stations one of the deadliest jobs in the whole operation. The Paiute War cost the Pony Express company about $ 75,000 ($ 2.54 million in 2023) in livestock and station equipment, not to mention the loss of life. In June of that year, the Paiute uprising had been ended through the intervention of U.S. troops, after which four delayed mail shipments from

3300-546: The time". The Paiute War was a minor series of raids and ambushes initiated by American expansion into the territory of the Paiute Indian tribe in Nevada, which resulted in the disruption of mail services of the Pony Express. It took place from May through June 1860, though sporadic violence continued for a period afterward. In the brief history of the Pony Express, only once did the mail not go through. After completing eight weekly trips from both Sacramento and Saint Joseph,

3366-651: The track and dispatched a special locomotive called Missouri with a one-car train to make the 206-mile (332 km) trek across Missouri in a record 4 hours and 51 minutes, an average of 40 miles per hour (64 km/h). It arrived at Olive and 8th Street, a few blocks from the company's new headquarters in a hotel at Patee House at 12th and Penn Street, St. Joseph, and the company's nearby stables on Penn Street. The first pouch contained 49 letters, five private telegrams , and some papers for San Francisco and intermediate points. St. Joseph Mayor M. Jeff Thompson , William H. Russell, and Alexander Majors gave speeches before

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3432-515: The winter, although there are still plenty of clear days during that time. The record high temperature is 115 °F (46 °C), set in July 1972. The record low temperature is 19 °F (−7 °C), set in December 1990. The region directly east of the hills is generally known for its more suburban or rural atmosphere, and features rolling, grassy hills which highlight a more peaceful and domestic aura. In

3498-403: The women. Either way, the war party killed five men and the station was burned. During the following weeks, other isolated incidents occurred when whites in the Paiute country were ambushed and killed. The Pony Express was a special target. Seven other express stations were also attacked; 16 employees were killed, and around 150 express horses were either stolen or driven off. Those who worked at

3564-531: Was 20,232 (84.7%) White , 166 (0.7%) African American , 66 (0.3%) Native American , 2,162 (9.0%) Asian , (2.1%) Pacific Islander , 240 (1.0%) from other races , and 1,000 (4.2%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,388 persons (5.8%). The Census reported that 23,794 people (99.6% of the population) lived in households, 38 (0.2%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 61 (0.3%) were institutionalized. There were 9,223 households, out of which 3,262 (35.4%) had children under

3630-431: Was 45.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males. There were 9,651 housing units at an average density of 627.2 per square mile (242.2/km ), of which 9,223 were occupied, of which 6,937 (75.2%) were owner-occupied, and 2,286 (24.8%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.7%. 19,025 people (79.6% of

3696-419: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58. There were 6,795 families (73.7% of all households); the average family size was 3.01. The population was spread out, with 5,956 people (24.9%) under the age of 18, 1,220 people (5.1%) aged 18 to 24, 4,676 people (19.6%) aged 25 to 44, 8,069 people (33.8%) aged 45 to 64, and 3,972 people (16.6%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

3762-404: Was considered expensive to mail one letter. Only 250 known examples of Pony Express mail remain. Various postmarks were added to the mail to be carried by the Pony Express at the point of departure. William Russell, senior partner of Russell, Majors, and Waddell, and one of the biggest investors in the Pony Express, used the 1860 presidential election , of Abraham Lincoln , as a way to promote

3828-499: Was discovered there in 1848 , thousands of prospectors , investors, and businessmen made their way to California, at that time a new territory of the U.S. By 1850, California entered the Union as a free state. By 1860, the population had grown to 380,000. The prospect of California and its national role became the source of bitter partisan debate in Congress. The demand for a faster way to get

3894-7171: Was divided into five divisions. To maintain the rigid schedule, 157 relay stations were located from 5 to 25 miles (8 to 40 km) apart, as the terrain would allow. At each "swing station", riders would exchange their tired mounts for fresh ones, while "home stations" provided room and board for the riders between runs. This technique allowed the mail to be moved across the continent in record time. Each rider rode about 75 miles (120 km) per day. Missouri: 1. St. Joseph Station Kansas: 2. Troy Station 3. Lewis Station 4. Kennekuk (Kinnekuk) Station 5. Kickapoo, Goteschall Station 6. Log Chain Station 7. Seneca Station 8. Ash Point, Laramie Creek Station 9. Guittard Station (aka Gantard's, Guttard) 10. Marysville Station 11. Cottonwood, Hollenberg Station 12. Atchison Station 13. Lancaster Station Nebraska: 14. Rock House Station 15. Rock Creek Station 16. Virginia City 17. Big Sandy Station 18. Millersville, Thompson's Station 19. Kiowa Station 20. Little Blue, Oak Grove Station 21. Liberty Farm Station 22. Spring Ranch, Lone Tree Station 23. Thirty-two Mile Creek Station 24. Sand Hill, Summit Station 25. Hook's, Kearney, Valley Station 26. Fort Kearney Division Two: Stations between Fort Kearney and Horseshoe Creek Nebraska (continued): 27. Seventeen Mile, Platte Station 28. Garden Station 29. Plum Creek Station 30. Willow Island, Willow Bend Station 31. Cold Water, Midway Ranch Station 32. Gilman's Station 33. Machette's Station (Gothenburg) 34. Cottonwood Springs Station 35. Cold Springs Station 36. Fremont Springs Station 37. O'Fallon's Bluff, Dansey's/Elkhorn Station 38. Alkali Lake Station 39. Gill's, Sand Hill Station 40. Diamond Springs Station 41. Beauvais Ranch Station Colorado: 42. Frontz's/South Platte Station 43. Julesburg Station Nebraska (continued): 44. Nine Mile Station 45. Pole Creek No. 2 Station 46. Pole Creek No. 3 Station 47. Midway Station 48. Mud Springs Station 49. Court House (Rock) Station 50. Chimney Rock Station 51. Ficklin's Springs Station 52. Scott's Bluff(s) Station 53. Horse Creek Station Wyoming: 54. Cold Springs, Spring Ranch/Torrington Station 55. Verdling's, Bordeaux, Bedeau's Ranch/Fort Benard Station 56. Fort Laramie Station 57. Nine Mile, Sand Point, Ward's, Central Star Station 58. Cottonwood Station 59. Horseshoe Creek, Horseshoe Station Division Three: Stations between Horseshoe Creek and Salt Lake City Wyoming (continued) : 60. Elk Horn Station 61. La Bonte Station 62. Bed Tick Station 63. Lapierelle/La Prele Station 64. Box Elder (Creek) Station 65. Deer Creek Station 66. Little Muddy Station 67. Bridger Station 68. Fort Caspar , Platte Bridge/North Platte Station 69. Red Butte (s) Station 70. Willow Springs Station 71. Horse, Greesewood Creek Station 72. Sweetwater Station 73. Devil's Gate Station 74. Plant's, Plante Station 75. Split Rock Station 76. Three Crossings Station 77. Ice Slough, Ice Springs Station 78. Warm Springs Station 79. Rocky Ridge, St. Mary's Station 80. Rock Creek Station 81. Upper Sweetwater, South Pass Station 82. Pacific Springs Station 83. Dry Sandy Station 84. Little Sandy Creek Station 85. Big Sandy Station 86. Big Timber Station 87. Green River Station (crossing Station) 88. Michael Martin's Station 89. Ham's Fork Station 90. Church Buttes Station 91. Millersville Station 92. Fort Bridger 93. Muddy Creek Station 94. Quaking Asp, Aspen, Springs Station 95. Bear River Station Utah: 96. The Needles, Needle Rock(s) Station 97. (Head of) Echo Canyon Station 98. Halfway Station 99. Weber Station 100. Brimville Emergency Station 101. Carson House Station 102. East Canyon Station 103. Wheaton Springs Station 104. Mountain Dell/Dale Station 105. Salt Lake City Station Division Four: Stations between Salt Lake City and Robert's Creek Utah (continued): 106. Trader's Rest, Traveler's Rest Station 107. Rockwell's Station (Hot Springs Hotel and Brewery) 108. Dugout, Joe's Dugout Station 109. Camp Floyd, Fairfield Station 110. Pass, East Rush Valley Station 111. Rush Valley, Faust's Station 112. Point Lookout, Lookout Pass Station 113. Government Creek Station 114. Simpson's Springs, Egan's Springs Station 115. River Bed Station 116. Dugway Station 117. Black Rock Station 118. Fish Springs Station 119. Boyd's Station 120. Willow Springs Station 121. Willow Creek Station 122. Canyon, Burnt Station 123. Deep Creek Station Nevada: 124. Prairie Gate, Eight Mile Station 125. Antelope Springs Station 126. Spring Valley Station 127. Schell Creek Station 128. Egan's Canyon, Egan's Station 129. Bates', Butte Station 130. Mountain Spring(s) Station 131. Ruby Valley Station 132. Jacob's Well Station 133. Diamond Springs Station 134. Sulphur Springs Station 135. Robert's Creek Station Division Five: Stations between Roberts Creek and Sacramento Nevada (continued): 136. Camp Station, Grub(b)s Well Station 137. Dry Creek Station 138. Simpson Park Station 139. Reese River, Jacob's Spring Station 140. Dry Wells Station 141. Smith's Creek Station 142. Castle Rock Station 143. Edward's Creek Station 144. Cold Springs, East Gate Station 145. Middle Gate Station 146. West Gate Station 147. Sand Springs Station 148. Sand Hill Station 149. Carson Sink Station 150. Williams Station 151. Desert, Hooten Wells Station 152. Buckland's Station 153. Fort Churchill Station 154. Fairview Station 155. Mountain Well Station 156. Stillwater Station 157. Old River Station 158. Bisby's Station 159. Nevada Station 160. Ragtown Station 161. Desert Wells Station 162. Miller's, Reed's Station 163. Dayton Station 164. Carson City Station 165. Genoa Station 166. Friday's, Lakeside Station California: 167. Woodford's Station 168. Fountain Place Station 169. Yank's Station 170. Strawberry Station 171. Webster's, Sugar Loaf House Station 172. Moss/Moore, Riverton Station 173. Sportsman's Hall Station 174. Placerville Station 175. El Dorado , Nevada House/Mud Springs Station 176. Mormon Tavern, Sunrise House Station 177. Fifteen Mile House Station 178. Five Mile House Station 179. Pleasant Grove House Station 180. Duroc Station 181. Folsom Station 182. Sacramento Station 183. Benicia Station 184. Martinez Station 185. Oakland Station The first westbound Pony Express trip left St. Joseph on April 3, 1860, and arrived 10 days later in Sacramento, California, on April 14. These letters were sent under cover from

3960-471: Was operated by the Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company . During its 18 months of operation beginning in 1860, the Pony Express reduced the time for messages to travel between the east and west US coast to about 10 days. It became the west's most direct means of east–west communication before the first transcontinental telegraph was established (October 24, 1861), and

4026-412: Was owned by 81-year-old Louise Clark, widow of Johnson Clark, until she died. Johnson Clark was a local developer and World War II veteran. The monument was erected in late 2006 by Jeffrey Heaton, a long-time anti-war protester, and Louise Clark. Their first 19 crosses were quickly removed by vandals. In November 2006 Heaton and Clark re-added the crosses onto Clark's property, this time with 300 crosses and

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4092-609: Was the tenth post office established in Contra Costa County. (See Salley, History of California Post Offices). In the early 1860s, Lafayette was briefly the site of a station for the Pony Express . In the mid-1900s, Lafayette was transformed from an agricultural village into a commuter town , and was incorporated in 1968. Lafayette is located at 37°53′09″N 122°07′05″W  /  37.88583°N 122.11806°W  / 37.88583; -122.11806 . According to

4158-600: Was transferred to boats to go downriver to San Francisco or, on occasion, via a combination of riders and ferries to the destination. The route started at St. Joseph, Missouri , on the Missouri River , and then followed what is modern-day U.S. Highway 36 (the Pony Express Highway) to Marysville, Kansas, where it turned northwest following Little Blue River to Fort Kearny in Nebraska. Through Nebraska, it followed

4224-560: Was used for the first month and whenever the steamer departure was missed. The alternative route, roughly following first today's Interstate 80 , then Interstate 680 , then California Route 24 , took the mail by horseback through Benicia, California . This route would then cross the Carquinez Strait via ferry to Martinez , then on horseback onward to Oakland and across the San Francisco Bay by ferry to San Francisco. Along

4290-447: Was usually less than $ 2 per day. Alexander Majors, one of the founders of the Pony Express, had acquired more than 400 horses for the project. He selected horses from around the west, paying an average of $ 200. These averaged about 14.2  hands (58 inches, 147 cm) high and 900 pounds (410 kg) each; thus, the name pony was appropriate, even if not strictly correct in all cases. Beginning at St. Joseph, Missouri ,

4356-460: Was vital for tying the new state of California with the rest of the United States. Despite a heavy subsidy, the Pony Express was not a financial success and went bankrupt in 18 months, when a faster telegraph service was established. Nevertheless, it demonstrated that a unified transcontinental system of communications could be established and operated year-round. When replaced by the telegraph,

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