Pony Express rides through Genoa: Event on Wednesday

The National Pony Express Association will once again conduct a re-ride of the Pony Express Trail from Sacramento to St. Joseph, Mo., June 6-16.

The riders will arrive in Nevada on Wednesday, first entering the state from Woodfords at about 9 a.m., then continuing through Genoa, Carson City, traveling across the state eastwards toward Utah.

A day of education on this event and Snowshoe Thompson will take place 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday in Genoa. Exchange of riders and horses and transfer of the mochila carrying the letters are scheduled at about 9:30 a.m., but onlookers should plan to be early and flexible as the exact time cannot be determined. Association state president Larry McPherson will speak at the transfer site.

A Snowshoe Thompson re-enactment will take place with "Snowshoe" telling stories from his famous life. During the day, tours of the Genoa Court House Museum will include information about both topics. The museum also has an authentic mochila on display. Free materials will be available. The event is sponsored by the Douglas County Historical Society. Admission to the museum is free with donations accepted.

This re-ride will be a 10-day, 24-hour a day, non-stop event by more than 500 riders and horses. The 1,966 mile route will be over the Pony Express National Historic Trail from California to Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, through Kansas and ending in Missouri.

The event commemorates the Pony Express of 1860-1861. The Central Overland and California Pikes Peak Express Company carried letters and telegrams for 19 months to prove the central route through Salt Lake passable year round. The owners hoped to win a federal mail contract on that route. Pony Express history is preserved in the federally designated historic trail, administered by the National Park Service, in museums, Pony Rider monuments, books, and the annual re-creations by the NPEA.