Myth: The Pony Express was the original postal service of the United States of America
01/01/07 00:00 Filed in: History
Was the Pony Express the original
postal service of the United States of America?
Myth
The Pony Express is featured in a huge number of films, from classic westerns right up until the pseudo-science fiction western 'The Postman'. In all cases it reflects the importance of the Pony Express service and suggest it was the founding of the US postal service.
Reality
While the impact of the transcontinental postal service (or the efforts of its workers) provided by the Pony Express cannot be in anyway diminished; it should be pointed out that the service lasted a mere 16 months before being completely replaced by the telegraph service.
It was a mere footnote of history. However, due to it has being romanticised in books, films and then television it is often regarding as being the original postal service for the United States of America.
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