GREEN RIVER — The annual National Pony Express Re-Ride is coming through Sweetwater County Saturday.
Residents can see riders exchanging the mail at the Farson Mercantile parking lot at 2 p.m., or see an exchange in Granger at the state station at 5:30 p.m. According to the Sweetwater County Historical Museum, residents will be able to meet the rider and their horses at both stops.
This year, the annual event coincides with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The re-ride started in St. Joseph, Missouri June 15 and will conclude in Sacramento, California on June 25 and will involve more than 700 riders.
According to the museum, the Pony Express operated from April 3, 1860, to Oct. 26, 1861. Single riders would carry mail in relays between Missouri and California. The trek was more than 2,000 miles and would take 10 days to complete. During its life, the Pony Express handled approximately 35,000 pieces of mail before the telegraph killed the service.
Several chapters of the National Pony Express Association participate in the re-ride every year, including a Sweetwater County chapter. Along with the re-ride, the Sweetwater County chapter also hosts a yearly Christmas card relay between Green River and Rock Springs in December.
