The Pony Express – Mail Transport by Horse

Before the telegraph and transcontinental railroad, The Pony Express was used to transport mail across the western United States at unbelievable speeds. The system began its deliveries on April 3, 1860 and covered a route of 1966 miles, passing through eight states. The mail would leave from Missouri and travel through Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming,…

Great Basin of North America

The Great Basin of North America has long been inhabited and enjoyed for its beauty. The area, which covers nearly all of Nevada, most of Utah and Oregon and even parts of California, Wyoming, and Idaho, has known the presence of people since at least 10,000 BC. Native American tribes, notably the Paiute, the Shoshone,…

The American Gold Rush – California’s 19th Century Success

On January 24, 1848 James W. Marshall stumbled upon a yellow metal while building a lumber mill for pioneer John Sutter, in Coloma, California. Together they tested the metal and discovered that it was gold. Even though Sutter wanted to keep the news a secret it quickly spread and prospectors began flocking in. By spring,…